diff --git a/xpfe/components/history/resources/history-panel.xul b/xpfe/components/history/resources/history-panel.xul
index 5dc6798b02fa..daf5f90d997c 100644
--- a/xpfe/components/history/resources/history-panel.xul
+++ b/xpfe/components/history/resources/history-panel.xul
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@
 
 <page id="history-panel" orient="vertical"
       xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"
-      onload="HistoryCommonInit();" elementtofocus="historyTree">
+      onload="HistoryCommonInit();"
+      onunload="HistoryPanelUnload();"
+      elementtofocus="historyTree">
   <stringbundle id="historyBundle"
                 src="chrome://communicator/locale/history/history.properties"/>
   <commandset id="selectEditMenuItems">
diff --git a/xpfe/components/history/resources/history.js b/xpfe/components/history/resources/history.js
index 0a061cb495f9..e7ca862007d5 100644
--- a/xpfe/components/history/resources/history.js
+++ b/xpfe/components/history/resources/history.js
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ var gLastHostname;
 var gLastDomain;
 var gGlobalHistory;
 var gPrefService;
+var gIOService;
 var gDeleteByHostname;
 var gDeleteByDomain;
 var gHistoryBundle;
@@ -49,12 +50,6 @@ var gHistoryStatus;
 var gHistoryGrouping = "";
 var gWindowManager = null;
 
-function HistoryWindowInit()
-{
-    HistoryCommonInit();
-    gHistoryTree.focus();
-}
-
 function HistoryCommonInit()
 {
     gHistoryTree =  document.getElementById("historyTree");
@@ -113,9 +108,19 @@ function HistoryCommonInit()
     } 
 
     SortInNewDirection(find_sort_direction(find_sort_column()));
+
+    if (gHistoryStatus)
+        gHistoryTree.focus();
     gHistoryTree.treeBoxObject.view.selection.select(0);
 }
 
+function HistoryPanelUnload()
+{
+  var pb = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsIPrefBranch);
+  var pbi = pb.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIPrefBranchInternal);
+  pbi.removeObserver("browser.history.grouping", groupObserver, false);
+}
+
 function updateHistoryCommands()
 {
     goUpdateCommand("cmd_deleteByHostname");
@@ -149,27 +154,24 @@ function historyOnSelect()
     var match;
     var currentIndex = gHistoryTree.currentIndex;
     var rowIsContainer = gHistoryGrouping != "none" && currentIndex >= 0 && isContainer(gHistoryTree, currentIndex);
-    var url = rowIsContainer ? gHistoryTree.treeBoxObject.view.getCellText(currentIndex, "URL") : null;
+    var url = rowIsContainer ? "" : gHistoryTree.treeBoxObject.view.getCellText(currentIndex, "URL");
 
     if (url) {
-        // matches scheme://(hostname)...
-        match = url.match(/^.*?:\/\/(?:([^\/:]*)(?::([^\/:]*))?@)?([^\/:]*)(?::([^\/:]*))?(.*)$/);
+        if (!gIOService)
+            gIOService = Components.classes['@mozilla.org/network/io-service;1']
+                                   .getService(Components.interfaces.nsIIOService);
+        try {
+            gLastHostname = gIOService.newURI(url, null, null).host;
+            // matches the last foo.bar in foo.bar or baz.foo.bar
+            match = gLastHostname.match(/([^.]+\.[^.]+$)/);
+            if (match)
+                gLastDomain = match[1];
+        } catch (e) {}
+    }
 
-        if (match && match.length>1)
-            gLastHostname = match[3];
-      
+    if (gHistoryStatus)
         gHistoryStatus.label = url;
-    }
-    else {
-        gHistoryStatus.label = "";
-    }
 
-    if (gLastHostname) {
-        // matches the last foo.bar in foo.bar or baz.foo.bar
-        match = gLastHostname.match(/([^.]+\.[^.]+$)/);
-        if (match)
-            gLastDomain = match[1];
-    }
     document.commandDispatcher.updateCommands("select");
 }
 
diff --git a/xpfe/components/history/resources/history.xul b/xpfe/components/history/resources/history.xul
index b7307d2e0281..c575a719bd79 100644
--- a/xpfe/components/history/resources/history.xul
+++ b/xpfe/components/history/resources/history.xul
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 <!DOCTYPE window SYSTEM "chrome://communicator/locale/history/history.dtd" >
 
 <window title="&historyWindowTitle.label;" id="history-window"
-        onload="HistoryWindowInit();"
+        onload="HistoryCommonInit();"
         xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"
         width="500" height="400"
         persist="width height screenX screenY sizemode"