diff --git a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
index 26ddc8703..3c1a1d5d8 100755
--- a/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
+++ b/r2/r2/controllers/api.py
@@ -3115,18 +3115,18 @@ class ApiController(RedditController, OAuth2ResourceController):
         Trophy.by_award(award, _update=True)
 
 
-    @validatedForm(link=nop('link'),
-                   campaign=nop('campaign'))
-    def GET_fetch_promo(self, form, jquery, link, campaign):
+    @validate(link=nop('link'),
+              campaign=nop('campaign'))
+    def GET_fetch_promo(self, link, campaign):
         promo_tuples = [promote.PromoTuple(link, 1., campaign)]
         builder = CampaignBuilder(promo_tuples,
                                   wrap=default_thing_wrapper(),
                                   keep_fn=promote.is_promoted)
         promoted_links = builder.get_items()[0]
-        listing = SpotlightListing(organic_links=[],
-                                   promoted_links=promoted_links,
-                                   interestbar=None).listing()
-        jquery(".content").replace_things(listing)
+        if promoted_links:
+            s = SpotlightListing(promoted_links=promoted_links).listing()
+            item = s.things[0]
+            return spaceCompress(item.render())
 
 
     @noresponse(VUser(),
diff --git a/r2/r2/public/static/js/spotlight.js b/r2/r2/public/static/js/spotlight.js
index 3580196f8..4dd39684c 100644
--- a/r2/r2/public/static/js/spotlight.js
+++ b/r2/r2/public/static/js/spotlight.js
@@ -30,10 +30,15 @@ r.spotlight.init = function() {
         .shuffle()
         .unshift(selectedThing)
         .map(function(el) {
-            var fullname = $(el).data('fullname')
+            var fullname = $(el).data('fullname'),
+                campaign = $(el).data('cid')
             if (fullname) {
                 // convert things with ids to queries to handle stub replacement
-                return '.id-' + fullname
+                if (campaign) {
+                    return '[data-cid="' + campaign + '"]'
+                } else {
+                    return '.id-' + fullname
+                }
             } else {
                 return el
             }
@@ -82,7 +87,7 @@ r.spotlight.chooseRandom = function() {
             && Math.random() < this.promotion_prob) {
         var campaign_name = this.weighted_lottery(this.weights),
             link_name = this.link_by_camp[campaign_name]
-        return listing.find('.id-' + link_name)
+        return listing.find('[data-cid="' + campaign_name + '"]')
     } else if (Math.random() < this.interest_prob) {
         return listing.find('.interestbar')
     } else {
@@ -102,12 +107,14 @@ r.spotlight._advance = function(dir) {
             campaign = next.data('cid')
         r.debug('fetching promo %s from campaign %s', fullname, campaign)
 
-        next = $.getJSON('/api/fetch_promo', {
+        next = $.get('/api/fetch_promo', {
             link: fullname,
             campaign: campaign
-        }).pipe(function(resp) {
-            $.handleResponse('fetch_promo')(resp)
-            return listing.find('.id-' + fullname)
+        }).pipe(function (data) {
+            var oldNext = $('[data-cid="' + campaign + '"]'),
+                newNext = $(data)
+            oldNext.replaceWith(newNext)
+            return newNext
         })
     }