diff --git a/lib/actions/api.js b/lib/actions/api.js
index dafc7cc42..7dafff4d4 100644
--- a/lib/actions/api.js
+++ b/lib/actions/api.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import { getSecureFetchOptions } from '../util/middleware'
 import { getStopViewerConfig } from '../util/state'
 
 import { MainPanelContent } from './ui-constants'
-import { setVisibleItinerary } from './narrative'
 import v1Actions from './apiV1'
 import v2Actions from './apiV2'
 
@@ -139,9 +138,6 @@ export function updateOtpUrlParams(state, searchId) {
     params.ui_activeItinerary = -1
     // At the same time, reset/delete the ui_itineraryView param.
     params.ui_itineraryView = undefined
-    if (config.itinerary?.showFirstResultByDefault) {
-      dispatch(setVisibleItinerary({ index: 0 }))
-    }
     // Merge in the provided OTP params and update the URL.
     dispatch(setUrlSearch(Object.assign(params, otpParams)))
   }
diff --git a/lib/components/narrative/narrative-itineraries.js b/lib/components/narrative/narrative-itineraries.js
index 6d20a2437..80eec5c36 100644
--- a/lib/components/narrative/narrative-itineraries.js
+++ b/lib/components/narrative/narrative-itineraries.js
@@ -331,13 +331,16 @@ class NarrativeItineraries extends Component {
     )
   }
 
-  componentDidUpdate() {
+  componentDidUpdate(prevProps) {
     // If set in URL, set the active itinerary in the state, once.
     const {
       activeItinerary,
       activeSearch,
+      itineraryConfig,
+      mergedItineraries,
       setActiveItinerary,
-      setVisibleItinerary
+      setVisibleItinerary,
+      visibleItinerary
     } = this.props
     const { ui_activeItinerary: uiActiveItinerary } =
       coreUtils.query.getUrlParams() || {}
@@ -350,6 +353,28 @@ class NarrativeItineraries extends Component {
       setActiveItinerary({ index: +uiActiveItinerary })
       setVisibleItinerary({ index: +uiActiveItinerary })
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Show first result by default is a lot more complicated now that we have
+     * fixed indeces. We must update the visible itinerary here instead of in the redux state.
+     * Also, we need to update whenever new items arrive, to make sure that the highlighted
+     * itinerary is indeed the first one.
+     *
+     * Finally, we need to make sure we only update if the data changes, not if the user actually
+     * highlighted something else on their own.
+     */
+    if (itineraryConfig?.showFirstResultByDefault) {
+      const firstSortedItin =
+        mergedItineraries?.length > 0 && mergedItineraries?.[0].index
+
+      if (
+        activeItinerary === -1 &&
+        (visibleItinerary === null || visibleItinerary === false) &&
+        prevProps.mergedItineraries.length !== mergedItineraries.length
+      ) {
+        setVisibleItinerary({ index: firstSortedItin })
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   // eslint-disable-next-line complexity
@@ -531,7 +556,7 @@ const reduceErrorsFromResponse = (acc, cur) => {
 
 const mapStateToProps = (state) => {
   const { config, filter } = state.otp
-  const { co2, errorMessages, modes } = config
+  const { co2, errorMessages, itinerary, modes } = config
   const { sort } = filter
 
   const activeSearch = getActiveSearch(state)
@@ -590,6 +615,7 @@ const mapStateToProps = (state) => {
     groupItineraries,
     groupTransitModes,
     itineraries: allItineraries,
+    itineraryConfig: itinerary,
     itineraryIsExpanded,
     // use a key so that the NarrativeItineraries component and its state is
     // reset each time a new search is shown