diff --git a/static/js/graphing.js b/static/js/graphing.js
index 290c9f2ad..ced8a99d5 100644
--- a/static/js/graphing.js
+++ b/static/js/graphing.js
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ ImageHistoryTree.prototype.draw = function(container) {
         .direction('e')
         .html(function(d) {
             var html = '';
+            if (d.virtual) {
+                return d.name;
+            }
+
             if (d.collapsed) {
                 for (var i = 1; i < d.encountered.length; ++i) {
                     html += '<span>' + d.encountered[i].image.id.substr(0, 12) + '</span>';
@@ -272,6 +276,7 @@ ImageHistoryTree.prototype.buildRoot_ = function() {
 
     // For each node, attach it to its immediate parent. If there is no immediate parent,
     // then the node is the root.
+    var roots = [];
     for (var i = 0; i < this.images_.length; ++i) {
         var image = this.images_[i];
         var imageNode = imageByDBID[image.dbid];
@@ -283,10 +288,22 @@ ImageHistoryTree.prototype.buildRoot_ = function() {
             imageNode.parent = parent;
             parent.children.push(imageNode);
         } else {
-            formatted = imageNode;
+            roots.push(imageNode);
         }
     }
 
+    // If there are multiple root nodes, then there is at least one branch without shared
+    // ancestry and we use the virtual node. Otherwise, we use the root node found.
+    var root = {
+        'name': '',
+        'children': roots,
+        'virtual': true
+    };
+
+    if (roots.length == 1) {
+        root = roots[0];
+    }
+
     // Determine the maximum number of nodes at a particular level. This is used to size
     // the width of the tree properly.
     var maxChildCount = 0;
@@ -300,14 +317,14 @@ ImageHistoryTree.prototype.buildRoot_ = function() {
     // section. We only do this if the max width is > 1 (since for a single width tree, no long
     // chain will hide a branch).
     if (maxChildCount > 1) {
-        this.collapseNodes_(formatted);
+        this.collapseNodes_(root);
     }
 
     // Determine the maximum height of the tree.
-    var maxHeight = this.determineMaximumHeight_(formatted);
+    var maxHeight = this.determineMaximumHeight_(root);
 
     // Finally, set the root node and return.
-    this.root_ = formatted;
+    this.root_ = root;
 
     return {
         'maxWidth': maxChildCount + 1,
@@ -593,6 +610,9 @@ ImageHistoryTree.prototype.update_ = function(source) {
           if (d.collapsed) {
               return 'collapsed';
           }
+          if (d.virtual) {
+              return 'virtual';
+          }
 	  if (!currentImage) {
 	      return '';
 	  }