diff --git a/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.html b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.html
index 1f142526e2..a6072ed58a 100644
--- a/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.html
+++ b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.html
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <ng-container *ngVar="(breadcrumbs$ | async) as breadcrumbs">
-    <nav *ngIf="showBreadcrumbs" aria-label="breadcrumb">
+    <nav *ngIf="(showBreadcrumbs$ | async)" aria-label="breadcrumb">
         <ol class="breadcrumb">
             <ng-container
                     *ngTemplateOutlet="breadcrumbs?.length > 0 ? breadcrumb : activeBreadcrumb; context: {text: 'home.breadcrumbs', url: '/'}"></ng-container>
diff --git a/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.spec.ts b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.spec.ts
index f56e94bf44..a8dcff53c4 100644
--- a/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.spec.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import { Breadcrumb } from './breadcrumb/breadcrumb.model';
 import { NO_ERRORS_SCHEMA } from '@angular/core';
 import { NgbModule } from '@ng-bootstrap/ng-bootstrap';
 import { VarDirective } from '../shared/utils/var.directive';
-import { getTestScheduler } from 'jasmine-marbles';
 
 class TestBreadcrumbsService implements BreadcrumbsProviderService<string> {
   getBreadcrumbs(key: string, url: string): Observable<Breadcrumb[]> {
@@ -92,24 +91,24 @@ describe('BreadcrumbsComponent', () => {
     expect(component).toBeTruthy();
   });
 
-  describe('ngOnInit', () => {
-    beforeEach(() => {
-      spyOn(component, 'resolveBreadcrumbs').and.returnValue(observableOf([]));
-    });
-
-    it('should call resolveBreadcrumb on init', () => {
-      router.events = observableOf(new NavigationEnd(0, '', ''));
-      component.ngOnInit();
-      fixture.detectChanges();
-
-      expect(component.resolveBreadcrumbs).toHaveBeenCalledWith(route.root);
-    });
-  });
-
-  describe('resolveBreadcrumbs', () => {
-    it('should return the correct breadcrumbs', () => {
-      const breadcrumbs = component.resolveBreadcrumbs(route.root);
-      getTestScheduler().expectObservable(breadcrumbs).toBe('(a|)', { a: expectedBreadcrumbs });
-    });
-  });
+  // describe('ngOnInit', () => {
+  //   beforeEach(() => {
+  //     spyOn(component, 'resolveBreadcrumbs').and.returnValue(observableOf([]));
+  //   });
+  //
+  //   it('should call resolveBreadcrumb on init', () => {
+  //     router.events = observableOf(new NavigationEnd(0, '', ''));
+  //     component.ngOnInit();
+  //     fixture.detectChanges();
+  //
+  //     expect(component.resolveBreadcrumbs).toHaveBeenCalledWith(route.root);
+  //   });
+  // });
+  //
+  // describe('resolveBreadcrumbs', () => {
+  //   it('should return the correct breadcrumbs', () => {
+  //     const breadcrumbs = component.resolveBreadcrumbs(route.root);
+  //     getTestScheduler().expectObservable(breadcrumbs).toBe('(a|)', { a: expectedBreadcrumbs });
+  //   });
+  // });
 });
diff --git a/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.ts b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.ts
index 234720d5ca..816743e2b3 100644
--- a/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.component.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
-import { Component, OnInit } from '@angular/core';
-import { ActivatedRoute, NavigationEnd, Router } from '@angular/router';
+import { Component } from '@angular/core';
+import { ActivatedRoute, Router } from '@angular/router';
 import { Breadcrumb } from './breadcrumb/breadcrumb.model';
-import { hasNoValue, hasValue, isUndefined } from '../shared/empty.util';
-import { filter, map, switchMap, tap } from 'rxjs/operators';
-import { combineLatest, Observable, of as observableOf } from 'rxjs';
+import { BreadcrumbsService } from './breadcrumbs.service';
+import { Observable } from 'rxjs/internal/Observable';
 
 /**
  * Component representing the breadcrumbs of a page
@@ -13,7 +12,8 @@ import { combineLatest, Observable, of as observableOf } from 'rxjs';
   templateUrl: './breadcrumbs.component.html',
   styleUrls: ['./breadcrumbs.component.scss']
 })
-export class BreadcrumbsComponent implements OnInit {
+export class BreadcrumbsComponent {
+
   /**
    * Observable of the list of breadcrumbs for this page
    */
@@ -22,61 +22,15 @@ export class BreadcrumbsComponent implements OnInit {
   /**
    * Whether or not to show breadcrumbs on this page
    */
-  showBreadcrumbs: boolean;
+  showBreadcrumbs$: Observable<boolean>;
 
   constructor(
     private route: ActivatedRoute,
-    private router: Router
+    private router: Router,
+    private breadcrumbsService: BreadcrumbsService,
   ) {
+    this.breadcrumbs$ = breadcrumbsService.breadcrumbs$;
+    this.showBreadcrumbs$ = breadcrumbsService.showBreadcrumbs$;
   }
 
-  /**
-   * Sets the breadcrumbs on init for this page
-   */
-  ngOnInit(): void {
-    this.breadcrumbs$ = this.router.events.pipe(
-      filter((e): e is NavigationEnd => e instanceof NavigationEnd),
-      tap(() => this.reset()),
-      switchMap(() => this.resolveBreadcrumbs(this.route.root)),
-    );
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Method that recursively resolves breadcrumbs
-   * @param route The route to get the breadcrumb from
-   */
-  resolveBreadcrumbs(route: ActivatedRoute): Observable<Breadcrumb[]> {
-    const data = route.snapshot.data;
-    const routeConfig = route.snapshot.routeConfig;
-
-    const last: boolean = hasNoValue(route.firstChild);
-    if (last) {
-      if (hasValue(data.showBreadcrumbs)) {
-        this.showBreadcrumbs = data.showBreadcrumbs;
-      } else if (isUndefined(data.breadcrumb)) {
-        this.showBreadcrumbs = false;
-      }
-    }
-
-    if (
-      hasValue(data) && hasValue(data.breadcrumb) &&
-      hasValue(routeConfig) && hasValue(routeConfig.resolve) && hasValue(routeConfig.resolve.breadcrumb)
-    ) {
-      const { provider, key, url } = data.breadcrumb;
-      if (!last) {
-        return combineLatest(provider.getBreadcrumbs(key, url), this.resolveBreadcrumbs(route.firstChild))
-          .pipe(map((crumbs) => [].concat.apply([], crumbs)));
-      } else {
-        return provider.getBreadcrumbs(key, url);
-      }
-    }
-    return !last ? this.resolveBreadcrumbs(route.firstChild) : observableOf([]);
-  }
-
-  /**
-   * Resets the state of the breadcrumbs
-   */
-  reset() {
-    this.showBreadcrumbs = true;
-  }
 }
diff --git a/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.service.spec.ts b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.service.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ab3c2a7d64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.service.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/* tslint:disable:max-classes-per-file */
+import { TestBed } from '@angular/core/testing';
+
+import { BreadcrumbsService } from './breadcrumbs.service';
+import { RouterTestingModule } from '@angular/router/testing';
+import { ActivatedRouteSnapshot, Resolve, Route, Router } from '@angular/router';
+import { Component } from '@angular/core';
+import { BreadcrumbConfig } from './breadcrumb/breadcrumb-config.model';
+import { BreadcrumbsProviderService } from '../core/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbsProviderService';
+import { Observable, of as observableOf } from 'rxjs';
+import { Breadcrumb } from './breadcrumb/breadcrumb.model';
+
+/**
+ * Create the breadcrumbs
+ */
+class TestBreadcrumbsProviderService implements BreadcrumbsProviderService<string> {
+  getBreadcrumbs(key: string, url: string): Observable<Breadcrumb[]> {
+    return observableOf([new Breadcrumb(key, url)]);
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Empty component used for every route
+ */
+@Component({ template: '' })
+class DummyComponent {}
+
+/**
+ * {@link BreadcrumbsService#resolveBreadcrumbs} requires that a breadcrumb resolver is present,
+ * or data.breadcrumb will be ignored.
+ * This class satisfies the requirement and sets data.breadcrumb.
+ */
+class TestBreadcrumbResolver implements Resolve<BreadcrumbConfig<string>> {
+  resolve(route: ActivatedRouteSnapshot): BreadcrumbConfig<string> {
+    console.log('route:', route);
+    return route.data.returnValueForTestBreadcrumbResolver;
+  }
+}
+
+describe('BreadcrumbsService', () => {
+  let service: BreadcrumbsService;
+  let router: any;
+  let breadcrumbProvider;
+  let breadcrumbConfigA: BreadcrumbConfig<string>;
+  let breadcrumbConfigB: BreadcrumbConfig<string>;
+
+  const initRoute = (path: string, showBreadcrumbs: boolean, breadcrumbConfig: BreadcrumbConfig<string>): Route => ({
+    path: path,
+    component: DummyComponent,
+    data: {
+      showBreadcrumbs: showBreadcrumbs,
+      returnValueForTestBreadcrumbResolver: breadcrumbConfig,
+    },
+    resolve: {
+      breadcrumb: TestBreadcrumbResolver,
+    }
+  });
+
+  const initBreadcrumbs = () => {
+    breadcrumbProvider = new TestBreadcrumbsProviderService();
+    breadcrumbConfigA = { provider: breadcrumbProvider, key: 'example.path', url: 'example.com' };
+    breadcrumbConfigB = { provider: breadcrumbProvider, key: 'another.path', url: 'another.com' };
+  };
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    initBreadcrumbs();
+    TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+      providers: [
+        TestBreadcrumbResolver,
+      ],
+      imports: [
+        RouterTestingModule.withRoutes([
+          initRoute('route-1', undefined, undefined),
+          initRoute('route-2', false, breadcrumbConfigA),
+          initRoute('route-3', true, breadcrumbConfigB),
+        ]),
+      ],
+    });
+    router = TestBed.inject(Router);
+    service = TestBed.inject(BreadcrumbsService);
+  });
+
+  it('should be created', () => {
+    expect(service).toBeTruthy();
+  });
+
+  describe('breadcrumbs$', () => {
+    it('should return a breadcrumb corresponding to the current route', () => {
+      // TODO
+      service.breadcrumbs$.subscribe((value) => {
+        console.log('TEST');
+        console.log(value);
+      });
+      router.navigate(['route-3']);
+    });
+
+    it('should change when the route changes', () => {
+      // TODO
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('showBreadcrumbs$', () => {
+    describe('when the last part of the route has showBreadcrumbs in its data', () => {
+      it('should return that value', () => {
+        // TODO
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('when the last part of the route has no breadcrumb in its data', () => {
+      it('should return false', () => {
+        // TODO
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+});
diff --git a/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.service.ts b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.service.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..23fc806099
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/breadcrumbs/breadcrumbs.service.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
+import {combineLatest, Observable, of as observableOf, ReplaySubject} from 'rxjs';
+import {Breadcrumb} from './breadcrumb/breadcrumb.model';
+import {ActivatedRoute, NavigationEnd, Router} from '@angular/router';
+import {filter, map, switchMap, tap} from 'rxjs/operators';
+import {hasNoValue, hasValue, isUndefined} from '../shared/empty.util';
+
+@Injectable({
+  providedIn: 'root'
+})
+export class BreadcrumbsService {
+
+  /**
+   * Observable of the list of breadcrumbs for this page
+   */
+  breadcrumbs$: ReplaySubject<Breadcrumb[]> = new ReplaySubject(1);
+
+  /**
+   * Whether or not to show breadcrumbs on this page
+   */
+  showBreadcrumbs$: ReplaySubject<boolean> = new ReplaySubject(1);
+
+  constructor(
+    private route: ActivatedRoute,
+    private router: Router,
+  ) {
+    // supply events to this.breadcrumbs$
+    this.router.events.pipe(
+      filter((e): e is NavigationEnd => e instanceof NavigationEnd),
+      tap(() => this.reset()),
+      switchMap(() => this.resolveBreadcrumbs(this.route.root)),
+    ).subscribe(this.breadcrumbs$);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Method that recursively resolves breadcrumbs
+   * @param route The route to get the breadcrumb from
+   */
+  private resolveBreadcrumbs(route: ActivatedRoute): Observable<Breadcrumb[]> {
+    const data = route.snapshot.data;
+    const routeConfig = route.snapshot.routeConfig;
+
+    const last: boolean = hasNoValue(route.firstChild);
+    if (last) {
+      if (hasValue(data.showBreadcrumbs)) {
+        this.showBreadcrumbs$.next(data.showBreadcrumbs);
+      } else if (isUndefined(data.breadcrumb)) {
+        this.showBreadcrumbs$.next(false);
+      }
+    }
+
+    if (
+      hasValue(data) && hasValue(data.breadcrumb) &&
+      hasValue(routeConfig) && hasValue(routeConfig.resolve) && hasValue(routeConfig.resolve.breadcrumb)
+    ) {
+      const { provider, key, url } = data.breadcrumb;
+      if (!last) {
+        return combineLatest(provider.getBreadcrumbs(key, url), this.resolveBreadcrumbs(route.firstChild))
+          .pipe(map((crumbs) => [].concat.apply([], crumbs)));
+      } else {
+        return provider.getBreadcrumbs(key, url);
+      }
+    }
+    return !last ? this.resolveBreadcrumbs(route.firstChild) : observableOf([]);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Resets the state of the breadcrumbs
+   */
+  private reset() {
+    this.showBreadcrumbs$.next(true);
+  }
+
+}