diff --git a/jdaviz/app.py b/jdaviz/app.py
index 63ab909ace..e4bee15ee2 100644
--- a/jdaviz/app.py
+++ b/jdaviz/app.py
@@ -2286,17 +2286,24 @@ def _on_new_viewer(self, msg, vid=None, name=None, add_layers_to_viewer=False):
             msg.cls, data=msg.data, show=False)
         viewer.figure_widget.layout.height = '100%'
 
+        linked_by_wcs = self._link_type.lower() == 'wcs'
+
         if hasattr(viewer.state, 'linked_by_wcs'):
             orientation_plugin = self._jdaviz_helper.plugins.get('Orientation', None)
             if orientation_plugin is not None:
-                viewer.state.linked_by_wcs = orientation_plugin.link_type.selected == 'WCS'
+                linked_by_wcs = orientation_plugin.link_type.selected == 'WCS'
             elif len(self._viewer_store):
                 # The plugin would only not exist for instances of Imviz where the user has
                 # intentionally removed the Orientation plugin, but in that case we will
                 # adopt "linked_by_wcs" from the first (assuming all are the same)
                 # NOTE: deleting the default viewer is forbidden both by API and UI, but if
                 # for some reason that was the case here, linked_by_wcs will default to False
-                viewer.state.linked_by_wcs = list(self._viewer_store.values())[0].state.linked_by_wcs  # noqa
+                linked_by_wcs = list(self._viewer_store.values())[0].state.linked_by_wcs  # noqa
+            viewer.state.linked_by_wcs = linked_by_wcs
+
+        if linked_by_wcs:
+            from jdaviz.configs.imviz.helper import get_wcs_only_layer_labels
+            viewer.state.wcs_only_layers = get_wcs_only_layer_labels(self)
 
         if msg.x_attr is not None:
             x = msg.data.id[msg.x_attr]
@@ -2309,9 +2316,8 @@ def _on_new_viewer(self, msg, vid=None, name=None, add_layers_to_viewer=False):
             viewer=viewer, vid=vid, name=name, reference=name
         )
 
-        if add_layers_to_viewer:
-            ref_data = self._jdaviz_helper.default_viewer._obj.state.reference_data
-            new_viewer_item['reference_data_label'] = ref_data.label
+        ref_data = self._jdaviz_helper.default_viewer._obj.state.reference_data
+        new_viewer_item['reference_data_label'] = ref_data.label
 
         new_stack_item = self._create_stack_item(
             container='gl-stack',
diff --git a/jdaviz/configs/imviz/plugins/orientation/orientation.py b/jdaviz/configs/imviz/plugins/orientation/orientation.py
index 0b858b48af..1b48034f16 100644
--- a/jdaviz/configs/imviz/plugins/orientation/orientation.py
+++ b/jdaviz/configs/imviz/plugins/orientation/orientation.py
@@ -7,14 +7,14 @@
 from glue.core.subset_group import GroupedSubset
 
 import astropy.units as u
-from jdaviz.configs.imviz.helper import link_image_data
+from jdaviz.configs.imviz.helper import link_image_data, get_wcs_only_layer_labels
 from jdaviz.configs.imviz.wcs_utils import (
     get_compass_info, _get_rotated_nddata_from_label
 )
 from jdaviz.core.events import (
     LinkUpdatedMessage, ExitBatchLoadMessage, ChangeRefDataMessage,
     AstrowidgetMarkersChangedMessage, MarkersPluginUpdate,
-    SnackbarMessage
+    SnackbarMessage, AddDataToViewerMessage, NewViewerMessage, ViewerAddedMessage
 )
 from jdaviz.core.custom_traitlets import FloatHandleEmpty
 from jdaviz.core.registries import tray_registry
@@ -127,6 +127,15 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.hub.subscribe(self, SubsetDeleteMessage,
                            handler=self._on_subset_change)
 
+        # self.hub.subscribe(self, NewViewerMessage,
+        #                    handler=self._on_new_viewer)
+
+        self.hub.subscribe(self, ViewerAddedMessage,
+                           handler=self._on_viewer_added)
+
+        self.hub.subscribe(self, AddDataToViewerMessage,
+                           handler=self._on_data_add_to_viewer)
+
         self._update_layer_label_default()
 
     @property
@@ -352,12 +361,36 @@ def add_orientation(self, rotation_angle=None, east_left=None, label=None,
 
     def _add_data_to_all_viewers(self, data_label):
         for viewer_ref in self.viewer.choices:
-            layers_in_viewer = [
-                layer.layer.label for layer in
-                self.app.get_viewer_by_id(self.viewer.selected).layers
-            ]
-            if data_label not in layers_in_viewer:
-                self.app.add_data_to_viewer(viewer_ref, data_label, visible=False)
+            layers = [layer.label for layer in self.app.get_viewer_by_id(self.viewer.selected).layers]
+            if data_label not in layers:
+                self.app.add_data_to_viewer(viewer_ref, data_label)
+
+    def _on_viewer_added(self, msg):
+        for data_label in get_wcs_only_layer_labels(self.app):
+            self._add_data_to_all_viewers(data_label)
+
+        self.orientation.choices = get_wcs_only_layer_labels(self.app)
+
+        if hasattr(self, 'orientation'):
+            self.viewer.selected = msg._viewer_id
+            self._change_reference_data(
+                self.orientation.selected,
+                viewer_id=msg._viewer_id
+            )
+
+    def _on_data_add_to_viewer(self, msg):
+        if not hasattr(self, 'viewer'):
+            return
+
+        viewer_id = self.viewer.selected_obj.reference_id
+
+        if viewer_id != 'imviz-0' and self.viewer.selected_obj.state.reference_data is None:
+            self.app._change_reference_data(
+                self.orientation.selected,
+                viewer_id=viewer_id
+            )
+        else:
+            self.orientation_layer_selected = self.ref_data.label
 
     def vue_add_orientation(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.add_orientation(set_on_create=True)
@@ -423,7 +456,7 @@ def _on_viewer_change(self, msg={}):
         # don't update choices until viewer is available:
         if hasattr(self, 'viewer'):
             viewer = self.app.get_viewer(self.viewer.selected)
-            self.orientation.choices = viewer.state.wcs_only_layers
+            self.orientation.choices = get_wcs_only_layer_labels(self.app)
             self.orientation.selected = self.ref_data.label
 
     def create_north_up_east_left(self, label="North-up, East-left", set_on_create=False):