diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
index 0808eb9b7..5ff1b5104 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ $(function(){
         $this.addClass('icon-spinner');
 
         if(!$explorer.children().length){
-            $explorer.load(window.explorer_menu_url, function() {
+            $explorer.load($this.data('explorer-menu-url'), function() {
                 $this.removeClass('icon-spinner');
 
                 $explorer.addClass('dl-menuwrapper').dlmenu({
@@ -38,10 +38,10 @@ $(function(){
                         classout : 'dl-animate-out-2'
                     }
                 });
-                $explorer.dlmenu('openMenu');          
+                $explorer.dlmenu('openMenu');
             });
         }else{
-            $explorer.dlmenu('openMenu');          
+            $explorer.dlmenu('openMenu');
         }
 
         return false;
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/admin_base.html b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/admin_base.html
index 1c26a8d14..0cae459a2 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/admin_base.html
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/admin_base.html
@@ -22,9 +22,6 @@
         <script src="{{ STATIC_URL }}wagtailadmin/js/vendor/bootstrap-tab.js"></script>
         <script src="{{ STATIC_URL }}wagtailadmin/js/vendor/jquery.dlmenu.js"></script>
         <script src="{{ STATIC_URL }}wagtailadmin/js/core.js"></script>
-        <script>
-            window.explorer_menu_url = "{% url 'wagtailadmin_explorer_nav' %}";
-        </script>
     {% endcompress %}
     
     {% block extra_js %}{% endblock %}
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
index a08211591..1cb2d5a96 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templatetags/wagtailadmin_tags.py
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ def explorer_subnav(nodes):
 @register.inclusion_tag('wagtailadmin/shared/main_nav.html', takes_context=True)
 def main_nav(context):
     menu_items = [
-        MenuItem(_('Explorer'), urlresolvers.reverse('wagtailadmin_explore_root'), classnames='icon icon-folder-open-inverse dl-trigger', order=100),
+        MenuItem(_('Explorer'), urlresolvers.reverse('wagtailadmin_explore_root'),
+            classnames='icon icon-folder-open-inverse dl-trigger',
+            attrs={'data-explorer-menu-url': urlresolvers.reverse('wagtailadmin_explorer_nav')},
+            order=100),
         MenuItem(_('Search'), urlresolvers.reverse('wagtailadmin_pages_search'), classnames='icon icon-search', order=200),
     ]