diff --git a/src/pyj/book_list/book_details.pyj b/src/pyj/book_list/book_details.pyj
index 4274001ac4..19a0ebbe15 100644
--- a/src/pyj/book_list/book_details.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/book_list/book_details.pyj
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from book_list.library_data import (
     current_virtual_library, download_url, library_data, load_status,
     set_book_metadata
 )
-from book_list.router import back, home, open_book, report_a_load_failure, show_note_url
+from book_list.router import back, home, open_book, report_a_load_failure, show_note
 from book_list.theme import (
     color_scheme, get_color, get_color_as_rgba, get_font_size
 )
@@ -192,12 +192,15 @@ def render_metadata(mi, table, book_id, iframe_css):  # {{{
     comments = v'[]'
     link_maps = mi.link_maps or v'{}'
 
+    def show_note_action(field, name, item_id, item_val):
+        show_note(book_id, field, item_id, item_val)
+
     def add_note_link(field, name, val, parent):
         if mi.items_with_notes[field] and mi.items_with_notes[field][val]:
             parent.appendChild(document.createTextNode(' '))
             parent.appendChild(E.a(
-                svgicon('pencil'), title=_('Show notes for: {}').format(val), href=show_note_url(
-                    book_id, field, val, close_action='close_window'), target='_new', class_='blue-link'))
+                svgicon('pencil'), title=_('Show notes for: {}').format(val), href='javascript:void(0)', onclick=show_note_action.bind(
+                    None, book_id, field, mi.items_with_notes[field][val], val), class_='blue-link'))
 
     def add_row(field, name, val, is_searchable=False, is_html=False, join=None, search_text=None, use_quotes=True):
         if val is undefined or val is None:
diff --git a/src/pyj/book_list/main.pyj b/src/pyj/book_list/main.pyj
index cb0fd9cd69..e40c8fe9af 100644
--- a/src/pyj/book_list/main.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/book_list/main.pyj
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import book_list.book_details # noqa: unused-import
 import book_list.edit_metadata # noqa: unused-import
 import book_list.convert_book # noqa: unused-import
 import book_list.fts # noqa: unused-import
+import book_list.show_note # noqa: unused-import
 
 
 def remove_initial_progress_bar():
diff --git a/src/pyj/book_list/router.pyj b/src/pyj/book_list/router.pyj
index d23015edea..2c6ce43761 100644
--- a/src/pyj/book_list/router.pyj
+++ b/src/pyj/book_list/router.pyj
@@ -87,15 +87,23 @@ def open_book_url(book_id, fmt, extra_query):
     return ans + encode_query(q, '#')
 
 
-def show_note_url(book_id, field, item_value, close_action='back'):
-    lid = current_library_id()
+def show_note_url(book_id, field, item_id, item_value, library_id=None, close_action='back'):
+    lid = library_id or current_library_id()
     ans = absolute_path('')
-    q = {'book_id':book_id, 'field': field, 'item':item_value, 'panel': 'show_note', 'close_action': close_action}
+    q = {'book_id':book_id, 'field': field, 'item':item_value, 'item_id': item_id, 'panel': 'show_note', 'close_action': close_action}
     if lid:
         q.library_id = lid
     return ans + encode_query(q, '#')
 
 
+def show_note(book_id, field, item_id, item_value, replace=False, library_id=None, close_action='back'):
+    lid = library_id or current_library_id()
+    q = {'book_id':book_id, 'field': field, 'item':item_value, 'item_id': item_id, 'panel': 'show_note', 'close_action': close_action}
+    if lid:
+        q.library_id = lid
+    push_state(q, replace=replace)
+
+
 def push_state(query, replace=False, mode='book_list', call_handler=True):
     query = {k:query[k] for k in query if query[k]}
     if mode is not 'book_list':
diff --git a/src/pyj/book_list/show_note.pyj b/src/pyj/book_list/show_note.pyj
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ea48fe5a0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/pyj/book_list/show_note.pyj
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2023, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+from __python__ import bound_methods, hash_literals
+
+from book_list.router import back, home
+from book_list.top_bar import create_top_bar
+from book_list.ui import set_panel_handler
+from utils import parse_url_params
+
+
+def init(container_id):
+    container = document.getElementById(container_id)
+    close_action, close_icon = back, 'close'
+    q = parse_url_params()
+    ca = q.close_action
+    if ca is 'home':
+        close_action, close_icon = def(): home();, 'home'
+    create_top_bar(container, title=q.item, action=close_action, icon=close_icon)
+
+
+set_panel_handler('show_note', init)