diff --git a/lib/index.d.ts b/lib/index.d.ts
index d477010e..94af2cbd 100644
--- a/lib/index.d.ts
+++ b/lib/index.d.ts
@@ -148,6 +148,12 @@ export interface AnyAttrs {
   [attr: string]: any;
 }
 
+export interface NavigateOptions {
+  // Passing this flag to navigate() will cause the matching router handler to execute, but won't update the url
+  // with the passed fragment.
+  dontUpdateUrl?: boolean;
+}
+
 export class Component<
   StateT,
   AttrsT = AnyAttrs,
@@ -240,7 +246,7 @@ export class Component<
    * Executes the route handler matching the given URL fragment, and updates
    * the URL, as though the user had navigated explicitly to that address.
    */
-  navigate(fragment: string, stateUpdate?: Partial<StateT>): void;
+  navigate(fragment: string, stateUpdate?: Partial<StateT>, navigateOptions?: NavigateOptions): void;
 
   /** Run a user-defined hook with the given parameters */
   runHook: (
diff --git a/lib/router.js b/lib/router.js
index 7cfa52fd..b902c78e 100644
--- a/lib/router.js
+++ b/lib/router.js
@@ -68,13 +68,17 @@ export default class Router {
     this.window.history[this.historyMethod] = this.origChangeStateMethod;
   }
 
-  navigate(fragment, stateUpdate = {}) {
+  navigate(fragment, stateUpdate = {}, navigateOptions = {}) {
+    const {dontUpdateUrl = false} = navigateOptions;
+
     fragment = stripHash(fragment);
     if (decodedFragmentsEqual(this.app.state.$fragment, fragment) && !Object.keys(stateUpdate).length) {
       return;
     }
 
-    stateUpdate.$fragment = fragment;
+    if (!dontUpdateUrl) {
+      stateUpdate.$fragment = fragment;
+    }
     for (const route of this.compiledRoutes) {
       const matches = route.expr.exec(fragment);
       if (matches) {
@@ -93,7 +97,7 @@ export default class Router {
         if (!routeHandler) {
           throw `No route handler defined for #${fragment}`;
         }
-        const routeStateUpdate = routeHandler.call(this.app, stateUpdate, ...params);
+        const routeStateUpdate = routeHandler.call(this.app, stateUpdate, ...params, navigateOptions);
         if (routeStateUpdate) {
           // don't update if route handler returned a falsey result
           this.app.update(Object.assign({}, stateUpdate, routeStateUpdate));
diff --git a/test/browser/router.js b/test/browser/router.js
index 8731d919..a6cf8365 100644
--- a/test/browser/router.js
+++ b/test/browser/router.js
@@ -150,6 +150,14 @@ describe(`Router`, function () {
       await nextAnimationFrame();
       expect(this.routerApp.textContent).to.equal(`Number: 42`);
     });
+
+    it(`does not update url if dontUpdateUrl is passed`, async function () {
+      expect(window.location.hash).to.equal(``);
+      this.routerApp.router.navigate(`numeric/42`, {}, {dontUpdateUrl: true});
+      await retryable(() => expect(this.routerApp.textContent).to.equal(`Number: 42`));
+      expect(this.routerApp.textContent).to.equal(`Number: 42`);
+      expect(window.location.hash).to.equal(``);
+    });
   });
 
   describe(`replaceHash()`, function () {