diff --git a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/actions/gnviewer.js b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/actions/gnviewer.js
index d518caef56..0cbff09eef 100644
--- a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/actions/gnviewer.js
+++ b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/actions/gnviewer.js
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@
 
 export const REQUEST_LAYER_CONFIG = 'GEONODE_VIEWER:REQUEST_LAYER_CONFIG';
 export const REQUEST_MAP_CONFIG = 'GEONODE_VIEWER:REQUEST_MAP_CONFIG';
+export const REQUEST_NEW_MAP_CONFIG = 'GEONODE_VIEWER:REQUEST_NEW_MAP_CONFIG';
 export const REQUEST_GEOSTORY_CONFIG = 'GEONODE_VIEWER:REQUEST_GEOSTORY_CONFIG';
 export const REQUEST_DOCUMENT_CONFIG = 'GEONODE_VIEWER:REQUEST_DOCUMENT_CONFIG';
 
+
 export function requestLayerConfig(pk) {
     return {
         type: REQUEST_LAYER_CONFIG,
@@ -25,6 +27,13 @@ export function requestMapConfig(pk) {
     };
 }
 
+export function requestNewMapConfig() {
+    return {
+        type: REQUEST_NEW_MAP_CONFIG
+    };
+}
+
+
 export function requestGeoStoryConfig(pk) {
     return {
         type: REQUEST_GEOSTORY_CONFIG,
diff --git a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/epics/__tests__/gnviewer-test.js b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/epics/__tests__/gnviewer-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d6d4637a7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/epics/__tests__/gnviewer-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+import expect from 'expect';
+import { gnViewerRequestNewMapConfig } from '@js/epics/gnviewer';
+
+import { requestNewMapConfig } from '@js/actions/gnviewer';
+import MockAdapter from 'axios-mock-adapter';
+import axios from '@mapstore/framework/libs/ajax';
+import { testEpic } from '@mapstore/framework/epics/__tests__/epicTestUtils';
+let mockAxios;
+
+describe("gnviewer epics", () => {
+    beforeEach(done => {
+        mockAxios = new MockAdapter(axios);
+        setTimeout(done);
+    });
+    afterEach(done => {
+        delete global.__DEVTOOLS__;
+        mockAxios.restore();
+        setTimeout(done);
+    });
+
+
+    it("should call mapConfig", (done) => {
+        mockAxios.onGet().reply(() => [200, {}]);
+        const NUM_ACTIONS = 1;
+        testEpic(
+            gnViewerRequestNewMapConfig,
+            NUM_ACTIONS,
+            requestNewMapConfig(),
+            (actions) => {
+                try {
+                    expect(actions.map(({ type }) => type)).toEqual(["MAP_CONFIG_LOADED"]);
+                    done();
+                } catch (error) {
+                    done(error);
+                }
+            },
+            { security: { user: { perms: ["add_resource"] } } });
+
+    });
+
+});
diff --git a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/epics/gnviewer.js b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/epics/gnviewer.js
index 4ff26d7eee..d98d982ee7 100644
--- a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/epics/gnviewer.js
+++ b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/epics/gnviewer.js
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ import {
     REQUEST_LAYER_CONFIG,
     REQUEST_MAP_CONFIG,
     REQUEST_GEOSTORY_CONFIG,
-    REQUEST_DOCUMENT_CONFIG
+    REQUEST_DOCUMENT_CONFIG,
+    REQUEST_NEW_MAP_CONFIG
 } from '@js/actions/gnviewer';
 import { getBaseMapConfiguration } from '@js/api/geonode/config';
 import {
@@ -122,6 +123,18 @@ export const gnViewerRequestMapConfig = (action$) =>
             });
         });
 
+export const gnViewerRequestNewMapConfig = (action$) =>
+    action$.ofType(REQUEST_NEW_MAP_CONFIG)
+        .switchMap(() => {
+            return Observable.defer(getBaseMapConfiguration
+            ).switchMap((response) => {
+                return Observable.of(configureMap(response));
+            }).catch(() => {
+                // TODO: implement various error cases
+                return Observable.empty();
+            });
+        });
+
 export const gnViewerRequestGeoStoryConfig = (action$) =>
     action$.ofType(REQUEST_GEOSTORY_CONFIG)
         .switchMap(({ pk }) => {
@@ -165,6 +178,7 @@ export const gnViewerRequestDocumentConfig = (action$) =>
 export default {
     gnViewerRequestLayerConfig,
     gnViewerRequestMapConfig,
+    gnViewerRequestNewMapConfig,
     gnViewerRequestGeoStoryConfig,
     gnViewerRequestDocumentConfig
 };
diff --git a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/routes/MapViewer.jsx b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/routes/MapViewer.jsx
index c81530c463..e653a6d8b1 100644
--- a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/routes/MapViewer.jsx
+++ b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/js/routes/MapViewer.jsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { getMonitoredState } from '@mapstore/framework/utils/PluginsUtils';
 import { getConfigProp } from '@mapstore/framework/utils/ConfigUtils';
 import PluginsContainer from '@mapstore/framework/components/plugins/PluginsContainer';
 import useLazyPlugins from '@js/hooks/useLazyPlugins';
-import { requestMapConfig } from '@js/actions/gnviewer';
+import { requestMapConfig, requestNewMapConfig } from '@js/actions/gnviewer';
 
 const urlQuery = url.parse(window.location.href, true).query;
 
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ function MapViewerRoute({
     pluginsConfig: propPluginsConfig,
     params,
     onUpdate,
+    onCreate = () => {},
     loaderComponent,
     lazyPlugins,
     plugins,
@@ -47,10 +48,9 @@ function MapViewerRoute({
         pluginsEntries: lazyPlugins,
         pluginsConfig
     });
-
     useEffect(() => {
-        if (!loading) {
-            onUpdate(pk);
+        if (!loading && pk !== undefined) {
+            (pk === "new") ? onCreate() : onUpdate(pk);
         }
     }, [loading, pk]);
 
@@ -80,7 +80,9 @@ MapViewerRoute.propTypes = {
 const ConnectedMapViewerRoute = connect(
     createSelector([], () => ({})),
     {
-        onUpdate: requestMapConfig
+        onUpdate: requestMapConfig,
+        onCreate: requestNewMapConfig
+
     }
 )(MapViewerRoute);
 
diff --git a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/package.json b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/package.json
index c93707fd9f..bd3cde35d1 100644
--- a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/package.json
+++ b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/package.json
@@ -41,5 +41,5 @@
       "proxyTargetHost": "localhost:8000",
       "protocol": "http"
     }
-  } 
+  }
 }
diff --git a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/static/mapstore/configs/localConfig.json b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/static/mapstore/configs/localConfig.json
index d6520ac6c9..79ccda8612 100644
--- a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/static/mapstore/configs/localConfig.json
+++ b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/static/mapstore/configs/localConfig.json
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@
                             "labelId": "gnhome.map",
                             "value": "map",
                             "type": "link",
-                            "href": "/maps/new",
+                            "href": "/viewer/#/map/new",
                             "authenticated": true,
                             "perms": [{ "type": "user", "value": "add_resource" }]
                         },
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@
                         },
                         {
                             "type": "link",
-                            "href": "/maps/new",
+                            "href": "/viewer/#/map/new",
                             "labelId": "gnhome.createMap",
                             "authenticated": true,
                             "permissions": [],
diff --git a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/static/mapstore/configs/map.json b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/static/mapstore/configs/map.json
index ea5cfdc92f..4711c03414 100644
--- a/geonode_mapstore_client/client/static/mapstore/configs/map.json
+++ b/geonode_mapstore_client/client/static/mapstore/configs/map.json
@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
 {
     "version": 2,
+    "catalogServices": {
+        "selectedService": "GeoNode Catalogue",
+        "services": {
+            "GeoNode Catalogue": {
+                "autoload": true,
+                "layerOptions": {
+                    "tileSize": 512
+                },
+                "title": "GeoNode Catalogue",
+                "type": "csw",
+                "url": "/catalogue/csw"
+            }
+        }
+    },
     "map": {
         "projection": "EPSG:900913",
         "units": "m",