diff --git a/js/historyview.js b/js/historyview.js
index e350b21..6f7cd67 100644
--- a/js/historyview.js
+++ b/js/historyview.js
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ define(['d3'], function() {
      * @param container {String} selector for the container to render the SVG into
      */
     render: function(container) {
-      var svgContainer, svg;
+      var svgContainer, svg, display;
 
       svgContainer = container.append('div')
         .classed('svg-container', true)
@@ -547,6 +547,22 @@ define(['d3'], function() {
           .classed('current-branch-display', true)
           .attr('x', 10)
           .attr('y', 45);
+        
+        display = svg.select('text.current-branch-display');
+
+        display.append('svg:tspan')
+          .attr('x','10')
+          .attr('dy', '1.2em');
+        display.append('svg:tspan')
+          .attr('x','10')
+          .attr('dy', '1.2em');
+        display.append('svg:tspan')
+          .attr('x','10')
+          .attr('dy', '1.2em');
+        display.append('svg:tspan')
+          .attr('x','10')
+          .attr('dy', '1.2em');
+
       }
 
       this.svgContainer = svgContainer;
@@ -558,6 +574,7 @@ define(['d3'], function() {
       this.renderCommits();
 
       this._setCurrentBranch(this.currentBranch);
+      this._setCurrentCommit();
     },
 
     destroy: function() {
@@ -965,7 +982,7 @@ define(['d3'], function() {
     },
 
     _setCurrentBranch: function(branch) {
-      var display = this.svg.select('text.current-branch-display'),
+      var display = this.svg.select('text.current-branch-display > tspan'),
         text = 'HEAD: ';
 
       if (branch && branch.indexOf('/') === -1) {
@@ -975,8 +992,20 @@ define(['d3'], function() {
         text += ' (detached head)';
         this.currentBranch = null;
       }
+      
+      d3.select(display[0][0]).text(text);
+    },
 
-      display.text(text);
+    _setCurrentCommit: function() {
+      var display = this.svg.selectAll('text.current-branch-display > tspan');
+      
+      //this will error out without checking first to see if commit exits, possible async issue?
+      if(this.getCommit('HEAD')) {
+        d3.select(display[0][1]).text('Sha: ' + this.getCommit('HEAD').id);
+        d3.select(display[0][2]).text('Parent: ' + this.getCommit('HEAD').parent);
+        d3.select(display[0][3]).text('Message: ' + this.getCommit('HEAD').message);
+      }
+    
     },
 
     addReflogEntry: function(ref, destination, reason) {
@@ -1265,7 +1294,7 @@ define(['d3'], function() {
 
     checkout: function(ref) {
       var commit = this.getCommit(ref);
-
+      
       if (!commit) {
         throw new Error('Cannot find commit: ' + ref);
       }
@@ -1279,6 +1308,7 @@ define(['d3'], function() {
 
       var isBranch = this.branches.indexOf(ref) !== -1
       this._setCurrentBranch(isBranch ? ref : null);
+      this._setCurrentCommit();
       this.moveTag('HEAD', commit.id);
       this.renderTags();
 
@@ -1479,6 +1509,7 @@ define(['d3'], function() {
               this.moveTag(origBranch, newHeadCommit.id)
               this.reset(origBranch)
               this._setCurrentBranch(origBranch)
+              this._setCurrentCommit()
               this.addReflogEntry(
                 'HEAD', targetCommit.id, 'rebase finished: returning to resf/heads/' + origBranch
               )