diff --git a/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarView.jsm b/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarView.jsm
index 48c9c2e9a378..76deecb64d98 100644
--- a/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarView.jsm
+++ b/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarView.jsm
@@ -204,26 +204,16 @@ class UrlbarView {
   onQueryResults(queryContext) {
     this._queryContext = queryContext;
 
-    let resultIndex = 0;
-    for (let row of this._rows.children) {
-      if (resultIndex < queryContext.results.length) {
-        this._updateRow(row, resultIndex);
-      } else {
-        row.remove();
-      }
-      resultIndex++;
-    }
-    for (; resultIndex < queryContext.results.length; resultIndex++) {
-      let row = this._createRow();
-      this._updateRow(row, resultIndex);
-      this._rows.appendChild(row);
+    let fragment = this.document.createDocumentFragment();
+    for (let resultIndex in queryContext.results) {
+      fragment.appendChild(this._createRow(resultIndex));
     }
 
     let isFirstPreselectedResult = false;
     if (queryContext.lastResultCount == 0) {
       if (queryContext.preselected) {
         isFirstPreselectedResult = true;
-        this._selectItem(this._rows.firstElementChild, {
+        this._selectItem(fragment.firstElementChild, {
           updateInput: false,
           setAccessibleFocus: false,
         });
@@ -240,8 +230,22 @@ class UrlbarView {
          (trimmedValue[0] != UrlbarTokenizer.RESTRICT.SEARCH ||
           trimmedValue.length != 1))
       );
+    } else if (this._selected) {
+      // Ensure the selection is stable.
+      // TODO bug 1523602: the selection should stay on the node that had it, if
+      // it's still in the current result set.
+      let resultIndex = this._selected.getAttribute("resultIndex");
+      this._selectItem(fragment.children[resultIndex], {
+        updateInput: false,
+        setAccessibleFocus: false,
+      });
     }
 
+    // TODO bug 1523602: For now, clear the results for each set received.
+    // We should be updating the existing list instead.
+    this._rows.textContent = "";
+    this._rows.appendChild(fragment);
+
     this._openPanel();
 
     if (isFirstPreselectedResult) {
@@ -390,11 +394,24 @@ class UrlbarView {
     this.panel.style.setProperty("--item-content-width", Math.round(contentWidth) + "px");
   }
 
-  _createRow() {
+  _createRow(resultIndex) {
+    let result = this._queryContext.results[resultIndex];
     let item = this._createElement("div");
+    item.id = "urlbarView-row-" + resultIndex;
     item.className = "urlbarView-row";
+    item.setAttribute("resultIndex", resultIndex);
     item.setAttribute("role", "option");
-    item._elements = new Map;
+
+    if (result.type == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.SEARCH &&
+        !result.payload.isKeywordOffer) {
+      item.setAttribute("type", "search");
+    } else if (result.type == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.REMOTE_TAB) {
+      item.setAttribute("type", "remotetab");
+    } else if (result.type == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.TAB_SWITCH) {
+      item.setAttribute("type", "switchtab");
+    } else if (result.source == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_SOURCE.BOOKMARKS) {
+      item.setAttribute("type", "bookmark");
+    }
 
     let content = this._createElement("span");
     content.className = "urlbarView-row-inner";
@@ -406,67 +423,23 @@ class UrlbarView {
 
     let favicon = this._createElement("img");
     favicon.className = "urlbarView-favicon";
-    content.appendChild(favicon);
-    item._elements.set("favicon", favicon);
-
-    let title = this._createElement("span");
-    title.className = "urlbarView-title";
-    content.appendChild(title);
-    item._elements.set("title", title);
-
-    let tagsContainer = this._createElement("div");
-    tagsContainer.className = "urlbarView-tags";
-    content.appendChild(tagsContainer);
-    item._elements.set("tagsContainer", tagsContainer);
-
-    let titleSeparator = this._createElement("span");
-    titleSeparator.className = "urlbarView-title-separator";
-    content.appendChild(titleSeparator);
-
-    let action = this._createElement("span");
-    action.className = "urlbarView-secondary urlbarView-action";
-    content.appendChild(action);
-    item._elements.set("action", action);
-
-    let url = this._createElement("span");
-    url.className = "urlbarView-secondary urlbarView-url";
-    content.appendChild(url);
-    item._elements.set("url", url);
-
-    return item;
-  }
-
-  _updateRow(item, resultIndex) {
-    let result = this._queryContext.results[resultIndex];
-    item.id = "urlbarView-row-" + resultIndex;
-    item.setAttribute("resultIndex", resultIndex);
-
-    if (result.type == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.SEARCH &&
-        !result.payload.isKeywordOffer) {
-      item.setAttribute("type", "search");
-    } else if (result.type == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.REMOTE_TAB) {
-      item.setAttribute("type", "remotetab");
-    } else if (result.type == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.TAB_SWITCH) {
-      item.setAttribute("type", "switchtab");
-    } else if (result.source == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_SOURCE.BOOKMARKS) {
-      item.setAttribute("type", "bookmark");
-    } else {
-      item.removeAttribute("type");
-    }
-
-    let favicon = item._elements.get("favicon");
     if (result.type == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.SEARCH ||
         result.type == UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.KEYWORD) {
       favicon.src = result.payload.icon || UrlbarUtils.ICON.SEARCH_GLASS;
     } else {
       favicon.src = result.payload.icon || UrlbarUtils.ICON.DEFAULT;
     }
+    content.appendChild(favicon);
 
+    let title = this._createElement("span");
+    title.className = "urlbarView-title";
     this._addTextContentWithHighlights(
-      item._elements.get("title"), result.title, result.titleHighlights);
+      title, result.title, result.titleHighlights);
+    content.appendChild(title);
 
-    let tagsContainer = item._elements.get("tagsContainer");
     if (result.payload.tags && result.payload.tags.length > 0) {
+      const tagsContainer = this._createElement("div");
+      tagsContainer.className = "urlbarView-tags";
       tagsContainer.append(...result.payload.tags.map((tag, i) => {
         const element = this._createElement("span");
         element.className = "urlbarView-tag";
@@ -474,49 +447,63 @@ class UrlbarView {
           element, tag, result.payloadHighlights.tags[i]);
         return element;
       }));
-    } else {
-      tagsContainer.textContent = "";
+      content.appendChild(tagsContainer);
     }
 
-    let action = "";
-    let setURL = false;
+    let titleSeparator = this._createElement("span");
+    titleSeparator.className = "urlbarView-title-separator";
+    content.appendChild(titleSeparator);
+
+    let action;
+    let url;
+    let setAction = text => {
+      action = this._createElement("span");
+      action.className = "urlbarView-secondary urlbarView-action";
+      action.textContent = text;
+    };
+    let setURL = () => {
+      url = this._createElement("span");
+      url.className = "urlbarView-secondary urlbarView-url";
+      this._addTextContentWithHighlights(url, result.payload.displayUrl,
+                                         result.payloadHighlights.displayUrl || []);
+    };
     switch (result.type) {
       case UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.TAB_SWITCH:
-        action = bundle.GetStringFromName("switchToTab2");
-        setURL = true;
+        setAction(bundle.GetStringFromName("switchToTab2"));
+        setURL();
         break;
       case UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.REMOTE_TAB:
-        action = result.payload.device;
-        setURL = true;
+        setAction(result.payload.device);
+        setURL();
         break;
       case UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.SEARCH:
-        action = bundle.formatStringFromName("searchWithEngine",
-                                             [result.payload.engine], 1);
+        setAction(bundle.formatStringFromName("searchWithEngine",
+                                              [result.payload.engine], 1));
         break;
       case UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.KEYWORD:
         if (result.payload.input.trim() == result.payload.keyword) {
-          action = bundle.GetStringFromName("visit");
+          setAction(bundle.GetStringFromName("visit"));
         }
         break;
       case UrlbarUtils.RESULT_TYPE.OMNIBOX:
-        action = result.payload.content;
+        setAction(result.payload.content);
         break;
       default:
         if (result.heuristic) {
-          action = bundle.GetStringFromName("visit");
+          setAction(bundle.GetStringFromName("visit"));
         } else {
-          setURL = true;
+          setURL();
         }
         break;
     }
-    let url = item._elements.get("url");
-    if (setURL) {
-      this._addTextContentWithHighlights(url, result.payload.displayUrl,
-                                         result.payloadHighlights.displayUrl || []);
-    } else {
-      url.textContent = "";
+    if (action) {
+      content.appendChild(action);
     }
-    item._elements.get("action").textContent = action;
+    if (url) {
+      content.appendChild(url);
+    }
+
+    return item;
   }
 
   _selectItem(item, {
@@ -564,7 +551,6 @@ class UrlbarView {
    *   The matches to highlight in the text.
    */
   _addTextContentWithHighlights(parentNode, textContent, highlights) {
-    parentNode.textContent = "";
     if (!textContent) {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/browser/themes/shared/urlbar-autocomplete.inc.css b/browser/themes/shared/urlbar-autocomplete.inc.css
index 2742d3e0cbaf..cf3aba78ca73 100644
--- a/browser/themes/shared/urlbar-autocomplete.inc.css
+++ b/browser/themes/shared/urlbar-autocomplete.inc.css
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@
   margin: 0 .4em;
 }
 
-.urlbarView-title:empty + .urlbarView-tags:empty + .urlbarView-title-separator {
+.urlbarView-title:empty + .urlbarView-title-separator {
   display: none;
 }