diff --git a/frontend/interfaces/platform.ts b/frontend/interfaces/platform.ts
index 013f338737..384e0e87d6 100644
--- a/frontend/interfaces/platform.ts
+++ b/frontend/interfaces/platform.ts
@@ -215,3 +215,9 @@ export const SETUP_EXPERIENCE_PLATFORMS = [
 ] as const;
 
 export type SetupExperiencePlatform = typeof SETUP_EXPERIENCE_PLATFORMS[number];
+
+export const isSetupExperiencePlatform = (
+  s: string | undefined
+): s is SetupExperiencePlatform => {
+  return SETUP_EXPERIENCE_PLATFORMS.includes(s as SetupExperiencePlatform);
+};
diff --git a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/SetupExperience.tsx b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/SetupExperience.tsx
index 41e9e6f323..3fecfd98de 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/SetupExperience.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/SetupExperience.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ const SetupExperience = ({
   router,
   teamIdForApi,
 }: ISetupExperienceProps) => {
-  const { section } = params;
+  const { section, platform: urlPlatformParam } = params;
   const { isPremiumTier } = useContext(AppContext);
 
   // Not premium shows premium message
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@ const SetupExperience = ({
     SETUP_EXPERIENCE_NAV_ITEMS.find((item) => item.urlSection === section) ??
     DEFAULT_SETTINGS_SECTION;
 
+  if (
+    currentFormSection.urlSection !== "install-software" &&
+    urlPlatformParam
+  ) {
+    router.replace(
+      currentFormSection.path + queryString // current card doesn't support platforms yet
+    );
+  }
   const CurrentCard = currentFormSection.Card;
 
   return (
@@ -58,6 +66,7 @@ const SetupExperience = ({
             key={teamIdForApi}
             currentTeamId={teamIdForApi}
             router={router}
+            urlPlatformParam={urlPlatformParam}
           />
         }
       />
diff --git a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/SetupExperienceNavItems.tsx b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/SetupExperienceNavItems.tsx
index 79047de0d9..2a30d8a784 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/SetupExperienceNavItems.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/SetupExperienceNavItems.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import RunScript from "./cards/RunScript";
 export interface ISetupExperienceCardProps {
   currentTeamId: number;
   router: InjectedRouter;
+  urlPlatformParam?: string; // not yet guaranteed to be a valid platform
 }
 
 const SETUP_EXPERIENCE_NAV_ITEMS: ISideNavItem<ISetupExperienceCardProps>[] = [
@@ -31,7 +32,7 @@ const SETUP_EXPERIENCE_NAV_ITEMS: ISideNavItem<ISetupExperienceCardProps>[] = [
   {
     title: "3. Install software",
     urlSection: "install-software",
-    path: PATHS.CONTROLS_INSTALL_SOFTWARE,
+    path: PATHS.CONTROLS_INSTALL_SOFTWARE("macos"),
     Card: InstallSoftware,
   },
   {
diff --git a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/cards/InstallSoftware/InstallSoftware.tsx b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/cards/InstallSoftware/InstallSoftware.tsx
index ea36ceb6a5..daec627f13 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/cards/InstallSoftware/InstallSoftware.tsx
+++ b/frontend/pages/ManageControlsPage/SetupExperience/cards/InstallSoftware/InstallSoftware.tsx
@@ -3,16 +3,21 @@ import { useQuery } from "react-query";
 import { AxiosError } from "axios";
 import { Tab, TabList, TabPanel, Tabs } from "react-tabs";
 
+import PATHS from "router/paths";
+
 import mdmAPI, {
   IGetSetupExperienceSoftwareResponse,
 } from "services/entities/mdm";
 import configAPI from "services/entities/config";
 import teamsAPI, { ILoadTeamResponse } from "services/entities/teams";
 import { ISoftwareTitle } from "interfaces/software";
-import { DEFAULT_USE_QUERY_OPTIONS, SUPPORT_LINK } from "utilities/constants";
+import { DEFAULT_USE_QUERY_OPTIONS } from "utilities/constants";
 import { IConfig } from "interfaces/config";
 import { API_NO_TEAM_ID, ITeamConfig } from "interfaces/team";
-import { SetupExperiencePlatform } from "interfaces/platform";
+import {
+  isSetupExperiencePlatform,
+  SetupExperiencePlatform,
+} from "interfaces/platform";
 
 import SectionHeader from "components/SectionHeader";
 import DataError from "components/DataError";
@@ -34,23 +39,30 @@ const baseClass = "install-software";
 // available for install so we can correctly display the selected count.
 const PER_PAGE_SIZE = 3000;
 
-const DEFAULT_PLATFORM: SetupExperiencePlatform = "macos";
-
 export const PLATFORM_BY_INDEX: SetupExperiencePlatform[] = [
   "macos",
   "windows",
   "linux",
 ];
+export interface InstallSoftwareLocation {
+  search: string;
+  pathname: string;
+  query: {
+    team_id?: string;
+  };
+}
 
 const InstallSoftware = ({
   currentTeamId,
   router,
+  urlPlatformParam,
 }: ISetupExperienceCardProps) => {
+  const isValidPlatform = isSetupExperiencePlatform(urlPlatformParam);
+
+  // all uses of selectedPlatform are gated by above boolean
+  const selectedPlatform = urlPlatformParam as SetupExperiencePlatform;
+
   const [showSelectSoftwareModal, setShowSelectSoftwareModal] = useState(false);
-  const [
-    selectedPlatform,
-    setSelectedPlatform,
-  ] = useState<SetupExperiencePlatform>(DEFAULT_PLATFORM);
 
   const {
     data: softwareTitles,
@@ -72,6 +84,7 @@ const InstallSoftware = ({
     {
       ...DEFAULT_USE_QUERY_OPTIONS,
       select: (res) => res.software_titles,
+      enabled: isValidPlatform,
     }
   );
 
@@ -80,6 +93,7 @@ const InstallSoftware = ({
     Error
   >(["config", currentTeamId], () => configAPI.loadAll(), {
     ...DEFAULT_USE_QUERY_OPTIONS,
+    enabled: isValidPlatform,
   });
 
   const { data: teamConfig, isLoading: isLoadingTeamConfig } = useQuery<
@@ -88,19 +102,33 @@ const InstallSoftware = ({
     ITeamConfig
   >(["team", currentTeamId], () => teamsAPI.load(currentTeamId), {
     ...DEFAULT_USE_QUERY_OPTIONS,
-    enabled: currentTeamId !== API_NO_TEAM_ID,
+    enabled: isValidPlatform && currentTeamId !== API_NO_TEAM_ID,
     select: (res) => res.team,
   });
 
+  const handleTabChange = useCallback(
+    (index: number) => {
+      const newPlatform = PLATFORM_BY_INDEX[index];
+      router.push(
+        PATHS.CONTROLS_INSTALL_SOFTWARE(newPlatform).concat(
+          location?.search ?? ""
+        )
+      );
+    },
+    [router]
+  );
+
+  if (!isValidPlatform) {
+    router.replace(
+      PATHS.CONTROLS_INSTALL_SOFTWARE("macos").concat(location?.search ?? "")
+    );
+  }
+
   const onSave = async () => {
     setShowSelectSoftwareModal(false);
     refetchSoftwareTitles();
   };
 
-  const handleTabChange = useCallback((index: number) => {
-    setSelectedPlatform(PLATFORM_BY_INDEX[index]);
-  }, []);
-
   const hasManualAgentInstall = getManualAgentInstallSetting(
     currentTeamId,
     globalConfig,
diff --git a/frontend/router/index.tsx b/frontend/router/index.tsx
index d5a04c3222..521978fed7 100644
--- a/frontend/router/index.tsx
+++ b/frontend/router/index.tsx
@@ -288,16 +288,22 @@ const routes = (
                 <Route path="os-updates" component={OSUpdates} />
                 <Route path="os-settings" component={OSSettings} />
                 <Route path="os-settings/:section" component={OSSettings} />
+
                 <Route path="setup-experience" component={SetupExperience} />
+                <Route
+                  path="setup-experience/:section"
+                  component={SetupExperience}
+                />
+                <Route
+                  path="setup-experience/:section/:platform"
+                  component={SetupExperience}
+                />
+
                 <Route path="scripts">
                   <IndexRedirect to="library" />
                   <Route path=":section" component={Scripts} />
                 </Route>
                 <Route path="variables" component={Secrets} />
-                <Route
-                  path="setup-experience/:section"
-                  component={SetupExperience}
-                />
               </Route>
             </Route>
             <Route
diff --git a/frontend/router/paths.ts b/frontend/router/paths.ts
index 54320a6bce..e41442c50e 100644
--- a/frontend/router/paths.ts
+++ b/frontend/router/paths.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { SetupExperiencePlatform } from "interfaces/platform";
 import URL_PREFIX from "./url_prefix";
 
 const INTEGRATIONS_PREFIX = `${URL_PREFIX}/settings/integrations`;
@@ -16,7 +17,8 @@ export default {
   CONTROLS_END_USER_AUTHENTICATION: `${URL_PREFIX}/controls/setup-experience/end-user-auth`,
   CONTROLS_BOOTSTRAP_PACKAGE: `${URL_PREFIX}/controls/setup-experience/bootstrap-package`,
   CONTROLS_SETUP_ASSITANT: `${URL_PREFIX}/controls/setup-experience/setup-assistant`,
-  CONTROLS_INSTALL_SOFTWARE: `${URL_PREFIX}/controls/setup-experience/install-software`,
+  CONTROLS_INSTALL_SOFTWARE: (platform: SetupExperiencePlatform) =>
+    `${URL_PREFIX}/controls/setup-experience/install-software/${platform}`,
   CONTROLS_RUN_SCRIPT: `${URL_PREFIX}/controls/setup-experience/run-script`,
   CONTROLS_SCRIPTS: `${URL_PREFIX}/controls/scripts`,
   CONTROLS_SCRIPTS_LIBRARY: `${URL_PREFIX}/controls/scripts/library`,