diff --git a/extensions/widgetutils/src/nsWidgetUtils.cpp b/extensions/widgetutils/src/nsWidgetUtils.cpp
index 1c17043fa445..ec6ccbf78717 100644
--- a/extensions/widgetutils/src/nsWidgetUtils.cpp
+++ b/extensions/widgetutils/src/nsWidgetUtils.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ private:
   static void StopPanningCallback(nsITimer *timer, void *closure);
 
   nsCOMPtr<nsIWidget> mWidget;
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> mViewManager;
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> mViewManager;
   nsCOMPtr<nsITimer> mTimer;
 };
 
diff --git a/layout/base/nsCSSFrameConstructor.cpp b/layout/base/nsCSSFrameConstructor.cpp
index 21a9a2f24dc2..271102f07fcd 100644
--- a/layout/base/nsCSSFrameConstructor.cpp
+++ b/layout/base/nsCSSFrameConstructor.cpp
@@ -12023,7 +12023,7 @@ nsCSSFrameConstructor::RebuildAllStyleData(nsChangeHint aExtraHint)
     return;
 
   // Make sure that the viewmanager will outlive the presshell
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mPresShell->GetViewManager();
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mPresShell->GetViewManager();
 
   // Processing the style changes could cause a flush that propagates to
   // the parent frame and thus destroys the pres shell.
diff --git a/layout/base/nsDocumentViewer.cpp b/layout/base/nsDocumentViewer.cpp
index 8d434d5bfc74..d1a91c4702fa 100644
--- a/layout/base/nsDocumentViewer.cpp
+++ b/layout/base/nsDocumentViewer.cpp
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@ protected:
   // so they will be destroyed in the reverse order (pinkerton, scc)
   nsCOMPtr<nsIDocument>    mDocument;
   nsCOMPtr<nsIWidget>      mWindow;      // may be null
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> mViewManager;
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> mViewManager;
   nsRefPtr<nsPresContext>  mPresContext;
   nsCOMPtr<nsIPresShell>   mPresShell;
 
diff --git a/layout/base/nsPresShell.cpp b/layout/base/nsPresShell.cpp
index fd3ab466f9f4..0d50d8092c05 100644
--- a/layout/base/nsPresShell.cpp
+++ b/layout/base/nsPresShell.cpp
@@ -1857,7 +1857,7 @@ PresShell::ResizeReflowIgnoreOverride(nscoord aWidth, nscoord aHeight)
     return NS_ERROR_NOT_AVAILABLE;
   }
 
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> viewManagerDeathGrip = mViewManager;
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> viewManagerDeathGrip = mViewManager;
   // Take this ref after viewManager so it'll make sure to go away first
   nsCOMPtr<nsIPresShell> kungFuDeathGrip(this);
 
@@ -3808,7 +3808,7 @@ PresShell::FlushPendingNotifications(mozilla::ChangesToFlush aFlush)
 
   NS_ASSERTION(!isSafeToFlush || mViewManager, "Must have view manager");
   // Make sure the view manager stays alive.
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> viewManagerDeathGrip = mViewManager;
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> viewManagerDeathGrip = mViewManager;
   if (isSafeToFlush && mViewManager) {
     // Processing pending notifications can kill us, and some callers only
     // hold weak refs when calling FlushPendingNotifications().  :(
@@ -8270,7 +8270,7 @@ PresShell::VerifyIncrementalReflow()
   nsIWidget* parentWidget = rootView->GetWidget();
 
   // Create a new view manager.
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm = do_CreateInstance(kViewManagerCID);
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm = do_CreateInstance(kViewManagerCID);
   NS_ENSURE_TRUE(vm, false);
   rv = vm->Init(dc);
   NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, false);
diff --git a/layout/base/nsRefreshDriver.cpp b/layout/base/nsRefreshDriver.cpp
index 00af04528c54..66cd63ae4f33 100644
--- a/layout/base/nsRefreshDriver.cpp
+++ b/layout/base/nsRefreshDriver.cpp
@@ -951,7 +951,7 @@ nsRefreshDriver::Tick(int64_t aNowEpoch, TimeStamp aNowTime)
 #endif
 
     mViewManagerFlushIsPending = false;
-    nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mPresContext->GetPresShell()->GetViewManager();
+    nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mPresContext->GetPresShell()->GetViewManager();
     vm->ProcessPendingUpdates();
 #ifdef DEBUG_INVALIDATIONS
     printf("Ending ProcessPendingUpdates\n");
diff --git a/layout/printing/nsPrintObject.h b/layout/printing/nsPrintObject.h
index 5f3e4cdfeafc..2ea10001b046 100644
--- a/layout/printing/nsPrintObject.h
+++ b/layout/printing/nsPrintObject.h
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public:
 
   nsRefPtr<nsPresContext>  mPresContext;
   nsCOMPtr<nsIPresShell>   mPresShell;
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> mViewManager;
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> mViewManager;
 
   nsCOMPtr<nsIContent>     mContent;
   PrintObjectType  mFrameType;
diff --git a/layout/tools/layout-debug/src/nsLayoutDebuggingTools.cpp b/layout/tools/layout-debug/src/nsLayoutDebuggingTools.cpp
index dc94218e3810..072b2f216d7d 100644
--- a/layout/tools/layout-debug/src/nsLayoutDebuggingTools.cpp
+++ b/layout/tools/layout-debug/src/nsLayoutDebuggingTools.cpp
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ DumpViewsRecur(nsIDocShell* aDocShell, FILE* out)
 {
 #ifdef DEBUG
     fprintf(out, "docshell=%p \n", static_cast<void*>(aDocShell));
-    nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm(view_manager(aDocShell));
+    nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm(view_manager(aDocShell));
     if (vm) {
         nsView* root = vm->GetRootView();
         if (root) {
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ nsLayoutDebuggingTools::DumpReflowStats()
 
 void nsLayoutDebuggingTools::ForceRefresh()
 {
-    nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm(view_manager(mDocShell));
+    nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm(view_manager(mDocShell));
     if (!vm)
         return;
     nsView* root = vm->GetRootView();
diff --git a/layout/xul/base/src/nsXULPopupManager.cpp b/layout/xul/base/src/nsXULPopupManager.cpp
index 32b2b0e50e0c..340fe7ec364a 100644
--- a/layout/xul/base/src/nsXULPopupManager.cpp
+++ b/layout/xul/base/src/nsXULPopupManager.cpp
@@ -2295,7 +2295,7 @@ nsXULMenuCommandEvent::Run()
 
     nsPresContext* presContext = menuFrame->PresContext();
     nsCOMPtr<nsIPresShell> shell = presContext->PresShell();
-    nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> kungFuDeathGrip = shell->GetViewManager();
+    nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> kungFuDeathGrip = shell->GetViewManager();
 
     // Deselect ourselves.
     if (mCloseMenuMode != CloseMenuMode_None)
diff --git a/view/public/nsViewManager.h b/view/public/nsViewManager.h
index 685e59c4bda2..c959b7d1f56b 100644
--- a/view/public/nsViewManager.h
+++ b/view/public/nsViewManager.h
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ public:
     AutoDisableRefresh(const AutoDisableRefresh& aOther);
     const AutoDisableRefresh& operator=(const AutoDisableRefresh& aOther);
 
-    nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> mRootVM;
+    nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> mRootVM;
   };
 
 private:
diff --git a/view/src/nsView.cpp b/view/src/nsView.cpp
index 64949a9cce17..64b9ff50072c 100644
--- a/view/src/nsView.cpp
+++ b/view/src/nsView.cpp
@@ -953,7 +953,7 @@ nsView::RequestWindowClose(nsIWidget* aWidget)
 void
 nsView::WillPaintWindow(nsIWidget* aWidget, bool aWillSendDidPaint)
 {
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mViewManager;
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mViewManager;
   vm->WillPaintWindow(aWidget, aWillSendDidPaint);
 }
 
@@ -963,7 +963,7 @@ nsView::PaintWindow(nsIWidget* aWidget, nsIntRegion aRegion, uint32_t aFlags)
   NS_ASSERTION(this == nsView::GetViewFor(aWidget), "wrong view for widget?");
 
   mInAlternatePaint = aFlags & PAINT_IS_ALTERNATE;
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mViewManager;
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mViewManager;
   bool result = vm->PaintWindow(aWidget, aRegion, aFlags);
   // PaintWindow can destroy this via WillPaintWindow notification, so we have
   // to re-get the view from the widget.
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ nsView::PaintWindow(nsIWidget* aWidget, nsIntRegion aRegion, uint32_t aFlags)
 void
 nsView::DidPaintWindow()
 {
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mViewManager;
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm = mViewManager;
   vm->DidPaintWindow();
 }
 
@@ -1006,7 +1006,7 @@ nsView::HandleEvent(nsGUIEvent* aEvent, bool aUseAttachedEvents)
   }
 
   if (view) {
-    nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm = view->GetViewManager();
+    nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm = view->GetViewManager();
     vm->DispatchEvent(aEvent, view, &result);
   }
 
diff --git a/widget/gtk2/nsDragService.cpp b/widget/gtk2/nsDragService.cpp
index 82b403b4dc74..73900e74ffed 100644
--- a/widget/gtk2/nsDragService.cpp
+++ b/widget/gtk2/nsDragService.cpp
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ GetGtkWindow(nsIDOMDocument *aDocument)
     if (!presShell)
         return NULL;
 
-    nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> vm = presShell->GetViewManager();
+    nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> vm = presShell->GetViewManager();
     if (!vm)
         return NULL;
 
diff --git a/widget/tests/TestWinTSF.cpp b/widget/tests/TestWinTSF.cpp
index 6a1aa6d79660..e9f4cc049911 100644
--- a/widget/tests/TestWinTSF.cpp
+++ b/widget/tests/TestWinTSF.cpp
@@ -3144,7 +3144,7 @@ TestApp::GetWidget(nsIWidget** aWidget)
     return false;
   }
 
-  nsCOMPtr<nsViewManager> viewManager = presShell->GetViewManager();
+  nsRefPtr<nsViewManager> viewManager = presShell->GetViewManager();
   if (!viewManager) {
     return false;
   }