diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/Dispatcher.java b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/Dispatcher.java
index 2f5f87d60f..d28c4d90c8 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/Dispatcher.java
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/Dispatcher.java
@@ -470,7 +470,9 @@ public class Dispatcher {
 
     if (rest.isEmpty()) {
       Gerrit.display(token, panel== null
-          ? (useChangeScreen2 ? new ChangeScreen2(id, null) : new ChangeScreen(id))
+          ? (useChangeScreen2
+              ? new ChangeScreen2(id, null, false)
+              : new ChangeScreen(id))
           : new NotFoundScreen());
       return;
     }
@@ -502,7 +504,7 @@ public class Dispatcher {
     } else {
       if (panel == null) {
         Gerrit.display(token, useChangeScreen2
-            ? new ChangeScreen2(id, String.valueOf(ps.get()))
+            ? new ChangeScreen2(id, String.valueOf(ps.get()), false)
             : new ChangeScreen(id));
       } else if ("publish".equals(panel)) {
         publish(ps);
@@ -524,7 +526,7 @@ public class Dispatcher {
       rest = "";
     }
     useChangeScreen2 = true;
-    Gerrit.display(token, new ChangeScreen2(id, rest));
+    Gerrit.display(token, new ChangeScreen2(id, rest, false));
   }
 
   private static void publish(final PatchSet.Id ps) {
diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/change/ChangeScreen2.java b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/change/ChangeScreen2.java
index aff37f8d7e..43f9b6d92a 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/change/ChangeScreen2.java
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/change/ChangeScreen2.java
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ public class ChangeScreen2 extends Screen {
   private UpdateCheckTimer updateCheck;
   private Timestamp lastDisplayedUpdate;
   private UpdateAvailableBar updateAvailable;
+  private boolean openReplyBox;
 
   @UiField Style style;
   @UiField ToggleButton star;
@@ -150,9 +151,10 @@ public class ChangeScreen2 extends Screen {
   @UiField QuickApprove quickApprove;
   private ReplyAction replyAction;
 
-  public ChangeScreen2(Change.Id changeId, String revision) {
+  public ChangeScreen2(Change.Id changeId, String revision, boolean openReplyBox) {
     this.changeId = changeId;
     this.revision = revision != null && !revision.isEmpty() ? revision : null;
+    this.openReplyBox = openReplyBox;
     add(uiBinder.createAndBindUi(this));
   }
 
@@ -256,10 +258,15 @@ public class ChangeScreen2 extends Screen {
         .getParentElement()
         .getOffsetHeight());
 
-    String prior = Gerrit.getPriorView();
-    if (prior != null && prior.startsWith("/c/")) {
-      scrollToPath(prior.substring(3));
+    if (openReplyBox) {
+      onReply();
+    } else {
+      String prior = Gerrit.getPriorView();
+      if (prior != null && prior.startsWith("/c/")) {
+        scrollToPath(prior.substring(3));
+      }
     }
+
     startPoller();
   }
 
@@ -301,14 +308,16 @@ public class ChangeScreen2 extends Screen {
     if (0 <= idx) {
       String n = revisionList.getValue(idx);
       revisionList.setEnabled(false);
-      Gerrit.display(
-          PageLinks.toChange2(changeId, n),
-          new ChangeScreen2(changeId, n));
+      Gerrit.display(PageLinks.toChange2(changeId, n));
     }
   }
 
   @UiHandler("reply")
   void onReply(ClickEvent e) {
+    onReply();
+  }
+
+  private void onReply() {
     if (Gerrit.isSignedIn()) {
       replyAction.onReply();
     } else {
diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/SideBySide2.java b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/SideBySide2.java
index 3ad82f8593..695814ae95 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/SideBySide2.java
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/diff/SideBySide2.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package com.google.gerrit.client.diff;
 
 import com.google.gerrit.client.Gerrit;
+import com.google.gerrit.client.change.ChangeScreen2;
 import com.google.gerrit.client.changes.CommentApi;
 import com.google.gerrit.client.changes.CommentInfo;
 import com.google.gerrit.client.diff.DiffInfo.Region;
@@ -34,6 +35,7 @@ import com.google.gerrit.client.ui.Screen;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.PageLinks;
 import com.google.gerrit.common.changes.Side;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.AccountDiffPreference;
+import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.Change;
 import com.google.gerrit.reviewdb.client.PatchSet;
 import com.google.gwt.core.client.GWT;
 import com.google.gwt.core.client.JavaScriptObject;
@@ -264,6 +266,7 @@ public class SideBySide2 extends Screen {
     cm.addKeyMap(KeyMap.create()
         .on("'j'", moveCursorDown(cm, 1))
         .on("'k'", moveCursorDown(cm, -1))
+        .on("'a'", openReplyBox())
         .on("'u'", upToChange())
         .on("'r'", toggleReviewed())
         .on("'o'", toggleOpenBox(cm))
@@ -287,6 +290,12 @@ public class SideBySide2 extends Screen {
         toggleReviewed().run();
       }
     });
+    keysAction.add(new KeyCommand(0, 'a', PatchUtil.C.openReply()) {
+      @Override
+      public void onKeyPress(KeyPressEvent event) {
+        openReplyBox().run();
+      }
+    });
 
     keysOpenByEnter = new KeyCommandSet(Gerrit.C.sectionNavigation());
     keysOpenByEnter.add(new NoOpKeyCommand(0, KeyCodes.KEY_ENTER,
@@ -956,6 +965,18 @@ public class SideBySide2 extends Screen {
     };
   }
 
+  private Runnable openReplyBox() {
+    return new Runnable() {
+      public void run() {
+        Change.Id id = revision.getParentKey();
+        String rev = String.valueOf(revision.get());
+        Gerrit.display(
+          PageLinks.toChange2(id, rev),
+          new ChangeScreen2(id, rev, true));
+      }
+    };
+  }
+
   private Runnable upToChange() {
     return new Runnable() {
       public void run() {
diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/patches/PatchConstants.java b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/patches/PatchConstants.java
index 8c9c56b09a..c6793d6387 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/patches/PatchConstants.java
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/patches/PatchConstants.java
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ public interface PatchConstants extends Constants {
   String illegalNumberOfColumns();
 
   String upToChange();
+  String openReply();
   String linePrev();
   String lineNext();
   String chunkPrev();
diff --git a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/patches/PatchConstants.properties b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/patches/PatchConstants.properties
index 5acdb5f532..5259a4caa7 100644
--- a/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/patches/PatchConstants.properties
+++ b/gerrit-gwtui/src/main/java/com/google/gerrit/client/patches/PatchConstants.properties
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ intralineTimeout = Intraline difference not available due to timeout.
 illegalNumberOfColumns = The number of columns cannot be zero or negative
 
 upToChange = Up to change
+openReply = Reply and score
 linePrev = Previous line
 lineNext = Next line
 chunkPrev = Previous diff chunk or comment