diff --git a/client/app/scripts/stores/__tests__/app-store-test.js b/client/app/scripts/stores/__tests__/app-store-test.js
index 379e878e9..80b54059e 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/stores/__tests__/app-store-test.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/stores/__tests__/app-store-test.js
@@ -206,8 +206,13 @@ describe('AppStore', () => {
     expect(AppStore.getActiveTopologyOptions().get('option1')).toBe('off');
     expect(AppStore.getAppState().topologyOptions.topo1.option1).toBe('off');
 
-    // other topology w/o options dont return options, but keep in app state
+    // sub-topology should retain main topo options
     registeredCallback(ClickSubTopologyAction);
+    expect(AppStore.getActiveTopologyOptions().get('option1')).toBe('off');
+    expect(AppStore.getAppState().topologyOptions.topo1.option1).toBe('off');
+
+    // other topology w/o options dont return options, but keep in app state
+    registeredCallback(ClickTopology2Action);
     expect(AppStore.getActiveTopologyOptions()).toBeUndefined();
     expect(AppStore.getAppState().topologyOptions.topo1.option1).toBe('off');
   });
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js b/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
index 40690b065..9f11ac536 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/stores/app-store.js
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ function processTopologies(nextTopologies) {
 }
 
 function setTopology(topologyId) {
-  currentTopologyId = topologyId;
   currentTopology = findTopologyById(topologies, topologyId);
+  currentTopologyId = topologyId;
 }
 
 function setDefaultTopologyOptions(topologyList) {
@@ -107,10 +107,6 @@ function setDefaultTopologyOptions(topologyList) {
         defaultOptions
       );
     }
-
-    if (topology.has('sub_topologies')) {
-      setDefaultTopologyOptions(topology.get('sub_topologies'));
-    }
   });
 }
 
@@ -154,7 +150,10 @@ export class AppStore extends Store {
   }
 
   getActiveTopologyOptions() {
-    // options for current topology
+    // options for current topology, sub-topologies share options with parent
+    if (currentTopology && currentTopology.get('parentId')) {
+      return topologyOptions.get(currentTopology.get('parentId'));
+    }
     return topologyOptions.get(currentTopologyId);
   }
 
@@ -304,15 +303,19 @@ export class AppStore extends Store {
     switch (payload.type) {
       case ActionTypes.CHANGE_TOPOLOGY_OPTION: {
         resumeUpdate();
-        if (topologyOptions.getIn([payload.topologyId, payload.option])
-          !== payload.value) {
-          nodes = nodes.clear();
+        // set option on parent topology
+        const topology = findTopologyById(topologies, payload.topologyId);
+        if (topology) {
+          const topologyId = topology.get('parentId') || topology.get('id');
+          if (topologyOptions.getIn([topologyId, payload.option]) !== payload.value) {
+            nodes = nodes.clear();
+          }
+          topologyOptions = topologyOptions.setIn(
+            [topologyId, payload.option],
+            payload.value
+          );
+          this.__emitChange();
         }
-        topologyOptions = topologyOptions.setIn(
-          [payload.topologyId, payload.option],
-          payload.value
-        );
-        this.__emitChange();
         break;
       }
       case ActionTypes.CLEAR_CONTROL_ERROR: {
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/utils/topology-utils.js b/client/app/scripts/utils/topology-utils.js
index 5d0e5dd23..5987af9bc 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/utils/topology-utils.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/utils/topology-utils.js
@@ -24,13 +24,16 @@ export function updateNodeDegrees(nodes, edges) {
   });
 }
 
-/* set topology.id in place on each topology */
-export function updateTopologyIds(topologies) {
+/* set topology.id and parentId for sub-topologies in place */
+export function updateTopologyIds(topologies, parentId) {
   return topologies.map(topology => {
     const result = Object.assign({}, topology);
     result.id = topology.url.split('/').pop();
+    if (parentId) {
+      result.parentId = parentId;
+    }
     if (topology.sub_topologies) {
-      result.sub_topologies = updateTopologyIds(topology.sub_topologies);
+      result.sub_topologies = updateTopologyIds(topology.sub_topologies, result.id);
     }
     return result;
   });