diff --git a/toolkit/devtools/debugger/dbg-client.jsm b/toolkit/devtools/debugger/dbg-client.jsm
index aa5d747f78bf..8c5ab00308f4 100644
--- a/toolkit/devtools/debugger/dbg-client.jsm
+++ b/toolkit/devtools/debugger/dbg-client.jsm
@@ -375,8 +375,10 @@ DebuggerClient.prototype = {
 
     try {
       if (!aPacket.from) {
-        Cu.reportError("Server did not specify an actor, dropping packet: " +
-                       JSON.stringify(aPacket));
+        let msg = "Server did not specify an actor, dropping packet: " +
+                  JSON.stringify(aPacket);
+        Cu.reportError(msg);
+        dumpn(msg);
         return;
       }
 
diff --git a/toolkit/devtools/debugger/dbg-transport.js b/toolkit/devtools/debugger/dbg-transport.js
index 8907bfa9bf3c..bdd85eda5c8a 100644
--- a/toolkit/devtools/debugger/dbg-transport.js
+++ b/toolkit/devtools/debugger/dbg-transport.js
@@ -164,9 +164,8 @@ DebuggerTransport.prototype = {
 
     try {
       dumpn("Got: " + packet);
-      let thr = Cc["@mozilla.org/thread-manager;1"].getService().currentThread;
       let self = this;
-      thr.dispatch({run: function() {
+      Services.tm.currentThread.dispatch({run: function() {
         self.hooks.onPacket(parsed);
       }}, 0);
     } catch(e) {
@@ -177,3 +176,82 @@ DebuggerTransport.prototype = {
     return true;
   }
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * An adapter that handles data transfers between the debugger client and
+ * server when they both run in the same process. It presents the same API as
+ * DebuggerTransport, but instead of transmitting serialized messages across a
+ * connection it merely calls the packet dispatcher of the other side.
+ *
+ * @param aOther LocalDebuggerTransport
+ *        The other endpoint for this debugger connection.
+ *
+ * @see DebuggerTransport
+ */
+function LocalDebuggerTransport(aOther)
+{
+  this.other = aOther;
+  this.hooks = null;
+}
+
+LocalDebuggerTransport.prototype = {
+  /**
+   * Transmit a message by directly calling the onPacket handler of the other
+   * endpoint.
+   */
+  send: function LDT_send(aPacket) {
+    try {
+      // Avoid the cost of uneval() when logging is disabled.
+      if (wantLogging) {
+        dumpn("Got: " + uneval(aPacket));
+      }
+      this._deepFreeze(aPacket);
+      let self = this;
+      Services.tm.currentThread.dispatch({run: function() {
+        self.other.hooks.onPacket(aPacket);
+      }}, 0);
+    } catch(e) {
+      dumpn("Error handling incoming packet: " + e + " - " + e.stack);
+      dumpn("Packet was: " + aPacket);
+    }
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * Close the transport.
+   */
+  close: function LDT_close() {
+    if (this.other) {
+      // Remove the reference to the other endpoint before calling close(), to
+      // avoid infinite recursion.
+      let other = this.other;
+      delete this.other;
+      other.close();
+    }
+    this.hooks.onClosed();
+  },
+
+  /**
+   * An empty method for emulating the DebuggerTransport API.
+   */
+  ready: function LDT_ready() {},
+
+  /**
+   * Helper function that makes an object fully immutable.
+   */
+  _deepFreeze: function LDT_deepFreeze(aObject) {
+    Object.freeze(aObject);
+    for (let prop in aObject) {
+      // Freeze the properties that are objects, not on the prototype, and not
+      // already frozen. Note that this might leave an unfrozen reference
+      // somewhere in the object if there is an already frozen object containing
+      // an unfrozen object.
+      if (aObject.hasOwnProperty(prop) && typeof aObject === "object" &&
+          !Object.isFrozen(aObject)) {
+        this._deepFreeze(o[prop]);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+}
+
diff --git a/toolkit/devtools/debugger/server/dbg-server.js b/toolkit/devtools/debugger/server/dbg-server.js
index a2545987e04d..3f8c02ae5f46 100644
--- a/toolkit/devtools/debugger/server/dbg-server.js
+++ b/toolkit/devtools/debugger/server/dbg-server.js
@@ -238,8 +238,9 @@ var DebuggerServer = {
   },
 
   /**
-   * Creates a new connection to the local debugger speaking over an
-   * nsIPipe.
+   * Creates a new connection to the local debugger speaking over a fake
+   * transport. This connection results in straightforward calls to the onPacket
+   * handlers of each side.
    *
    * @returns a client-side DebuggerTransport for communicating with
    *          the newly-created connection.
@@ -247,16 +248,12 @@ var DebuggerServer = {
   connectPipe: function DH_connectPipe() {
     this._checkInit();
 
-    let toServer = Cc["@mozilla.org/pipe;1"].createInstance(Ci.nsIPipe);
-    toServer.init(true, true, 0, 0, null);
-    let toClient = Cc["@mozilla.org/pipe;1"].createInstance(Ci.nsIPipe);
-    toClient.init(true, true, 0, 0, null);
-
-    let serverTransport = new DebuggerTransport(toServer.inputStream,
-                                                toClient.outputStream);
+    let serverTransport = new LocalDebuggerTransport;
+    let clientTransport = new LocalDebuggerTransport(serverTransport);
+    serverTransport.other = clientTransport;
     this._onConnection(serverTransport);
 
-    return new DebuggerTransport(toClient.inputStream, toServer.outputStream);
+    return clientTransport;
   },