diff --git a/content/base/public/nsContentUtils.h b/content/base/public/nsContentUtils.h
index 294739a7a88a..3c741d586aed 100644
--- a/content/base/public/nsContentUtils.h
+++ b/content/base/public/nsContentUtils.h
@@ -334,12 +334,6 @@ public:
    */
   static bool IsHTMLWhitespace(PRUnichar aChar);
 
-  /*
-   * Returns whether the character is an HTML whitespace (see IsHTMLWhitespace)
-   * or a nbsp character (U+00A0).
-   */
-  static bool IsHTMLWhitespaceOrNBSP(PRUnichar aChar);
-
   /**
    * Is the HTML local name a block element?
    */
diff --git a/content/base/src/nsContentUtils.cpp b/content/base/src/nsContentUtils.cpp
index 036a1205883e..906939b501f1 100644
--- a/content/base/src/nsContentUtils.cpp
+++ b/content/base/src/nsContentUtils.cpp
@@ -1199,13 +1199,6 @@ nsContentUtils::IsHTMLWhitespace(PRUnichar aChar)
          aChar == PRUnichar(0x0020);
 }
 
-/* static */
-bool
-nsContentUtils::IsHTMLWhitespaceOrNBSP(PRUnichar aChar)
-{
-  return IsHTMLWhitespace(aChar) || aChar == PRUnichar(0xA0);
-}
-
 /* static */
 bool
 nsContentUtils::IsHTMLBlock(nsIAtom* aLocalName)
@@ -2165,9 +2158,6 @@ nsContentUtils::TrimWhitespace<nsCRT::IsAsciiSpace>(const nsAString&, bool);
 template
 const nsDependentSubstring
 nsContentUtils::TrimWhitespace<nsContentUtils::IsHTMLWhitespace>(const nsAString&, bool);
-template
-const nsDependentSubstring
-nsContentUtils::TrimWhitespace<nsContentUtils::IsHTMLWhitespaceOrNBSP>(const nsAString&, bool);
 
 static inline void KeyAppendSep(nsACString& aKey)
 {
diff --git a/layout/forms/nsListControlFrame.cpp b/layout/forms/nsListControlFrame.cpp
index a737919d84f4..bb8272a7b01b 100644
--- a/layout/forms/nsListControlFrame.cpp
+++ b/layout/forms/nsListControlFrame.cpp
@@ -2472,32 +2472,28 @@ nsListControlFrame::KeyPress(nsIDOMEvent* aKeyEvent)
         startIndex++;
       }
 
-      for (uint32_t i = 0; i < numOptions; ++i) {
+      uint32_t i;
+      for (i = 0; i < numOptions; i++) {
         uint32_t index = (i + startIndex) % numOptions;
-        nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMHTMLOptionElement> optionElement = GetOption(options, index);
-        if (!optionElement) {
-          continue;
+        nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMHTMLOptionElement> optionElement =
+          GetOption(options, index);
+        if (optionElement) {
+          nsAutoString text;
+          if (NS_OK == optionElement->GetText(text)) {
+            if (StringBeginsWith(text, incrementalString,
+                                 nsCaseInsensitiveStringComparator())) {
+              bool wasChanged = PerformSelection(index, isShift, isControl);
+              if (wasChanged) {
+                // dispatch event, update combobox, etc.
+                if (!UpdateSelection()) {
+                  return NS_OK;
+                }
+              }
+              break;
+            }
+          }
         }
-
-        nsAutoString text;
-        if (NS_FAILED(optionElement->GetText(text)) ||
-            !StringBeginsWith(nsContentUtils::TrimWhitespace<nsContentUtils::IsHTMLWhitespaceOrNBSP>(text, false),
-                              incrementalString,
-                              nsCaseInsensitiveStringComparator())) {
-          continue;
-        }
-
-        if (!PerformSelection(index, isShift, isControl)) {
-          break;
-        }
-
-        // If UpdateSelection() returns false, that means the frame is no longer
-        // alive. We should stop doing anything.
-        if (!UpdateSelection()) {
-          return NS_OK;
-        }
-        break;
-      }
+      } // for
 
     } break;//case
   } // switch
diff --git a/layout/forms/test/Makefile.in b/layout/forms/test/Makefile.in
index 7f9ba30757c0..e16b6012ca27 100644
--- a/layout/forms/test/Makefile.in
+++ b/layout/forms/test/Makefile.in
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ MOCHITEST_FILES =	test_bug231389.html \
 		test_bug644542.html \
 		test_bug672810.html \
 		test_bug704049.html \
-		test_listcontrol_search.html \
 		$(NULL)
 
 MOCHITEST_CHROME_FILES = \
diff --git a/layout/forms/test/test_listcontrol_search.html b/layout/forms/test/test_listcontrol_search.html
deleted file mode 100644
index 7f73c5f7576c..000000000000
--- a/layout/forms/test/test_listcontrol_search.html
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,46 +0,0 @@
-<!DOCTYPE HTML>
-<html>
-<!--
-https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=849438
--->
-<head>
-  <meta charset="utf-8">
-  <title>Test for &lt;select&gt; list control search</title>
-  <script type="application/javascript" src="/tests/SimpleTest/SimpleTest.js"></script>
-  <script type="application/javascript" src="/tests/SimpleTest/EventUtils.js"></script>
-  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/tests/SimpleTest/test.css"/>
-  <script type="application/javascript">
-
-  /** This test will focus a select element and press a key that matches the
-      first non-space character of an entry. **/
-
-  SimpleTest.waitForExplicitFinish();
-  SimpleTest.waitForFocus(function() {
-    var select = document.getElementsByTagName('select')[0];
-    select.focus();
-    synthesizeKey('a', {});
-
-    is(select.options[0].selected, false, "the first option isn't selected");
-    is(select.options[1].selected, true, "the second option is selected");
-
-    select.blur();
-
-    SimpleTest.finish();
-  });
-
-  </script>
-</head>
-<body>
-<a target="_blank" href="https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=849438">Mozilla Bug 849438</a>
-<p id="display"></p>
-<div id="content">
-  <select>
-    <option>Please select an entry</option>
-    <option>&nbsp;a</option>
-    <option>&nbsp;b</option>
-  </select>
-</div>
-<pre id="test">
-</pre>
-</body>
-</html>