diff --git a/browser/components/sessionstore/ContentRestore.jsm b/browser/components/sessionstore/ContentRestore.jsm
index 85f31e407838..7d68e36a1ac8 100644
--- a/browser/components/sessionstore/ContentRestore.jsm
+++ b/browser/components/sessionstore/ContentRestore.jsm
@@ -136,7 +136,11 @@ ContentRestoreInternal.prototype = {
     SessionHistory.restore(this.docShell, tabData);
 
     // Add a listener to watch for reloads.
-    let listener = new HistoryListener(this.docShell, callbacks.onReload);
+    let listener = new HistoryListener(this.docShell, () => {
+      // On reload, restore tab contents.
+      this.restoreTabContent(null, callbacks.onLoadFinished);
+    });
+
     webNavigation.sessionHistory.addSHistoryListener(listener);
     this._historyListener = listener;
 
diff --git a/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore.jsm b/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore.jsm
index 4bbfeb6898b0..65a145f1dd0f 100644
--- a/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore.jsm
+++ b/browser/components/sessionstore/SessionStore.jsm
@@ -66,10 +66,6 @@ const MESSAGES = [
   // SSTabRestored at this time.
   "SessionStore:restoreTabContentComplete",
 
-  // A tab that is being restored was reloaded. We call restoreTabContent to
-  // finish restoring it right away.
-  "SessionStore:reloadPendingTab",
-
   // A crashed tab was revived by navigating to a different page. Remove its
   // browser from the list of crashed browsers to stop ignoring its messages.
   "SessionStore:crashedTabRevived",
@@ -769,11 +765,6 @@ let SessionStoreInternal = {
 
         this._sendTabRestoredNotification(tab);
         break;
-      case "SessionStore:reloadPendingTab":
-        if (browser.__SS_restoreState == TAB_STATE_NEEDS_RESTORE) {
-          this.restoreTabContent(tab);
-        }
-        break;
       case "SessionStore:crashedTabRevived":
         this._crashedBrowsers.delete(browser.permanentKey);
         break;
diff --git a/browser/components/sessionstore/content/content-sessionStore.js b/browser/components/sessionstore/content/content-sessionStore.js
index b0c24237e99f..19f453c6ed2c 100644
--- a/browser/components/sessionstore/content/content-sessionStore.js
+++ b/browser/components/sessionstore/content/content-sessionStore.js
@@ -149,15 +149,10 @@ let MessageListener = {
 
   restoreHistory({epoch, tabData, loadArguments}) {
     gContentRestore.restoreHistory(tabData, loadArguments, {
-      onReload() {
-        // Inform SessionStore.jsm about the reload. It will send
-        // restoreTabContent in response.
-        sendAsyncMessage("SessionStore:reloadPendingTab", {epoch});
-      },
-
-      // Note: The two callbacks passed here will only be used when a load
-      // starts that was not initiated by sessionstore itself. This can happen
-      // when some code calls browser.loadURI() on a pending browser/tab.
+      // Note: The callbacks passed here will only be used when a load starts
+      // that was not initiated by sessionstore itself. This can happen when
+      // some code calls browser.loadURI() or browser.reload() on a pending
+      // browser/tab.
 
       onLoadStarted() {
         // Notify the parent that the tab is no longer pending.