diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/apps/workpad/routes.js b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/apps/workpad/routes.js
index 62e2fe4fbe859..25d1fd28173b3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/apps/workpad/routes.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/apps/workpad/routes.js
@@ -11,7 +11,8 @@ import { setWorkpad } from '../../state/actions/workpad';
 import { setAssets, resetAssets } from '../../state/actions/assets';
 import { gotoPage } from '../../state/actions/pages';
 import { getWorkpad } from '../../state/selectors/workpad';
-import { setCanUserWrite } from '../../state/actions/transient';
+import { isFirstLoad } from '../../state/selectors/app';
+import { setCanUserWrite, setFirstLoad } from '../../state/actions/transient';
 import { WorkpadApp } from './workpad_app';
 
 export const routes = [
@@ -47,7 +48,9 @@ export const routes = [
         path: '/:id(/page/:page)',
         action: (dispatch, getState) => async ({ params, router }) => {
           // load workpad if given a new id via url param
-          const currentWorkpad = getWorkpad(getState());
+          const state = getState();
+          const currentWorkpad = getWorkpad(state);
+          const firstLoad = isFirstLoad(state);
           if (params.id !== currentWorkpad.id) {
             try {
               const fetchedWorkpad = await workpadService.get(params.id);
@@ -59,11 +62,14 @@ export const routes = [
               // tests if user has permissions to write to workpads
               // TODO: remove this and switch to checking user privileges when canvas loads when granular app privileges are introduced
               // https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/20277
-              workpadService.update(params.id, fetchedWorkpad).catch(err => {
-                if (err.response && err.response.status === 403) {
-                  dispatch(setCanUserWrite(false));
-                }
-              });
+              if (firstLoad) {
+                workpadService.update(params.id, fetchedWorkpad).catch(err => {
+                  if (err.response && err.response.status === 403) {
+                    dispatch(setCanUserWrite(false));
+                  }
+                });
+                dispatch(setFirstLoad(false));
+              }
             } catch (err) {
               notify.error(err, { title: `Couldn't load workpad with ID` });
               return router.redirectTo('home');
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/actions/transient.js b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/actions/transient.js
index 93464a23bf500..11d0a43fb2fde 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/actions/transient.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/actions/transient.js
@@ -9,3 +9,4 @@ import { createAction } from 'redux-actions';
 export const setCanUserWrite = createAction('setCanUserWrite');
 export const setFullscreen = createAction('setFullscreen');
 export const selectElement = createAction('selectElement');
+export const setFirstLoad = createAction('setFirstLoad');
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/initial_state.js b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/initial_state.js
index b6e54af9ecbb6..0f84079c1df21 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/initial_state.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/initial_state.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export const getInitialState = path => {
     app: {}, // Kibana stuff in here
     assets: {}, // assets end up here
     transient: {
+      isFirstLoad: true,
       canUserWrite: true,
       fullscreen: false,
       selectedElement: null,
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/reducers/transient.js b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/reducers/transient.js
index a99d85b399c7e..6f2f2dd3bb169 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/reducers/transient.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/reducers/transient.js
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ export const transientReducer = handleActions(
       return set(transientState, 'canUserWrite', Boolean(payload));
     },
 
+    [actions.setFirstLoad]: (transientState, { payload }) => {
+      return set(transientState, 'isFirstLoad', Boolean(payload));
+    },
+
     [actions.setFullscreen]: (transientState, { payload }) => {
       return set(transientState, 'fullscreen', Boolean(payload));
     },
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/selectors/app.js b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/selectors/app.js
index 0f13df85a0353..26e5fff11b786 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/selectors/app.js
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/canvas/public/state/selectors/app.js
@@ -11,6 +11,10 @@ export function canUserWrite(state) {
   return get(state, 'transient.canUserWrite', true);
 }
 
+export function isFirstLoad(state) {
+  return get(state, 'transient.isFirstLoad', true);
+}
+
 export function getFullscreen(state) {
   return get(state, 'transient.fullscreen', false);
 }