diff --git a/apps/files/index.php b/apps/files/index.php
index 4b930f89024..d46d8e32eef 100644
--- a/apps/files/index.php
+++ b/apps/files/index.php
@@ -41,13 +41,40 @@ if (!\OC\Files\Filesystem::is_dir($dir . '/')) {
 	exit();
 }
 
+$isIE8 = false;
+preg_match('/MSIE (.*?);/', $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'], $matches);
+if (count($matches) > 0 && $matches[1] <= 8){
+	$isIE8 = true;
+}
+
+// if IE8 and "?dir=path" was specified, reformat the URL to use a hash like "#?dir=path"
+if ($isIE8 && isset($_GET['dir'])){
+	if ($dir === ''){
+		$dir = '/';
+	}
+	header('Location: ' . OCP\Util::linkTo('files', 'index.php') . '#?dir=' . \OCP\Util::encodePath($dir));
+	exit();
+}
+
+$ajaxLoad = false;
 $files = array();
 $user = OC_User::getUser();
 if (\OC\Files\Cache\Upgrade::needUpgrade($user)) { //dont load anything if we need to upgrade the cache
 	$needUpgrade = true;
 	$freeSpace = 0;
 } else {
-	$files = \OCA\files\lib\Helper::getFiles($dir);
+	if ($isIE8){
+		// after the redirect above, the URL will have a format
+		// like "files#?dir=path" which means that no path was given
+		// (dir is not set). In that specific case, we don't return any
+		// files because the client will take care of switching the dir
+		// to the one from the hash, then ajax-load the initial file list
+		$files = array();
+		$ajaxLoad = true;
+	}
+	else{
+		$files = \OCA\files\lib\Helper::getFiles($dir);
+	}
 	$freeSpace = \OC\Files\Filesystem::free_space($dir);
 	$needUpgrade = false;
 }
@@ -106,5 +133,6 @@ if ($needUpgrade) {
 	$tmpl->assign('publicUploadEnabled', $publicUploadEnabled);
 	$tmpl->assign("encryptedFiles", \OCP\Util::encryptedFiles());
 	$tmpl->assign('disableSharing', false);
+	$tmpl->assign('ajaxLoad', $ajaxLoad);
 	$tmpl->printPage();
 }
diff --git a/apps/files/js/filelist.js b/apps/files/js/filelist.js
index 07605a7d891..b50d46c98d3 100644
--- a/apps/files/js/filelist.js
+++ b/apps/files/js/filelist.js
@@ -160,23 +160,31 @@ var FileList={
 	 * @param targetDir target directory (non URL encoded)
 	 * @param changeUrl false if the URL must not be changed (defaults to true)
 	 */
-	changeDirectory: function(targetDir, changeUrl){
+	changeDirectory: function(targetDir, changeUrl, force){
 		var $dir = $('#dir'),
 			url,
 			currentDir = $dir.val() || '/';
 		targetDir = targetDir || '/';
-		if (currentDir === targetDir){
+		if (!force && currentDir === targetDir){
 			return;
 		}
 		FileList.setCurrentDir(targetDir, changeUrl);
 		FileList.reload();
 	},
+	linkTo: function(dir){
+		return OC.linkTo('files', 'index.php')+"?dir="+ encodeURIComponent(dir).replace(/%2F/g, '/');
+	},
 	setCurrentDir: function(targetDir, changeUrl){
 		$('#dir').val(targetDir);
-		// Note: IE8 handling ignored for now
-		if (window.history.pushState && changeUrl !== false){
-			url = OC.linkTo('files', 'index.php')+"?dir="+ encodeURIComponent(targetDir).replace(/%2F/g, '/'),
-			window.history.pushState({dir: targetDir}, '', url);
+		if (changeUrl !== false){
+			if (window.history.pushState && changeUrl !== false){
+				url = FileList.linkTo(targetDir);
+				window.history.pushState({dir: targetDir}, '', url);
+			}
+			// use URL hash for IE8
+			else{
+				window.location.hash = '?dir='+ encodeURIComponent(targetDir).replace(/%2F/g, '/');
+			}
 		}
 	},
 	/**
@@ -837,6 +845,37 @@ $(document).ready(function(){
 		$(window).trigger('beforeunload');
 	});
 
+	function parseHashQuery(){
+		var hash = window.location.hash,
+			pos = hash.indexOf('?'),
+			query;
+		if (pos >= 0){
+			return hash.substr(pos + 1);
+		}
+		return '';
+	}
+
+	function parseCurrentDirFromUrl(){
+		var query = parseHashQuery(),
+			params,
+			dir = '/';
+		// try and parse from URL hash first
+		if (query){
+			params = OC.parseQueryString(query);
+		}
+		// else read from query attributes
+		if (!params){
+			params = OC.parseQueryString(location.search);
+		}
+		return (params && params.dir) || '/';
+	}
+
+	// fallback to hashchange when no history support
+	if (!window.history.pushState){
+		$(window).on('hashchange', function(){
+			FileList.changeDirectory(parseCurrentDirFromUrl(), false);
+		});
+	}
 	window.onpopstate = function(e){
 		var targetDir;
 		if (e.state && e.state.dir){
@@ -844,12 +883,17 @@ $(document).ready(function(){
 		}
 		else{
 			// read from URL
-			targetDir = (OC.parseQueryString(location.search) || {dir: '/'}).dir || '/';
+			targetDir = parseCurrentDirFromUrl();
 		}
 		if (targetDir){
 			FileList.changeDirectory(targetDir, false);
 		}
 	}
 
+	if (parseInt($('#ajaxLoad').val(), 10) === 1){
+		// need to initially switch the dir to the one from the hash (IE8)
+		FileList.changeDirectory(parseCurrentDirFromUrl(), false, true);
+	}
+
 	FileList.createFileSummary();
 });
diff --git a/apps/files/templates/index.php b/apps/files/templates/index.php
index 0105f4370e5..09e351d4ea8 100644
--- a/apps/files/templates/index.php
+++ b/apps/files/templates/index.php
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
 	<input type="hidden" name="permissions" value="<?php p($_['permissions']); ?>" id="permissions">
 </div>
 
-<div id="emptycontent" <?php if (!isset($_['files']) or !$_['isCreatable'] or count($_['files']) > 0):?>class="hidden"<?php endif; ?>><?php p($l->t('Nothing in here. Upload something!'))?></div>
+<div id="emptycontent" <?php if (!isset($_['files']) or !$_['isCreatable'] or count($_['files']) > 0 or !$_['ajaxLoad']):?>class="hidden"<?php endif; ?>><?php p($l->t('Nothing in here. Upload something!'))?></div>
 
 <input type="hidden" id="disableSharing" data-status="<?php p($_['disableSharing']); ?>"></input>
 
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@
 </div>
 
 <!-- config hints for javascript -->
+<input type="hidden" name="ajaxLoad" id="ajaxLoad" value="<?php p($_['ajaxLoad']); ?>" />
 <input type="hidden" name="allowZipDownload" id="allowZipDownload" value="<?php p($_['allowZipDownload']); ?>" />
 <input type="hidden" name="usedSpacePercent" id="usedSpacePercent" value="<?php p($_['usedSpacePercent']); ?>" />
 <input type="hidden" name="encryptedFiles" id="encryptedFiles" value="<?php $_['encryptedFiles'] ? p('1') : p('0'); ?>" />
diff --git a/apps/files_trashbin/js/filelist.js b/apps/files_trashbin/js/filelist.js
index ff3a846d860..cd5a67ddfe0 100644
--- a/apps/files_trashbin/js/filelist.js
+++ b/apps/files_trashbin/js/filelist.js
@@ -19,11 +19,6 @@ FileList.reload = function(){
 	});
 }
 
-FileList.setCurrentDir = function(targetDir, changeUrl){
-	$('#dir').val(targetDir);
-	// Note: IE8 handling ignored for now
-	if (window.history.pushState && changeUrl !== false){
-		url = OC.linkTo('files_trashbin', 'index.php')+"?dir="+ encodeURIComponent(targetDir).replace(/%2F/g, '/'),
-		window.history.pushState({dir: targetDir}, '', url);
-	}
+FileList.linkTo = function(dir){
+	return OC.linkTo('files_trashbin', 'index.php')+"?dir="+ encodeURIComponent(dir).replace(/%2F/g, '/');
 }