diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 6ea3edebd..410302db7 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     "scratch-vm": "^0.1.0-prerelease",
     "travis-after-all": "jamesarosen/travis-after-all#override-api-urls",
     "webpack": "1.13.2",
-    "webpack-dev-server": "1.15.2"
+    "webpack-dev-server": "1.15.2",
+    "xhr": "2.2.2"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/components/gui.js b/src/components/gui.js
index b29aa7d50..32a0c0cfb 100644
--- a/src/components/gui.js
+++ b/src/components/gui.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 const React = require('react');
+const xhr = require('xhr');
 
 const Blocks = require('./blocks');
 const GreenFlag = require('./green-flag');
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ class GUI extends React.Component {
     constructor (props) {
         super(props);
         this.animate = this.animate.bind(this);
+        this.getProject = this.getProject.bind(this);
         this.onReceiveWorkspace = this.onReceiveWorkspace.bind(this);
         this.state = {};
     }
@@ -22,6 +24,19 @@ class GUI extends React.Component {
             toolbox: this.toolbox
         });
     }
+    animate () {
+        this.props.vm.animationFrame();
+        requestAnimationFrame(this.animate);
+    }
+    getProject (callback) {
+        let id = location.hash.substring(1);
+        if (id.length < 1) return callback();
+        xhr({
+            uri: `https://projects.scratch.mit.edu/internalapi/project/${id}/get/`
+        }, (err, res, body) => {
+            callback(body);
+        });
+    }
     onReceiveWorkspace (workspace) {
         this.workspace = workspace;
         VMManager.attachWorkspace(this.props.vm, this.workspace);
@@ -29,13 +44,15 @@ class GUI extends React.Component {
         VMManager.attachKeyboardEvents(this.props.vm);
         this.renderer = new Renderer(this.stage);
         this.props.vm.attachRenderer(this.renderer);
-        this.props.vm.createEmptyProject();
-        this.props.vm.start();
-        requestAnimationFrame(this.animate);
-    }
-    animate () {
-        this.props.vm.animationFrame();
-        requestAnimationFrame(this.animate);
+        this.getProject(projectData => {
+            if (projectData) {
+                this.props.vm.loadProject(projectData);
+            } else {
+                this.props.vm.createEmptyProject();
+            }
+            this.props.vm.start();
+            requestAnimationFrame(this.animate);
+        });
     }
     render () {
         return (
@@ -58,7 +75,8 @@ class GUI extends React.Component {
 }
 
 GUI.propTypes = {
-    vm: React.PropTypes.object
+    projectData: React.PropTypes.string,
+    vm: React.PropTypes.object,
 };
 
 GUI.defaultProps = {