diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/menus.py b/r2/r2/lib/menus.py
index 4120b7572..73edd1186 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/menus.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/menus.py
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ from pylons import c, request, g
 from utils import  query_string, timeago
 from strings import StringHandler, plurals
 from r2.lib.db import operators
+from r2.lib.filters import _force_unicode
 from pylons.i18n import _
 #from r2.config import cache
 
@@ -259,7 +260,7 @@ class NavButton(Styled):
             p = {}
             base_path = ("%s/%s/" % (base_path, self.dest)).replace('//', '/')
 
-        self.bare_path = base_path.replace('//', '/')
+        self.bare_path = _force_unicode(base_path.replace('//', '/')).lower()
         
         # append the query string
         base_path += query_string(p)
@@ -273,7 +274,7 @@ class NavButton(Styled):
         if self.opt:
             return request.params.get(self.opt, '') in self.aliases
         else:
-            stripped_path = request.path.rstrip('/')
+            stripped_path = _force_unicode(request.path.rstrip('/')).lower()
             if stripped_path == self.bare_path.rstrip('/'):
                 return True
             if stripped_path in (a.rstrip('/') for a in self.aliases):
diff --git a/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py b/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
index 011cda27e..2353ba5b2 100644
--- a/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
+++ b/r2/r2/lib/utils/utils.py
@@ -755,6 +755,7 @@ def title_to_url(title, max_length = 50):
     title = rx_notsafe.sub('', title)       #remove non-printables
     title = rx_underscore.sub('_', title)   #remove double underscores
     title = title.strip('_')                #remove trailing underscores
+    title = title.lower()                   #lowercase the title
 
     if len(title) > max_length:
         #truncate to nearest word
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/comment.html b/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
index de2873a49..29c7f86c3 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/comment.html
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ ${parent.midcol()}
     <% fullname = thing._fullname %>
     <li class="first">
       ${parent.comment_button("permalink", fullname, _("permalink"), 0, 
-      thing.permalink, title = thing.author.name + " comments on " + thing.link.title)}
+      thing.permalink)}
     </li>
     %if not c.profilepage:
       %if thing.parent_permalink:
diff --git a/r2/r2/templates/link.html b/r2/r2/templates/link.html
index 430414325..cd832ebd6 100644
--- a/r2/r2/templates/link.html
+++ b/r2/r2/templates/link.html
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
   <a id="${name}_${thing._fullname}" 
      onmousedown="setClick(this, '${css_class}')"
      class="${css_class} ${ c.user_is_loggedin and 'loggedin' or ''} ${thing.clicked and 'click' or ''}" 
-     title="${thing.title}" 
      %if c.user.pref_frame:
        href="/goto?id=${thing._id36}"  
      %else:
@@ -148,7 +147,6 @@
   <li class="first">
   ${parent.comment_button("comment", fullname, com_label,
                           thing.num_comments, thing.permalink,
-                          title = "comments on " + thing.title,
                           newwindow = c.user.pref_newwindow)}
   </li>
   <li id="share_li_${fullname}">