diff --git a/omeroweb/webclient/controller/container.py b/omeroweb/webclient/controller/container.py
index 16165b8e28..4ff9332858 100644
--- a/omeroweb/webclient/controller/container.py
+++ b/omeroweb/webclient/controller/container.py
@@ -82,73 +82,67 @@ def __init__(
         **kw,
     ):
         BaseController.__init__(self, conn)
+
         if project is not None:
             self.obj_type = "project"
-            self.project = self.conn.getObject("Project", project)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.project, project, "Project")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.project._obj, project, "Project")
+            self.project = self._getObject("Project", project)
         if dataset is not None:
             self.obj_type = "dataset"
-            self.dataset = self.conn.getObject("Dataset", dataset)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.dataset, dataset, "Dataset")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.dataset._obj, dataset, "Dataset")
+            self.dataset = self._getObject("Dataset", dataset)
         if screen is not None:
             self.obj_type = "screen"
-            self.screen = self.conn.getObject("Screen", screen)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.screen, screen, "Screen")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.screen._obj, screen, "Screen")
+            self.screen = self._getObject("Screen", screen)
         if plate is not None:
             self.obj_type = "plate"
-            self.plate = self.conn.getObject("Plate", plate)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.plate, plate, "Plate")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.plate._obj, plate, "Plate")
+            self.plate = self._getObject("Plate", plate)
         if acquisition is not None:
             self.obj_type = "acquisition"
-            self.acquisition = self.conn.getObject("PlateAcquisition", acquisition)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.acquisition, acquisition, "Plate Acquisition")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.acquisition._obj, acquisition, "Plate Acquisition")
+            self.acquisition = self._getObject("PlateAcquisition", acquisition)
         if image is not None:
             self.obj_type = "image"
-            self.image = self.conn.getObject("Image", image)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.image, image, "Image")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.image._obj, image, "Image")
+            self.image = self._getObject("Image", image)
         if well is not None:
             self.obj_type = "well"
-            self.well = self.conn.getObject("Well", well)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.well, well, "Well")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.well._obj, well, "Well")
+            self.well = self._getObject("Well", well)
         if tag is not None:
             self.obj_type = "tag"
-            self.tag = self.conn.getObject("Annotation", tag)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.tag, tag, "Tag")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.tag._obj, tag, "Tag")
+            self.tag = self._getObject("Annotation", tag)
         if tagset is not None:
             self.obj_type = "tagset"
-            self.tag = self.conn.getObject("Annotation", tagset)
+            self.tag = self._getObject("Annotation", tagset)
             # We need to check if tagset via hasattr(manager, o_type)
             self.tagset = self.tag
-            self.assertNotNone(self.tag, tagset, "Tag")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.tag._obj, tagset, "Tag")
         if comment is not None:
             self.obj_type = "comment"
-            self.comment = self.conn.getObject("Annotation", comment)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.comment, comment, "Comment")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.comment._obj, comment, "Comment")
+            self.comment = self._getObject("Annotation", comment)
         if file is not None:
             self.obj_type = "file"
-            self.file = self.conn.getObject("Annotation", file)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.file, file, "File")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.file._obj, file, "File")
+            self.file = self._getObject("Annotation", file)
         if annotation is not None:
             self.obj_type = "annotation"
-            self.annotation = self.conn.getObject("Annotation", annotation)
-            self.assertNotNone(self.annotation, annotation, "Annotation")
-            self.assertNotNone(self.annotation._obj, annotation, "Annotation")
+            self.annotation = self._getObject("Annotation", annotation)
         if orphaned:
             self.orphaned = True
         if index is not None:
             self.index = index
 
+    def _getObject(self, obj_type, obj_id):
+        # we wrap conn.getObject() to FIRST set the group context
+        # since conn.getObject() with group: -1 is slow if user's default group is big
+        rsp_obj = None
+        try:
+            if self.conn.SERVICE_OPTS.getOmeroGroup() == -1:
+                obj = self.conn.getQueryService().get(
+                    obj_type, int(obj_id), {"group": "-1"}
+                )
+                group_id = obj.getDetails().group.id.val
+                self.conn.SERVICE_OPTS.setOmeroGroup(group_id)
+            rsp_obj = self.conn.getObject(obj_type, obj_id)
+        except omero.ValidationException:
+            pass
+        self.assertNotNone(rsp_obj, obj_id, obj_type)
+        return rsp_obj
+
     def assertNotNone(self, obj, obj_id, obj_name):
         if obj is None:
             raise AttributeError(
diff --git a/omeroweb/webclient/templates/webclient/annotations/annotations_share.html b/omeroweb/webclient/templates/webclient/annotations/annotations_share.html
index 1ebd260e3b..e2d36cc8c8 100644
--- a/omeroweb/webclient/templates/webclient/annotations/annotations_share.html
+++ b/omeroweb/webclient/templates/webclient/annotations/annotations_share.html
@@ -242,17 +242,7 @@ <h1>{% trans "Annotations" %}</h1>
                         {% if manager.share.isExpired %}
                             This {{ manager.share.getShareType|lower }} has expired and you no longer can make any comments.
                         {% else %}
-                        <form id="add_share_comment_form" action="{% url 'annotate_comment' %}" method="post">{% csrf_token %}
-                        <table>
-                            <tr class="hiddenField"><td>{{ form_comment.share }}</td></tr>
-                            <tr>
-                                <td>{{ form_comment.comment }}</td>
-                            </tr>
-                            <tr>
-                                <td><input type="submit" value="{% trans 'Add Comment' %}" /></td>
-                            </tr>
-                        </table>
-                        </form>
+                            Commenting is no-longer supported.
                         {% endif %}
                     </th>
                 </tr>
diff --git a/omeroweb/webclient/views.py b/omeroweb/webclient/views.py
index 504ce999d3..1550b94876 100755
--- a/omeroweb/webclient/views.py
+++ b/omeroweb/webclient/views.py
@@ -1717,61 +1717,12 @@ def load_metadata_details(request, c_type, c_id, conn=None, share_id=None, **kwa
 
     context = dict()
 
-    # we only expect a single object, but forms can take multiple objects
-    images = c_type == "image" and list(conn.getObjects("Image", [c_id])) or list()
-    datasets = (
-        c_type == "dataset" and list(conn.getObjects("Dataset", [c_id])) or list()
-    )
-    projects = (
-        c_type == "project" and list(conn.getObjects("Project", [c_id])) or list()
-    )
-    screens = c_type == "screen" and list(conn.getObjects("Screen", [c_id])) or list()
-    plates = c_type == "plate" and list(conn.getObjects("Plate", [c_id])) or list()
-    acquisitions = (
-        c_type == "acquisition"
-        and list(conn.getObjects("PlateAcquisition", [c_id]))
-        or list()
-    )
-    shares = (
-        (c_type == "share" or c_type == "discussion")
-        and [conn.getShare(c_id)]
-        or list()
-    )
-    wells = c_type == "well" and list(conn.getObjects("Well", [c_id])) or list()
-
-    # we simply set up the annotation form, passing the objects to be
-    # annotated.
-    selected = {
-        "images": c_type == "image" and [c_id] or [],
-        "datasets": c_type == "dataset" and [c_id] or [],
-        "projects": c_type == "project" and [c_id] or [],
-        "screens": c_type == "screen" and [c_id] or [],
-        "plates": c_type == "plate" and [c_id] or [],
-        "acquisitions": c_type == "acquisition" and [c_id] or [],
-        "wells": c_type == "well" and [c_id] or [],
-        "shares": ((c_type == "share" or c_type == "discussion") and [c_id] or []),
-    }
-
-    initial = {
-        "selected": selected,
-        "images": images,
-        "datasets": datasets,
-        "projects": projects,
-        "screens": screens,
-        "plates": plates,
-        "acquisitions": acquisitions,
-        "wells": wells,
-        "shares": shares,
-    }
-
-    form_comment = None
     figScripts = None
     if c_type in ("share", "discussion"):
         template = "webclient/annotations/annotations_share.html"
         manager = BaseShare(conn, c_id)
         manager.getAllUsers(c_id)
         manager.getComments(c_id)
-        form_comment = CommentAnnotationForm(initial=initial)
     else:
         try:
             manager = BaseContainer(conn, **{str(c_type): int(c_id), "index": index})
@@ -1792,8 +1743,6 @@ def load_metadata_details(request, c_type, c_id, conn=None, share_id=None, **kwa
         context["insight_ns"] = omero.rtypes.rstring(
             omero.constants.metadata.NSINSIGHTTAGSET
         ).val
-    if form_comment is not None:
-        context["form_comment"] = form_comment
 
     context["figScripts"] = figScripts
     context["template"] = template