diff --git a/src/utilities/createRouter.ts b/src/utilities/createRouter.ts
index 98746826..f26d7e4a 100644
--- a/src/utilities/createRouter.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/createRouter.ts
@@ -1,14 +1,10 @@
 import { readonly } from 'vue'
 import { Resolved, Route, RouteMethods, Routes } from '@/types'
-import { createRouteMethods, createRouterNavigation, resolveRoutes } from '@/utilities'
+import { createRouteMethods, createRouterNavigation, resolveRoutes, routeMatch } from '@/utilities'
 import { resolveRoutesRegex } from '@/utilities/resolveRoutesRegex'
-import { routeMatch } from '@/utilities/routeMatch'
-import { updateBrowserUrl } from '@/utilities/updateBrowserUrl'
 
 type RouterPush = (url: string, options?: { replace: boolean }) => Promise<void>
 type RouterReplace = (url: string) => Promise<void>
-type RouterBackForward = () => Promise<void>
-type RouterGo = (delta: number) => Promise<void>
 
 export type Router<
   TRoutes extends Routes
@@ -17,43 +13,37 @@ export type Router<
   route: Readonly<Resolved<Route>>,
   push: RouterPush,
   replace: RouterReplace,
-  back: RouterBackForward,
-  forward: RouterBackForward,
-  go: RouterGo,
+  back: () => void,
+  forward: () => void,
+  go: (delta: number) => void,
 }
 
 export function createRouter<T extends Routes>(routes: T): Router<T> {
   const resolved = resolveRoutes(routes)
   const resolvedWithRegex = resolveRoutesRegex(resolved)
-  const routerNavigation = createRouterNavigation()
+  const navigation = createRouterNavigation({
+    onLocationUpdate,
+  })
 
   // todo: implement this
   const route: Router<T>['route'] = readonly({} as any)
 
-  const push: RouterPush = async (url, options) => {
+  async function onLocationUpdate(url: string): Promise<void> {
     const match = routeMatch(resolvedWithRegex, url)
 
     if (!match) {
-      return updateBrowserUrl(url, options)
+      throw 'not implemented'
     }
 
-    await routerNavigation.update(url, options)
-  }
-
-  const replace: RouterReplace = (url) => {
-    return push(url, { replace: true })
+    throw 'not implemented'
   }
 
-  const forward: RouterBackForward = async () => {
-    await routerNavigation.forward()
-  }
-
-  const back: RouterBackForward = async () => {
-    await routerNavigation.back()
+  const push: RouterPush = async (url, options) => {
+    await navigation.update(url, options)
   }
 
-  const go: RouterGo = async (delta) => {
-    await routerNavigation.go(delta)
+  const replace: RouterReplace = async (url) => {
+    await navigation.update(url, { replace: true })
   }
 
   const router = {
@@ -61,9 +51,9 @@ export function createRouter<T extends Routes>(routes: T): Router<T> {
     route,
     push,
     replace,
-    forward,
-    back,
-    go,
+    forward: navigation.forward,
+    back: navigation.back,
+    go: navigation.go,
   }
 
   return router
diff --git a/src/utilities/routerNavigation.browser.spec.ts b/src/utilities/routerNavigation.browser.spec.ts
index e3b06802..86da4b15 100644
--- a/src/utilities/routerNavigation.browser.spec.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/routerNavigation.browser.spec.ts
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ describe('createRouterNavigation', () => {
   test('when go is called, forwards call to window history', () => {
     vi.spyOn(window.history, 'go')
 
+    const onLocationUpdate = vi.fn()
     const delta = random.number({ min: 0, max: 100 })
-    const history = createRouterNavigation()
+    const history = createRouterNavigation({ onLocationUpdate })
 
     history.go(delta)
 
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@ describe('createRouterNavigation', () => {
   test('when back is called, forwards call to window history', () => {
     vi.spyOn(window.history, 'back')
 
-    const history = createRouterNavigation()
+    const onLocationUpdate = vi.fn()
+    const history = createRouterNavigation({ onLocationUpdate })
 
     history.back()
 
@@ -28,7 +30,8 @@ describe('createRouterNavigation', () => {
   test('when forward is called, forwards call to window history', () => {
     vi.spyOn(window.history, 'forward')
 
-    const history = createRouterNavigation()
+    const onLocationUpdate = vi.fn()
+    const history = createRouterNavigation({ onLocationUpdate })
 
     history.forward()
 
@@ -38,11 +41,36 @@ describe('createRouterNavigation', () => {
   test('when update is called, calls updateBrowserUrl', () => {
     vi.spyOn(utilities, 'updateBrowserUrl')
 
+    const onLocationUpdate = vi.fn()
     const url = random.number().toString()
-    const history = createRouterNavigation()
+    const history = createRouterNavigation({ onLocationUpdate })
 
     history.update(url)
 
-    expect(utilities.updateBrowserUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith(url)
+    expect(utilities.updateBrowserUrl).toHaveBeenCalledWith(url, undefined)
+  })
+
+  test('when update is called and same origin calls onLocationUpdate', async () => {
+    vi.spyOn(utilities, 'isSameOrigin').mockReturnValue(true)
+
+    const onLocationUpdate = vi.fn()
+    const url = random.number().toString()
+    const history = createRouterNavigation({ onLocationUpdate })
+
+    await history.update(url)
+
+    expect(onLocationUpdate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(url)
+  })
+
+  test('when update is called and not same origin does not call onLocationUpdate ', () => {
+    const onLocationUpdate = vi.fn()
+    vi.spyOn(utilities, 'isSameOrigin').mockReturnValue(true)
+
+    const url = random.number().toString()
+    const history = createRouterNavigation({ onLocationUpdate })
+
+    history.update(url)
+
+    expect(onLocationUpdate).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
   })
 })
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utilities/routerNavigation.spec.ts b/src/utilities/routerNavigation.spec.ts
index ea207d50..98de68fc 100644
--- a/src/utilities/routerNavigation.spec.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/routerNavigation.spec.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,24 @@
-import { describe, expect, test } from 'vitest'
+import { describe, expect, test, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { createRouterNavigation } from '@/utilities/routerNavigation'
+import { random } from '@/utilities/testHelpers'
 
 describe('createRouterNavigation', () => {
-  test('is not implemented, and throws exception', () => {
-    expect(() => createRouterNavigation()).toThrowError('not implemented')
+  test('Browser like navigation is not supported', () => {
+    const onLocationUpdate = vi.fn()
+    const navigation = createRouterNavigation({ onLocationUpdate })
+
+    expect(() => navigation.back()).toThrowError()
+    expect(() => navigation.forward()).toThrowError()
+    expect(() => navigation.go(1)).toThrowError()
+  })
+
+  test('when update is called and same origin calls onLocationUpdate', () => {
+    const onLocationUpdate = vi.fn()
+    const url = random.number().toString()
+    const history = createRouterNavigation({ onLocationUpdate })
+
+    history.update(url)
+
+    expect(onLocationUpdate).toHaveBeenCalledWith(url)
   })
 })
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utilities/routerNavigation.ts b/src/utilities/routerNavigation.ts
index f0fee5a4..b0a2ebb2 100644
--- a/src/utilities/routerNavigation.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/routerNavigation.ts
@@ -1,30 +1,79 @@
 import { isBrowser } from '@/utilities/isBrowser'
 import { updateBrowserUrl } from '@/utilities/updateBrowserUrl'
 
+type RouterNavigationOptions = {
+  onLocationUpdate: (url: string) => Promise<void>,
+}
+
 type RouterNavigationUpdateOptions = {
   replace?: boolean,
 }
 
+type NavigationForward = () => void
+type NavigationBack = () => void
+type NavigationGo = (delta: number) => void
+type NavigationUpdate = (url: string, options?: RouterNavigationUpdateOptions) => Promise<void>
+type NavigationCleanup = () => void
+
 type RouterNavigation = {
-  forward: () => void,
-  back: () => void,
-  go: (delta: number) => void,
-  update: (url: string, options?: RouterNavigationUpdateOptions) => void,
+  forward: NavigationForward,
+  back: NavigationBack,
+  go: NavigationGo,
+  update: NavigationUpdate,
+  cleanup?: () => void,
 }
 
-export function createRouterNavigation(): RouterNavigation {
-  return isBrowser() ? createWebNavigation() : createMemoryNavigation()
+export function createRouterNavigation(options: RouterNavigationOptions): RouterNavigation {
+  if (isBrowser()) {
+    return createBrowserNavigation(options)
+  }
+
+  return createNodeNavigation(options)
 }
 
-function createWebNavigation(): RouterNavigation {
+function createBrowserNavigation({ onLocationUpdate }: RouterNavigationOptions): RouterNavigation {
+
+  const update: NavigationUpdate = async (url, options) => {
+    await updateBrowserUrl(url, options)
+
+    return await onLocationUpdate(url)
+  }
+
+  const cleanup: NavigationCleanup = () => {
+    removeEventListener('popstate', onPopstate)
+  }
+
+  const onPopstate = (): void => {
+    onLocationUpdate(window.location.toString())
+  }
+
+  addEventListener('popstate', onPopstate)
+
   return {
-    go: window.history.go,
-    back: window.history.back,
-    forward: window.history.forward,
-    update: updateBrowserUrl,
+    forward: history.forward,
+    back: history.back,
+    go: history.go,
+    update,
+    cleanup,
   }
 }
 
-function createMemoryNavigation(): RouterNavigation {
-  throw 'not implemented'
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+function createNodeNavigation({ onLocationUpdate }: RouterNavigationOptions): RouterNavigation {
+  const notSupported = (): void => {
+    throw new Error('Browser like navigation is not supported outside of a browser context')
+  }
+
+  const update: NavigationUpdate = async (url) => {
+    return await onLocationUpdate(url)
+  }
+
+  const cleanup: NavigationCleanup = () => {}
+
+  return {
+    forward: notSupported,
+    back: notSupported,
+    go: notSupported,
+    cleanup,
+    update,
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/utilities/updateBrowserUrl.spec.ts b/src/utilities/updateBrowserUrl.spec.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index a82d7533..00000000
--- a/src/utilities/updateBrowserUrl.spec.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-import { expect, test } from 'vitest'
-import { updateBrowserUrl } from '@/utilities/updateBrowserUrl'
-
-test('does nothing when the window is not available', () => {
-  expect(() => updateBrowserUrl('http://example.com2/foo')).not.toThrowError()
-})
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utilities/updateBrowserUrl.ts b/src/utilities/updateBrowserUrl.ts
index 9a4d6151..b6a442bb 100644
--- a/src/utilities/updateBrowserUrl.ts
+++ b/src/utilities/updateBrowserUrl.ts
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
-import { isBrowser } from '@/utilities/isBrowser'
-
 type UpdateBrowserUrlOptions = {
   replace?: boolean,
 }
 
-export function updateBrowserUrl(url: string, options: UpdateBrowserUrlOptions = {}): void {
-  if (!isBrowser()) {
-    return
-  }
-
+export function updateBrowserUrl(url: string, options: UpdateBrowserUrlOptions = {}): Promise<void> {
   if (isSameOrigin(url)) {
-    return updateHistory(url, options)
+    return new Promise(resolve => {
+      updateHistory(url, options)
+      resolve()
+    })
   }
 
-  return updateWindow(url, options)
+  // intentionally never resolves because we want the router to just stall until window.location takes over
+  return new Promise(() => {
+    updateWindow(url, options)
+  })
 }
 
 function updateHistory(url: string, options: UpdateBrowserUrlOptions): void {
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ function updateWindow(url: string, options: UpdateBrowserUrlOptions): void {
   return window.location.assign(url)
 }
 
-function isSameOrigin(url: string): boolean {
+export function isSameOrigin(url: string): boolean {
   const { origin } = new URL(url, window.location.origin)
 
   return origin === window.location.origin