diff --git a/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadManager.cpp b/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadManager.cpp
index f19758626bba..113c522c6425 100644
--- a/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadManager.cpp
+++ b/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadManager.cpp
@@ -312,6 +312,8 @@ nsDownloadManager::AddDownload(nsIDownloadItem* aDownloadItem)
   nsresult rv = GetDownloadsContainer(getter_AddRefs(downloads));
   if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
 
+  // such assumptions are pretty much okay because the client presumably used
+  // createDownload to create the download item, which creates a new instance of DownloadItem
   DownloadItem* item = NS_STATIC_CAST(DownloadItem*, aDownloadItem);
   item->SetDownloadManager(this);
 
diff --git a/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadManager.h b/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadManager.h
index 3c7ec9559dfb..73f8653b509c 100644
--- a/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadManager.h
+++ b/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadManager.h
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ protected:
   nsresult GetDialogListener(nsIWebProgressListener** aInternalListener);
 
 private:
-  nsIRDFDataSource* mDataSource;
   nsDownloadManager* mDownloadManager;
 
   nsString mPrettyName;
diff --git a/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadProgressListener.js b/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadProgressListener.js
index fefef1c3c552..b8f6f1480554 100644
--- a/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadProgressListener.js
+++ b/xpfe/components/download-manager/src/nsDownloadProgressListener.js
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ nsDownloadProgressListener.prototype = {
     {
       if (aStateFlags & Components.interfaces.nsIWebProgressListener.STATE_STOP)
       {
-        this.downloadItem = null;
         // we are done downloading...
         // Indicate completion in status area.
         var msg = getString( "completeMsg", this.doc );