diff --git a/mobile/android/base/GeckoApp.java b/mobile/android/base/GeckoApp.java
index cc8f5a209903..c697ce0e3053 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/GeckoApp.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/GeckoApp.java
@@ -893,7 +893,8 @@ abstract public class GeckoApp
                 if ((state & GeckoAppShell.WPL_STATE_IS_NETWORK) != 0) {
                     if ((state & GeckoAppShell.WPL_STATE_START) != 0) {
                         Log.i(LOGTAG, "Got a document start");
-                        handleDocumentStart(tabId);
+                        final boolean showProgress = message.getBoolean("showProgress");
+                        handleDocumentStart(tabId, showProgress);
                     } else if ((state & GeckoAppShell.WPL_STATE_STOP) != 0) {
                         Log.i(LOGTAG, "Got a document stop");
                         handleDocumentStop(tabId);
@@ -1181,7 +1182,7 @@ abstract public class GeckoApp
         });
     }
 
-    void handleDocumentStart(int tabId) {
+    void handleDocumentStart(int tabId, final boolean showProgress) {
         final Tab tab = Tabs.getInstance().getTab(tabId);
         if (tab == null)
             return;
@@ -1193,7 +1194,8 @@ abstract public class GeckoApp
             public void run() {
                 if (Tabs.getInstance().isSelectedTab(tab)) {
                     mBrowserToolbar.setSecurityMode(tab.getSecurityMode());
-                    mBrowserToolbar.setProgressVisibility(true);
+                    if (showProgress)
+                        mBrowserToolbar.setProgressVisibility(true);
                 }
                 onTabsChanged(tab);
             }
diff --git a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
index dbeba52a29b3..91e1ef1cdb0b 100644
--- a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
+++ b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
@@ -426,6 +426,12 @@ var BrowserApp = {
     let referrerURI = "referrerURI" in aParams ? aParams.referrerURI : null;
     let charset = "charset" in aParams ? aParams.charset : null;
 
+    if ("showProgress" in aParams) {
+      let tab = this.getTabForBrowser(aBrowser);
+      if (tab)
+        tab.showProgress = aParams.showProgress;
+    }
+
     try {
       aBrowser.loadURIWithFlags(aURI, flags, referrerURI, charset, postData);
     } catch(e) {
@@ -825,6 +831,11 @@ var BrowserApp = {
       };
 
       let url = this.getSearchOrFixupURI(data);
+
+      // Don't show progress throbber for about:home
+      if (url == "about:home")
+        params.showProgress = false;
+
       if (aTopic == "Tab:Add")
         this.addTab(url, params);
       else
@@ -1297,6 +1308,7 @@ function Tab(aURL, aParams) {
   this.browser = null;
   this.vbox = null;
   this.id = 0;
+  this.showProgress = true;
   this.create(aURL, aParams);
   this._viewport = { x: 0, y: 0, width: gScreenWidth, height: gScreenHeight, offsetX: 0, offsetY: 0,
                      pageWidth: gScreenWidth, pageHeight: gScreenHeight, zoom: 1.0 };
@@ -1368,6 +1380,9 @@ Tab.prototype = {
       let referrerURI = "referrerURI" in aParams ? aParams.referrerURI : null;
       let charset = "charset" in aParams ? aParams.charset : null;
 
+      // This determines whether or not we show the progress throbber in the urlbar
+      this.showProgress = "showProgress" in aParams ? aParams.showProgress : true;
+
       try {
         this.browser.loadURIWithFlags(aURL, flags, referrerURI, charset, postData);
       } catch(e) {
@@ -1749,11 +1764,14 @@ Tab.prototype = {
           type: "Content:StateChange",
           tabID: this.id,
           uri: uri,
-          state: aStateFlags
+          state: aStateFlags,
+          showProgress: this.showProgress
         }
       };
-
       sendMessageToJava(message);
+
+      // Reset showProgress after state change
+      this.showProgress = true;
     }
   },