diff --git a/platform/commonUI/browse/res/templates/browse.html b/platform/commonUI/browse/res/templates/browse.html
index 8353b297f9..0855ebcf59 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/browse/res/templates/browse.html
+++ b/platform/commonUI/browse/res/templates/browse.html
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
          ng-controller="PaneController as modelPaneTree"
          ng-class="modelPaneTree.visible() ? 'pane-tree-showing' : 'pane-tree-hidden'">
         <mct-split-pane class='abs contents'
-                        anchor='left' saveUserWidthPreference='true'>
+                        anchor='left' alias="leftSide">
             <div class='split-pane-component treeview pane left'>
                 <div class="abs holder l-flex-col holder-treeview-elements">
                     <mct-representation key="'create-button'"
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
                      ng-controller="InspectorPaneController as modelPaneInspect"
                      ng-class="modelPaneInspect.visible() ? 'pane-inspect-showing' : 'pane-inspect-hidden'">
 
-                    <mct-split-pane class='l-object-and-inspector contents abs' anchor='right' saveUserWidthPreference="true">
+                    <mct-split-pane class='l-object-and-inspector contents abs' anchor='right' alias="rightSide">
                         <div class='split-pane-component t-object pane primary-pane left'>
                             <mct-representation mct-object="navigatedObject"
                                                 key="navigatedObject.getCapability('status').get('editing') ? 'edit-object' : 'browse-object'"
diff --git a/platform/commonUI/general/src/directives/MCTSplitPane.js b/platform/commonUI/general/src/directives/MCTSplitPane.js
index 5418be2f11..ff4969ea6c 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/general/src/directives/MCTSplitPane.js
+++ b/platform/commonUI/general/src/directives/MCTSplitPane.js
@@ -102,10 +102,6 @@ define(
                     positionParsed = $parse($attrs.position),
                     position; // Start undefined, until explicitly set
 
-                // create unique alias for every instance of MCTSplitPane
-                var mctSplitPaneAlias = "mctSplitPaneAlias" + splitPaneNumber;
-                splitPaneNumber += 1;
-
                 // Get relevant size (height or width) of DOM element
                 function getSize(domElement) {
                     return (anchor.orientation === 'vertical' ?
@@ -154,7 +150,7 @@ define(
                 // Enforce minimum/maximum positions
                 function enforceExtrema() {
                     // Check for user preference on splitPane width
-                    var userWidthPreference = window.localStorage[mctSplitPaneAlias];
+                    var userWidthPreference = window.localStorage[$attrs.alias];
                     position = Math.max(position, 0);
                     position = Math.min(position,(userWidthPreference || getSize($element[0])));
                 }
@@ -172,7 +168,13 @@ define(
                         if (positionParsed.assign && position !== prior) {
                             positionParsed.assign($scope, position);
                         }
+
+                        if ($attrs.alias) {
+                            var myStorage = window.localStorage;
+                            myStorage.setItem($attrs.alias, value);
+                        }
                     }
+
                     return position;
                 }
 
@@ -215,9 +217,7 @@ define(
                     toggleClass: toggleClass,
                     anchor: function () {
                         return anchor;
-                    },
-                    saveUserWidthPreference: $attrs.saveuserwidthpreference,
-                    mctSplitPaneAlias: mctSplitPaneAlias
+                    }
                 };
             }
 
diff --git a/platform/commonUI/general/src/directives/MCTSplitter.js b/platform/commonUI/general/src/directives/MCTSplitter.js
index 38abecdc08..a0c467891c 100644
--- a/platform/commonUI/general/src/directives/MCTSplitter.js
+++ b/platform/commonUI/general/src/directives/MCTSplitter.js
@@ -56,12 +56,6 @@ define(
 
                         // Update the position of this splitter
                         mctSplitPane.position(initialPosition + pixelDelta);
-
-                        // Save user width preference to local storage if selected
-                        if (mctSplitPane.saveUserWidthPreference === 'true') {
-                            var myStorage = window.localStorage;
-                            myStorage.setItem(mctSplitPane.mctSplitPaneAlias, initialPosition + pixelDelta);
-                        }
                     },
                     // Grab the event when the user is done moving
                     // the splitter and pass it on