diff --git a/static/js/containers/pages/CheckoutPage.js b/static/js/containers/pages/CheckoutPage.js
index cbd3aceaf2..e52d69a14c 100644
--- a/static/js/containers/pages/CheckoutPage.js
+++ b/static/js/containers/pages/CheckoutPage.js
@@ -2,19 +2,22 @@
 import React from "react"
 import * as R from "ramda"
 import { connect } from "react-redux"
-import { connectRequest, mutateAsync } from "redux-query"
+import { mutateAsync, requestAsync } from "redux-query"
 import { compose } from "redux"
+import queryString from "query-string"
 
 import queries from "../../lib/queries"
 import {
   calculateDiscount,
   calculatePrice,
   formatPrice,
-  formatRunTitle
+  formatRunTitle,
+  formatErrors
 } from "../../lib/ecommerce"
 import { createCyberSourceForm } from "../../lib/form"
 
 import type { Response } from "redux-query"
+import type { Location } from "react-router"
 import type {
   BasketResponse,
   BasketPayload,
@@ -50,6 +53,8 @@ export const calcSelectedRunIds = (item: BasketItem): { [number]: number } => {
 type Props = {
   basket: ?BasketResponse,
   checkout: () => Promise<Response<CheckoutResponse>>,
+  fetchBasket: () => Promise<*>,
+  location: Location,
   updateBasket: (payload: BasketPayload) => Promise<*>
 }
 type State = {
@@ -64,6 +69,30 @@ export class CheckoutPage extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     errors:       null
   }
 
+  componentDidMount = async () => {
+    const {
+      fetchBasket,
+      location: { search }
+    } = this.props
+    const params = queryString.parse(search)
+    const productId = parseInt(params.product)
+    if (!productId) {
+      await fetchBasket()
+      return
+    }
+
+    try {
+      await this.updateBasket({ items: [{ id: productId }] })
+
+      const couponCode = params.code
+      if (couponCode) {
+        await this.updateBasket({ coupons: [{ code: couponCode }] })
+      }
+    } catch (_) {
+      // prevent complaints about unresolved promises
+    }
+  }
+
   handleErrors = async (responsePromise: Promise<*>) => {
     const response = await responsePromise
     if (response.body.errors) {
@@ -202,13 +231,14 @@ export class CheckoutPage extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     const { basket } = this.props
     const { couponCode, errors } = this.state
 
-    if (!basket) {
-      return null
-    }
-
-    const item = basket.items[0]
-    if (!item) {
-      return <div>No item in basket</div>
+    const item = basket && basket.items[0]
+    if (!basket || !item) {
+      return (
+        <div className="checkout-page">
+          No item in basket
+          {formatErrors(errors)}
+        </div>
+      )
     }
 
     const coupon = basket.coupons.find(coupon =>
@@ -259,7 +289,7 @@ export class CheckoutPage extends React.Component<Props, State> {
                     Apply
                   </button>
                 </div>
-                {errors ? <div className="error">Error: {errors}</div> : null}
+                {formatErrors(errors)}
               </form>
             </div>
           </div>
@@ -302,15 +332,14 @@ const mapStateToProps = state => ({
 })
 const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch => ({
   checkout:     () => dispatch(mutateAsync(queries.ecommerce.checkoutMutation())),
+  fetchBasket:  () => dispatch(requestAsync(queries.ecommerce.basketQuery())),
   updateBasket: payload =>
     dispatch(mutateAsync(queries.ecommerce.basketMutation(payload)))
 })
-const mapPropsToConfigs = () => [queries.ecommerce.basketQuery()]
 
 export default compose(
   connect(
     mapStateToProps,
     mapDispatchToProps
-  ),
-  connectRequest(mapPropsToConfigs)
+  )
 )(CheckoutPage)
diff --git a/static/js/containers/pages/CheckoutPage_test.js b/static/js/containers/pages/CheckoutPage_test.js
index 16c7549de3..5f5a3f50a5 100644
--- a/static/js/containers/pages/CheckoutPage_test.js
+++ b/static/js/containers/pages/CheckoutPage_test.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
   formatPrice,
   formatRunTitle
 } from "../../lib/ecommerce"
-import { assertRaises } from "../../lib/util"
+import { assertRaises, wait } from "../../lib/util"
 import { PRODUCT_TYPE_COURSERUN, PRODUCT_TYPE_PROGRAM } from "../../constants"
 
 describe("CheckoutPage", () => {
@@ -36,7 +36,9 @@ describe("CheckoutPage", () => {
           basket
         }
       },
-      {}
+      {
+        location: {}
+      }
     )
   })
 
@@ -102,6 +104,132 @@ describe("CheckoutPage", () => {
     assert.equal(inner.find("img").prop("alt"), basketItem.description)
     assert.equal(inner.find(".item-row .title").text(), basketItem.description)
   })
+  ;[true, false].forEach(hasError => {
+    it(`updates the basket with a product id from the query parameter${
+      hasError ? ", but an error is returned" : ""
+    }`, async () => {
+      const productId = 4567
+      if (hasError) {
+        helper.handleRequestStub.withArgs("/api/basket/", "PATCH").returns({
+          status: 400,
+          body:   {
+            errors: "error"
+          }
+        })
+      }
+      const { inner } = await renderPage(
+        {},
+        {
+          location: {
+            search: `product=${productId}`
+          }
+        }
+      )
+
+      sinon.assert.calledWith(
+        helper.handleRequestStub,
+        "/api/basket/",
+        "PATCH",
+        {
+          body:        { items: [{ id: productId }] },
+          credentials: undefined,
+          headers:     {
+            "X-CSRFTOKEN": null
+          }
+        }
+      )
+      assert.equal(inner.state().errors, hasError ? "error" : null)
+    })
+  })
+
+  //
+  ;[[true, false], [true, true], [false, false], [false, true]].forEach(
+    ([hasValidProductId, hasValidCoupon]) => {
+      it.only(`updates the basket with a ${
+        hasValidProductId ? "" : "in"
+      }valid product id and a ${
+        hasValidCoupon ? "" : "in"
+      }valid coupon code from the query parameter`, async () => {
+        const couponCode = "codeforcoupon"
+        const productId = 12345
+        const couponPayload = {
+          body:        { coupons: [{ code: couponCode }] },
+          credentials: undefined,
+          headers:     {
+            "X-CSRFTOKEN": null
+          }
+        }
+        const productPayload = {
+          body:        { items: [{ id: productId }] },
+          credentials: undefined,
+          headers:     {
+            "X-CSRFTOKEN": null
+          }
+        }
+
+        if (!hasValidProductId) {
+          helper.handleRequestStub
+            .withArgs("/api/basket/", "PATCH", productPayload)
+            .returns({
+              status: 400,
+              body:   {
+                errors: "product error"
+              }
+            })
+        }
+        if (!hasValidCoupon) {
+          helper.handleRequestStub
+            .withArgs("/api/basket/", "PATCH", couponPayload)
+            .returns({
+              status: 400,
+              body:   {
+                errors: "coupon error"
+              }
+            })
+        }
+        const { inner } = await renderPage(
+          {},
+          {
+            location: {
+              search: `product=${productId}&code=${couponCode}`
+            }
+          }
+        )
+        // wait for componentDidMount to resolve
+        await wait(15)
+        sinon.assert.calledWith(
+          helper.handleRequestStub,
+          "/api/basket/",
+          "PATCH",
+          productPayload
+        )
+        if (hasValidProductId) {
+          sinon.assert.calledWith(
+            helper.handleRequestStub,
+            "/api/basket/",
+            "PATCH",
+            couponPayload
+          )
+        } else {
+          sinon.assert.neverCalledWith(
+            helper.handleRequestStub,
+            "/api/basket/",
+            "PATCH",
+            couponPayload
+          )
+        }
+
+        assert.equal(
+          inner.state().errors,
+          !hasValidProductId
+            ? "product error"
+            : !hasValidCoupon
+              ? "coupon error"
+              : null
+        )
+      })
+    }
+  )
 
   it("displays the coupon code", async () => {
     const { inner } = await renderPage()
@@ -167,10 +295,7 @@ describe("CheckoutPage", () => {
     })
 
     assert.equal(inner.state().errors, errors)
-    assert.equal(
-      inner.find(".enrollment-input .error").text(),
-      "Error: Unknown error"
-    )
+    assert.equal(inner.find(".enrollment-input .error").text(), "Unknown error")
     assert.isTrue(inner.find(".enrollment-input input.error-border").exists())
   })
 
diff --git a/static/js/lib/ecommerce.js b/static/js/lib/ecommerce.js
index 87c6271471..3e330f91ef 100644
--- a/static/js/lib/ecommerce.js
+++ b/static/js/lib/ecommerce.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 // @flow
+import React from "react"
 import Decimal from "decimal.js-light"
 import * as R from "ramda"
 import { equals } from "ramda"
@@ -57,6 +58,24 @@ const formatDateForRun = (dateString: ?string) =>
 export const formatRunTitle = (run: CourseRun) =>
   `${formatDateForRun(run.start_date)} - ${formatDateForRun(run.end_date)}`
 
+export const formatErrors = (errors: string | Object) => {
+  if (!errors) {
+    return null
+  }
+
+  let errorString
+  if (typeof errors === "object") {
+    if (errors.items) {
+      errorString = errors.items[0]
+    } else {
+      errorString = errors[0]
+    }
+  } else {
+    errorString = errors
+  }
+  return <div className="error">{errorString}</div>
+}
+
 export const isPromo = equals(COUPON_TYPE_PROMO)
 
 export const createProductMap = (