diff --git a/browser/base/content/tabview/tabitems.js b/browser/base/content/tabview/tabitems.js
index 439c4d85dc24..ed53f449444e 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/tabview/tabitems.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/tabview/tabitems.js
@@ -1143,15 +1143,9 @@ let TabItems = {
   _checkHeartbeat: function TabItems__checkHeartbeat() {
     this._heartbeat = null;
 
-    if (this.isPaintingPaused())
+    if (this.isPaintingPaused() || !UI.isIdle)
       return;
 
-    // restart the heartbeat to update all waiting tabs once the UI becomes idle
-    if (!UI.isIdle()) {
-      this.startHeartbeat();
-      return;
-    }
-
     let accumTime = 0;
     let items = this._tabsWaitingForUpdate.getItems();
     // Do as many updates as we can fit into a "perceived" amount
diff --git a/browser/base/content/test/tabview/Makefile.in b/browser/base/content/test/tabview/Makefile.in
index 1318f50646d7..8b447d14f761 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/test/tabview/Makefile.in
+++ b/browser/base/content/test/tabview/Makefile.in
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ _BROWSER_FILES = \
                  browser_tabview_bug641802.js \
                  browser_tabview_bug644097.js \
                  browser_tabview_bug645653.js \
-                 browser_tabview_bug648882.js \
                  browser_tabview_bug649006.js \
                  browser_tabview_dragdrop.js \
                  browser_tabview_exit_button.js \
diff --git a/browser/base/content/test/tabview/browser_tabview_bug648882.js b/browser/base/content/test/tabview/browser_tabview_bug648882.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 887abf932245..000000000000
--- a/browser/base/content/test/tabview/browser_tabview_bug648882.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,84 +0,0 @@
-/* Any copyright is dedicated to the Public Domain.
-   http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ */
-
-function test() {
-  waitForExplicitFinish();
-
-  testHeartbeatAfterBusyUI(function () {
-    testTabUpdatesWithBusyUI(finish);
-  });
-}
-
-function testHeartbeatAfterBusyUI(callback) {
-  newWindowWithTabView(function (win) {
-    registerCleanupFunction(function () win.close());
-
-    let cw = win.TabView.getContentWindow();
-    let tab = win.gBrowser.tabs[0];
-    let tabItem = tab._tabViewTabItem;
-
-    cw.TabItems.pausePainting();
-
-    tabItem.addSubscriber(tabItem, "updated", function () {
-      tabItem.removeSubscriber(tabItem, "updated");
-      callback();
-    });
-
-    cw.TabItems.update(tab);
-
-    cw.UI.isIdle = function () {
-      cw.UI.isIdle = function () true;
-      return false;
-    }
-
-    cw.TabItems.resumePainting();
-  });
-}
-
-function testTabUpdatesWithBusyUI(callback) {
-  newWindowWithTabView(function (win) {
-    registerCleanupFunction(function () win.close());
-
-    let cw = win.TabView.getContentWindow();
-    let tab = win.gBrowser.tabs[0];
-    let tabItem = tab._tabViewTabItem;
-    let groupItem = cw.GroupItems.groupItems[0];
-    let container = groupItem.container;
-    let resizer = groupItem.$resizer[0];
-
-    let intervalID;
-    let isIdle = false;
-    let numLoops = 10;
-    let interval = cw.UI._maxInteractiveWait / 2;
-
-    let simulateBusyUI = function () {
-      let target = 5 < numLoops-- ? container : resizer;
-
-      EventUtils.synthesizeMouse(target, 5, 5, {type: "mousedown"}, cw);
-      EventUtils.synthesizeMouse(target, 40, 20, {type: "mousemove"}, cw);
-      EventUtils.synthesizeMouse(target, 20, 20, {type: "mouseup"}, cw);
-
-      win.setTimeout(function () {
-        if (numLoops)
-          simulateBusyUI();
-        else
-          isIdle = true;
-      }, interval);
-    };
-
-    SimpleTest.waitForFocus(function () {
-      cw.TabItems.pausePainting();
-      cw.TabItems.update(tab);
-
-      tabItem.addSubscriber(tabItem, "updated", function () {
-        tabItem.removeSubscriber(tabItem, "updated");
-        ok(isIdle, "tabItem is updated only when UI is idle");
-        callback();
-      });
-
-      simulateBusyUI();
-      win.setTimeout(simulateBusyUI, interval);
-      cw.TabItems.resumePainting();
-    }, cw);
-  });
-}