diff --git a/awx/ui/client/lib/components/layout/side-nav-item.directive.js b/awx/ui/client/lib/components/layout/side-nav-item.directive.js
index ab52d74964..d4b11bf716 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/lib/components/layout/side-nav-item.directive.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/lib/components/layout/side-nav-item.directive.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ function atSideNavItemLink (scope, element, attrs, ctrl) {
     [scope.navVm, scope.layoutVm] = ctrl;
 }
 
-function AtSideNavItemController ($state, $scope, strings) {
+function AtSideNavItemController ($scope, strings) {
     const vm = this || {};
 
     $scope.$watch('layoutVm.currentState', current => {
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ function AtSideNavItemController ($state, $scope, strings) {
         }
     });
 
-    vm.go = () => {
-        $state.go($scope.route, {}, { reload: true });
-    };
-
     vm.tooltip = {
         popover: {
             text: strings.get(`layout.${$scope.name}`),
@@ -36,7 +32,7 @@ function AtSideNavItemController ($state, $scope, strings) {
     };
 }
 
-AtSideNavItemController.$inject = ['$state', '$scope', 'ComponentsStrings'];
+AtSideNavItemController.$inject = ['$scope', 'ComponentsStrings'];
 
 function atSideNavItem () {
     return {
diff --git a/awx/ui/client/lib/components/layout/side-nav-item.partial.html b/awx/ui/client/lib/components/layout/side-nav-item.partial.html
index cea8489b5c..ca8ff13812 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/lib/components/layout/side-nav-item.partial.html
+++ b/awx/ui/client/lib/components/layout/side-nav-item.partial.html
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<div class="at-Layout-sideNavItem" ng-click="vm.go()" ng-class="{'is-active': vm.isRoute}"
+<a class="at-Layout-sideNavItem" ui-sref="{{ route }}" ng-class="{'is-active': vm.isRoute}"
     ng-show="(!systemAdminOnly || layoutVm.isSuperUser) && layoutVm.isLoggedIn &&
         !layoutVm.licenseIsMissing">
         <at-popover state="vm.tooltip" ng-if="!navVm.isExpanded"></at-popover>
@@ -7,4 +7,4 @@
         <span class="at-Layout-sideNavItemName" ng-show="navVm.isExpanded">
             {{ layoutVm.getString(name) }}
         </span>
-</div>
+</a>