diff --git a/content/xul/document/src/nsXULDocument.cpp b/content/xul/document/src/nsXULDocument.cpp
index d1eaabc5e9dd..0cbc85cbacea 100644
--- a/content/xul/document/src/nsXULDocument.cpp
+++ b/content/xul/document/src/nsXULDocument.cpp
@@ -1416,19 +1416,9 @@ nsXULDocument::AttributeChanged(nsIContent* aElement,
         if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
     }
 
-    // Now notify external observers
-    for (PRInt32 i = 0; i < mObservers.Count(); i++) {
-        nsIDocumentObserver*  observer = (nsIDocumentObserver*)mObservers[i];
-        observer->AttributeChanged(this, aElement, aNameSpaceID, aAttribute, aHint);
-        if (observer != (nsIDocumentObserver*)mObservers.ElementAt(i)) {
-            i--;
-        }
-    }
-
-    // Handle "special" cases. We do this handling _after_ we've
-    // notified the observer to ensure that any frames that are
-    // caching information (e.g., the tree widget and the 'open'
-    // attribute) will notice things properly.
+    // Handle "open" and "close" cases. We do this handling before
+    // we've notified the observer, so that content is already created
+    // for the frame system to walk.
     if ((nameSpaceID == kNameSpaceID_XUL) && (aAttribute == kOpenAtom)) {
         nsAutoString open;
         rv = aElement->GetAttribute(kNameSpaceID_None, kOpenAtom, open);
@@ -1441,7 +1431,20 @@ nsXULDocument::AttributeChanged(nsIContent* aElement,
             CloseWidgetItem(aElement);
         }
     }
-    else if (aAttribute == kRefAtom) {
+
+    // Now notify external observers
+    for (PRInt32 i = 0; i < mObservers.Count(); i++) {
+        nsIDocumentObserver*  observer = (nsIDocumentObserver*)mObservers[i];
+        observer->AttributeChanged(this, aElement, aNameSpaceID, aAttribute, aHint);
+        if (observer != (nsIDocumentObserver*)mObservers.ElementAt(i)) {
+            i--;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Check for a change to the 'ref' attribute on an atom, in which
+    // case we may need to nuke and rebuild the entire content model
+    // beneath the element.
+    if (aAttribute == kRefAtom) {
         RebuildWidgetItem(aElement);
     }
 
diff --git a/content/xul/templates/src/nsXULTemplateBuilder.cpp b/content/xul/templates/src/nsXULTemplateBuilder.cpp
index 946b7a636ae8..a9aa2bf9d8ee 100644
--- a/content/xul/templates/src/nsXULTemplateBuilder.cpp
+++ b/content/xul/templates/src/nsXULTemplateBuilder.cpp
@@ -771,7 +771,9 @@ RDFGenericBuilderImpl::OpenContainer(nsIContent* aElement)
     rv = CreateContainerContents(aElement, resource, PR_FALSE, getter_AddRefs(container), &newIndex);
     if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
 
-    if (container) {
+    if (container && IsTreeWidgetItem(aElement)) {
+        // The tree widget is special, and has to be spanked every
+        // time we add content to a container.
         nsCOMPtr<nsIDocument> doc = do_QueryInterface(mDocument);
         if (! doc)
             return NS_ERROR_UNEXPECTED;
@@ -2462,22 +2464,11 @@ RDFGenericBuilderImpl::CreateContainerContents(nsIContent* aElement,
         *aNewIndexInContainer = -1;
     }
 
-    // If it's XUL, then see if the item is even "open" (HTML content
-    // must be generated eagerly). If not, then just pretend it
-    // doesn't have _any_ contents. We check this _before_ checking
-    // the contents-generated attribute so that we don't eagerly set
-    // contents-generated on a closed node.
-    {
-        PRInt32 nameSpaceID;
-        rv = aElement->GetNameSpaceID(nameSpaceID);
-        NS_ASSERTION(NS_SUCCEEDED(rv), "unable to get namespace ID");
-        if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
-
-        if (nameSpaceID == kNameSpaceID_XUL) {
-            if (! IsOpen(aElement))
-                return NS_OK;
-        }
-    }
+    // The tree widget is special. If the item isn't open, then just
+    // "pretend" that there aren't any contents here. We'll create
+    // them when OpenContainer() gets called.
+    if (IsTreeWidgetItem(aElement) && !IsOpen(aElement))
+        return NS_OK;
 
     // See if the element's templates contents have been generated:
     // this prevents a re-entrant call from triggering another
diff --git a/rdf/content/src/nsRDFGenericBuilder.cpp b/rdf/content/src/nsRDFGenericBuilder.cpp
index 946b7a636ae8..a9aa2bf9d8ee 100644
--- a/rdf/content/src/nsRDFGenericBuilder.cpp
+++ b/rdf/content/src/nsRDFGenericBuilder.cpp
@@ -771,7 +771,9 @@ RDFGenericBuilderImpl::OpenContainer(nsIContent* aElement)
     rv = CreateContainerContents(aElement, resource, PR_FALSE, getter_AddRefs(container), &newIndex);
     if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
 
-    if (container) {
+    if (container && IsTreeWidgetItem(aElement)) {
+        // The tree widget is special, and has to be spanked every
+        // time we add content to a container.
         nsCOMPtr<nsIDocument> doc = do_QueryInterface(mDocument);
         if (! doc)
             return NS_ERROR_UNEXPECTED;
@@ -2462,22 +2464,11 @@ RDFGenericBuilderImpl::CreateContainerContents(nsIContent* aElement,
         *aNewIndexInContainer = -1;
     }
 
-    // If it's XUL, then see if the item is even "open" (HTML content
-    // must be generated eagerly). If not, then just pretend it
-    // doesn't have _any_ contents. We check this _before_ checking
-    // the contents-generated attribute so that we don't eagerly set
-    // contents-generated on a closed node.
-    {
-        PRInt32 nameSpaceID;
-        rv = aElement->GetNameSpaceID(nameSpaceID);
-        NS_ASSERTION(NS_SUCCEEDED(rv), "unable to get namespace ID");
-        if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
-
-        if (nameSpaceID == kNameSpaceID_XUL) {
-            if (! IsOpen(aElement))
-                return NS_OK;
-        }
-    }
+    // The tree widget is special. If the item isn't open, then just
+    // "pretend" that there aren't any contents here. We'll create
+    // them when OpenContainer() gets called.
+    if (IsTreeWidgetItem(aElement) && !IsOpen(aElement))
+        return NS_OK;
 
     // See if the element's templates contents have been generated:
     // this prevents a re-entrant call from triggering another
diff --git a/rdf/content/src/nsXULDocument.cpp b/rdf/content/src/nsXULDocument.cpp
index d1eaabc5e9dd..0cbc85cbacea 100644
--- a/rdf/content/src/nsXULDocument.cpp
+++ b/rdf/content/src/nsXULDocument.cpp
@@ -1416,19 +1416,9 @@ nsXULDocument::AttributeChanged(nsIContent* aElement,
         if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
     }
 
-    // Now notify external observers
-    for (PRInt32 i = 0; i < mObservers.Count(); i++) {
-        nsIDocumentObserver*  observer = (nsIDocumentObserver*)mObservers[i];
-        observer->AttributeChanged(this, aElement, aNameSpaceID, aAttribute, aHint);
-        if (observer != (nsIDocumentObserver*)mObservers.ElementAt(i)) {
-            i--;
-        }
-    }
-
-    // Handle "special" cases. We do this handling _after_ we've
-    // notified the observer to ensure that any frames that are
-    // caching information (e.g., the tree widget and the 'open'
-    // attribute) will notice things properly.
+    // Handle "open" and "close" cases. We do this handling before
+    // we've notified the observer, so that content is already created
+    // for the frame system to walk.
     if ((nameSpaceID == kNameSpaceID_XUL) && (aAttribute == kOpenAtom)) {
         nsAutoString open;
         rv = aElement->GetAttribute(kNameSpaceID_None, kOpenAtom, open);
@@ -1441,7 +1431,20 @@ nsXULDocument::AttributeChanged(nsIContent* aElement,
             CloseWidgetItem(aElement);
         }
     }
-    else if (aAttribute == kRefAtom) {
+
+    // Now notify external observers
+    for (PRInt32 i = 0; i < mObservers.Count(); i++) {
+        nsIDocumentObserver*  observer = (nsIDocumentObserver*)mObservers[i];
+        observer->AttributeChanged(this, aElement, aNameSpaceID, aAttribute, aHint);
+        if (observer != (nsIDocumentObserver*)mObservers.ElementAt(i)) {
+            i--;
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Check for a change to the 'ref' attribute on an atom, in which
+    // case we may need to nuke and rebuild the entire content model
+    // beneath the element.
+    if (aAttribute == kRefAtom) {
         RebuildWidgetItem(aElement);
     }
 
diff --git a/rdf/content/src/nsXULTemplateBuilder.cpp b/rdf/content/src/nsXULTemplateBuilder.cpp
index 946b7a636ae8..a9aa2bf9d8ee 100644
--- a/rdf/content/src/nsXULTemplateBuilder.cpp
+++ b/rdf/content/src/nsXULTemplateBuilder.cpp
@@ -771,7 +771,9 @@ RDFGenericBuilderImpl::OpenContainer(nsIContent* aElement)
     rv = CreateContainerContents(aElement, resource, PR_FALSE, getter_AddRefs(container), &newIndex);
     if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
 
-    if (container) {
+    if (container && IsTreeWidgetItem(aElement)) {
+        // The tree widget is special, and has to be spanked every
+        // time we add content to a container.
         nsCOMPtr<nsIDocument> doc = do_QueryInterface(mDocument);
         if (! doc)
             return NS_ERROR_UNEXPECTED;
@@ -2462,22 +2464,11 @@ RDFGenericBuilderImpl::CreateContainerContents(nsIContent* aElement,
         *aNewIndexInContainer = -1;
     }
 
-    // If it's XUL, then see if the item is even "open" (HTML content
-    // must be generated eagerly). If not, then just pretend it
-    // doesn't have _any_ contents. We check this _before_ checking
-    // the contents-generated attribute so that we don't eagerly set
-    // contents-generated on a closed node.
-    {
-        PRInt32 nameSpaceID;
-        rv = aElement->GetNameSpaceID(nameSpaceID);
-        NS_ASSERTION(NS_SUCCEEDED(rv), "unable to get namespace ID");
-        if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
-
-        if (nameSpaceID == kNameSpaceID_XUL) {
-            if (! IsOpen(aElement))
-                return NS_OK;
-        }
-    }
+    // The tree widget is special. If the item isn't open, then just
+    // "pretend" that there aren't any contents here. We'll create
+    // them when OpenContainer() gets called.
+    if (IsTreeWidgetItem(aElement) && !IsOpen(aElement))
+        return NS_OK;
 
     // See if the element's templates contents have been generated:
     // this prevents a re-entrant call from triggering another