diff --git a/src/Annotator.js b/src/Annotator.js
index 04539ea20..cec645c42 100644
--- a/src/Annotator.js
+++ b/src/Annotator.js
@@ -282,7 +282,6 @@ class Annotator extends EventEmitter {
                 options
             });
 
-            this.handleControllerEvents = this.handleControllerEvents.bind(this);
             controller.addListener('annotationcontrollerevent', this.handleControllerEvents);
         });
     }
@@ -362,12 +361,17 @@ class Annotator extends EventEmitter {
         // Generate map of page to threads
         Object.keys(threadMap).forEach((threadID) => {
             const annotations = threadMap[threadID];
-            const firstAnnotation = util.getFirstAnnotation(annotations);
-            if (!firstAnnotation || !this.isModeAnnotatable(firstAnnotation.type)) {
+
+            // NOTE: Using the last annotation to evaluate if the annotation type
+            // is enabled because highlight comment annotations may have a plain
+            // highlight as the first annotation in the thread.
+            const lastAnnotation = util.getLastAnnotation(annotations);
+            if (!lastAnnotation || !this.isModeAnnotatable(lastAnnotation.type)) {
                 return;
             }
 
             // Bind events on valid annotation thread
+            const firstAnnotation = util.getLastAnnotation(annotations);
             const thread = this.createAnnotationThread(annotations, firstAnnotation.location, firstAnnotation.type);
             const controller = this.modeControllers[firstAnnotation.type];
             if (controller) {
@@ -542,13 +546,9 @@ class Annotator extends EventEmitter {
 
         const pageThreads = this.threads[pageNum] || {};
         Object.keys(pageThreads).forEach((threadID) => {
-            const thread = pageThreads[threadID];
-            if (!this.isModeAnnotatable(thread.type)) {
-                return;
-            }
-
             // Sets the annotatedElement if the thread was fetched before the
             // dependent document/viewer finished loading
+            const thread = pageThreads[threadID];
             if (!thread.annotatedElement) {
                 thread.annotatedElement = this.annotatedElement;
             }
diff --git a/src/doc/CreateHighlightDialog.js b/src/doc/CreateHighlightDialog.js
index cebc8b019..22a8d60c9 100644
--- a/src/doc/CreateHighlightDialog.js
+++ b/src/doc/CreateHighlightDialog.js
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ class CreateHighlightDialog extends CreateAnnotationDialog {
     constructor(parentEl, config = {}) {
         super(parentEl, config);
 
-        this.allowHighlight = !!config.allowHighlight || true;
-        this.allowComment = !!config.allowComment || true;
+        this.allowHighlight = config.allowHighlight || false;
+        this.allowComment = config.allowComment || false;
 
         // Explicit scope binding for event listeners
         if (this.allowHighlight) {
@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ class CreateHighlightDialog extends CreateAnnotationDialog {
             this.onCommentPost = this.onCommentPost.bind(this);
             this.onCommentCancel = this.onCommentCancel.bind(this);
         }
+
+        this.createElement();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/doc/DocAnnotator.js b/src/doc/DocAnnotator.js
index adc4fb41a..0b1168bc9 100644
--- a/src/doc/DocAnnotator.js
+++ b/src/doc/DocAnnotator.js
@@ -384,7 +384,6 @@ class DocAnnotator extends Annotator {
             allowHighlight: this.plainHighlightEnabled,
             localized: this.localized
         });
-        this.createHighlightDialog.createElement();
 
         this.createHighlightDialog.addListener(CREATE_EVENT.init, () =>
             this.emit(THREAD_EVENT.pending, TYPES.highlight)
diff --git a/src/util.js b/src/util.js
index c968ef78d..190b43187 100644
--- a/src/util.js
+++ b/src/util.js
@@ -356,6 +356,18 @@ export function getFirstAnnotation(annotations) {
     return annotations[firstAnnotationId];
 }
 
+/**
+ * Return first annotation in thread
+ *
+ * @param {Object} annotations - Annotations in thread
+ * @return {Annotation} First annotation in thread
+ */
+export function getLastAnnotation(annotations) {
+    const numAnnotations = Object.keys(annotations).length;
+    const lastAnnotationID = Object.keys(annotations)[numAnnotations - 1];
+    return annotations[lastAnnotationID];
+}
+
 /**
  * Whether or not a highlight annotation has comments or is a plain highlight
  *