diff --git a/toolkit/mozapps/update/src/updater/updater.cpp b/toolkit/mozapps/update/src/updater/updater.cpp
index b04446435ee4..d6d74609e0da 100644
--- a/toolkit/mozapps/update/src/updater/updater.cpp
+++ b/toolkit/mozapps/update/src/updater/updater.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  *
  * Contributor(s):
  *  Darin Fisher <darin@meer.net>
+ *  Robert Strong <robert.bugzilla@gmail.com>
  *
  * Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of
  * either the GNU General Public License Version 2 or later (the "GPL"), or
@@ -1101,7 +1102,7 @@ LaunchWinPostProcess(const WCHAR *appExe)
     L"\0"
   };
 
-  WinLaunchChild(exefullpath, argc, argv, 1);
+  WinLaunchChild(exefullpath, argc, argv, 0);
   free(argv);
 }
 #endif
@@ -1120,7 +1121,7 @@ LaunchCallbackApp(const NS_tchar *workingDir, int argc, NS_tchar **argv)
 #elif defined(XP_MACOSX)
   LaunchChild(argc, argv);
 #elif defined(XP_WIN)
-  WinLaunchChild(argv[0], argc, argv, -1);
+  WinLaunchChild(argv[0], argc, argv, 0);
 #else
 # warning "Need implementaton of LaunchCallbackApp"
 #endif
@@ -1212,6 +1213,91 @@ int NS_main(int argc, NS_tchar **argv)
 #endif
   }
 
+#ifdef XP_WIN
+  // Launch a second instance of the updater with the runas verb on Windows
+  // when write access is denied to the installation directory.
+
+  NS_tchar updateLockFilePath[MAXPATHLEN];
+  NS_tsnprintf(updateLockFilePath, MAXPATHLEN,
+               NS_T("%s/update_in_progress.lock"), argv[3]);
+
+  // The update_in_progress.lock file should only exist during an update. In
+  // case it exists attempt to remove it and exit if that fails to prevent
+  // simultaneous updates occurring.
+  if (!_waccess(updateLockFilePath, F_OK) &&
+      NS_tremove(updateLockFilePath) != 0) {
+    fprintf(stderr, "Update already in progress! Exiting\n");
+    return 1;
+  }
+
+  HANDLE updateLockFileHandle;
+  updateLockFileHandle = CreateFileW(updateLockFilePath,
+                                     GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE,
+                                     0,
+                                     NULL,
+                                     OPEN_ALWAYS,
+                                     FILE_FLAG_DELETE_ON_CLOSE,
+                                     NULL);
+
+  NS_tchar elevatedLockFilePath[MAXPATHLEN];
+  NS_tsnprintf(elevatedLockFilePath, MAXPATHLEN,
+               NS_T("%s/update_elevated.lock"), argv[1]);
+
+  if (updateLockFileHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
+    if (!_waccess(elevatedLockFilePath, F_OK) &&
+        NS_tremove(elevatedLockFilePath) != 0) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Update already elevated! Exiting\n");
+      return 1;
+    }
+
+    HANDLE elevatedFileHandle;
+    elevatedFileHandle = CreateFileW(elevatedLockFilePath,
+                                     GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE,
+                                     0,
+                                     NULL,
+                                     OPEN_ALWAYS,
+                                     FILE_FLAG_DELETE_ON_CLOSE,
+                                     NULL);
+
+    if (elevatedFileHandle == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
+      fprintf(stderr, "Unable to create elevated lock file! Exiting\n");
+      return 1;
+    }
+
+    PRUnichar *cmdLine = MakeCommandLine(argc - 1, argv + 1);
+    if (!cmdLine) {
+      CloseHandle(elevatedFileHandle);
+      return 1;
+    }
+
+    SHELLEXECUTEINFO sinfo;
+    memset(&sinfo, 0, sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO));
+    sinfo.cbSize       = sizeof(SHELLEXECUTEINFO);
+    sinfo.fMask        = SEE_MASK_NOASYNC |
+                         SEE_MASK_FLAG_NO_UI |
+                         SEE_MASK_NOCLOSEPROCESS;
+    sinfo.hwnd         = NULL;
+    sinfo.lpFile       = argv[0];
+    sinfo.lpParameters = cmdLine;
+    sinfo.lpVerb       = L"runas";
+    sinfo.nShow        = SW_SHOWNORMAL;
+
+    BOOL result = ShellExecuteEx(&sinfo);
+    free(cmdLine);
+
+    if (result) {
+      WaitForSingleObject(sinfo.hProcess, INFINITE);
+      CloseHandle(sinfo.hProcess);
+    }
+
+    if (argc > 4)
+      LaunchCallbackApp(argv[3], argc - 4, argv + 4);
+
+    CloseHandle(elevatedFileHandle);
+    return 0;
+  }
+#endif
+
   gSourcePath = argv[1];
 
   LogInit();
@@ -1229,6 +1315,12 @@ int NS_main(int argc, NS_tchar **argv)
 #ifdef XP_WIN
   if (gSucceeded && argc > 4)
     LaunchWinPostProcess(argv[4]);
+  CloseHandle(updateLockFileHandle);
+  // If elevated return early and let the process that launched this process
+  // launch the callback application.
+  if (!_waccess(elevatedLockFilePath, F_OK) &&
+      NS_tremove(elevatedLockFilePath) != 0)
+    return 0;
 #endif
 
   // The callback to execute is given as the last N arguments of our command
diff --git a/toolkit/mozapps/update/src/updater/updater.exe.manifest b/toolkit/mozapps/update/src/updater/updater.exe.manifest
index 4c50f9dc1567..8bea07a34b22 100644
--- a/toolkit/mozapps/update/src/updater/updater.exe.manifest
+++ b/toolkit/mozapps/update/src/updater/updater.exe.manifest
@@ -19,4 +19,12 @@
                 />
         </dependentAssembly>
 </dependency>
+<ms_asmv3:trustInfo xmlns:ms_asmv3="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
+  <ms_asmv3:security>
+    <ms_asmv3:requestedPrivileges>
+      <ms_asmv3:requestedExecutionLevel level="asInvoker" uiAccess="false">
+      </ms_asmv3:requestedExecutionLevel>
+    </ms_asmv3:requestedPrivileges>
+  </ms_asmv3:security>
+</ms_asmv3:trustInfo>
 </assembly>
diff --git a/toolkit/xre/nsAppRunner.cpp b/toolkit/xre/nsAppRunner.cpp
index 67916fdca587..79f0c136c7bf 100644
--- a/toolkit/xre/nsAppRunner.cpp
+++ b/toolkit/xre/nsAppRunner.cpp
@@ -1544,8 +1544,7 @@ int OS2LaunchChild(const char *aExePath, int aArgc, char **aArgv)
 // blank command line instead of being launched with the same command line that
 // it was initially started with.
 static nsresult LaunchChild(nsINativeAppSupport* aNative,
-                            PRBool aBlankCommandLine = PR_FALSE,
-                            int needElevation = 0)
+                            PRBool aBlankCommandLine = PR_FALSE)
 {
   aNative->Quit(); // release DDE mutex, if we're holding it
 
@@ -1573,7 +1572,7 @@ static nsresult LaunchChild(nsINativeAppSupport* aNative,
   if (NS_FAILED(rv))
     return rv;
 
-  if (!WinLaunchChild(exePath.get(), gRestartArgc, gRestartArgv, needElevation))
+  if (!WinLaunchChild(exePath.get(), gRestartArgc, gRestartArgv, 0))
     return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
 
 #else
@@ -3275,7 +3274,7 @@ XRE_main(int argc, char* argv[], const nsXREAppData* aAppData)
       MOZ_gdk_display_close(display);
 #endif
 
-      rv = LaunchChild(nativeApp, appInitiatedRestart, upgraded ? -1 : 0);
+      rv = LaunchChild(nativeApp, appInitiatedRestart);
 
 #ifdef MOZ_CRASHREPORTER
       if (appData.flags & NS_XRE_ENABLE_CRASH_REPORTER)
diff --git a/toolkit/xre/nsUpdateDriver.cpp b/toolkit/xre/nsUpdateDriver.cpp
index 8084e07f2bf8..4e2dfb3855bb 100644
--- a/toolkit/xre/nsUpdateDriver.cpp
+++ b/toolkit/xre/nsUpdateDriver.cpp
@@ -474,7 +474,7 @@ ApplyUpdate(nsIFile *greDir, nsIFile *updateDir, nsILocalFile *statusFile,
 #elif defined(XP_WIN)
   _wchdir(applyToDir.get());
 
-  if (!WinLaunchChild(updaterPathW.get(), appArgc + 4, argv, 1))
+  if (!WinLaunchChild(updaterPathW.get(), appArgc + 4, argv, 0))
     return;
   _exit(0);
 #else