diff --git a/react/containers/ShowAsset/view.jsx b/react/containers/ShowAsset/view.jsx
index fd0b4f8e..fd392835 100644
--- a/react/containers/ShowAsset/view.jsx
+++ b/react/containers/ShowAsset/view.jsx
@@ -3,26 +3,33 @@ import ErrorPage from 'components/ErrorPage';
 import ShowAssetLite from 'components/ShowAssetLite';
 import ShowAssetDetails from 'components/ShowAssetDetails';
 
+import { ASSET } from 'constants/show_request_types';
+
+function requestIsAnAssetRequest ({ requestType }) {
+  return requestType === ASSET;
+}
+
+function requestIsNewRequest (nextProps, props) {
+  return (nextProps.requestId !== props.requestId);
+}
+
 class ShowAsset extends React.Component {
   componentDidMount () {
     const { requestId, requestName, requestModifier, assetRequests } = this.props;
-    // check to see if we have this asset
-    if (assetRequests[requestId]) { // case: the assetRequest exists
-      const request = assetRequests[requestId];
-      this.onRepeatRequest(requestId, request);
+    const existingRequest = assetRequests[requestId];
+    if (existingRequest) { // case: the assetRequest exists
+      this.onRepeatRequest(existingRequest);
     } else { // case: the asset request does not exist
       this.onNewRequest(requestId, requestName, requestModifier);
     }
   }
   componentWillReceiveProps (nextProps) {
     // case where componentDidMount triggered new props
-    if (nextProps.assetRequests !== this.props.assetRequests) {  // note: reason for not showing small url requests?
-      console.log('show.assetRequests updated');
+    if (requestIsAnAssetRequest(nextProps) && requestIsNewRequest(nextProps, this.props)) {
       const { requestId, requestName, requestModifier, assetRequests } = nextProps;
-      // if the component received new assetRequests, check again to see if the current request matches one
-      if (assetRequests[requestId]) { // case: the assetRequest exists
-        const request = assetRequests[requestId];
-        this.onRepeatRequest(request);
+      const existingRequest = assetRequests[requestId];
+      if (existingRequest) { // case: the assetRequest exists
+        this.onRepeatRequest(existingRequest);
       } else { // case: the asset request does not exist
         this.onNewRequest(requestId, requestName, requestModifier);
       }
diff --git a/react/containers/ShowChannel/view.jsx b/react/containers/ShowChannel/view.jsx
index 1dc0fd27..b494c123 100644
--- a/react/containers/ShowChannel/view.jsx
+++ b/react/containers/ShowChannel/view.jsx
@@ -9,42 +9,33 @@ function requestIsAChannelRequest ({ requestType }) {
   return requestType === CHANNEL;
 }
 
-function channelNameOrIdChanged (nextProps, props) {
-  return (nextProps.requestChannelName !== props.requestChannelName || nextProps.requestChannelName !== props.requestChannelName);
+function requestIsNewRequest (nextProps, props) {
+  return (nextProps.requestId !== props.requestId);
 }
 
 class ShowChannel extends React.Component {
   componentDidMount () {
-    console.log('showchannel did mount');
     const {requestId, requestChannelName, requestChannelId, requestList} = this.props;
     const existingRequest = requestList[requestId];
     if (existingRequest) {
-      console.log('we got a repeat channel request on an unmounted ShowChannel component');
       this.onRepeatChannelRequest(existingRequest);
     } else {
       this.onNewChannelRequest(requestId, requestChannelName, requestChannelId);
     }
   }
   componentWillReceiveProps (nextProps) {
-    console.log('showchannel will receive new props');
-    if (requestIsAChannelRequest(nextProps) && channelNameOrIdChanged(nextProps, this.props)) {
+    if (requestIsAChannelRequest(nextProps) && requestIsNewRequest(nextProps, this.props)) {
       const {requestId, requestChannelName, requestChannelId, requestList} = nextProps;
       const existingRequest = requestList[requestId];
       if (existingRequest) {
         this.onRepeatChannelRequest(existingRequest);
       } else {
-        console.log('we got a new channel request on a mounted ShowChannel component');
         this.onNewChannelRequest(requestId, requestChannelName, requestChannelId);
       }
     };
   }
   onNewChannelRequest (requestId, requestName, requestChannelId) {
-    // validate the request (i.e. get channel full claim id)
-    // update teh request list
-    // if error, return early (set the request error in the store)
-    // if the request is valid...
-        // add it to the requestList
-        // update showChannel to reflect the channel details
+    console.log('new request');
     this.props.onNewChannelRequest(requestId, requestName, requestChannelId);
   }
   onRepeatChannelRequest ({ id, error, name, claimId }) {