diff --git a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.cpp b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.cpp
index 5be33f9ed484..c199cf3ea708 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.cpp
@@ -152,9 +152,9 @@ void nsMsgStatusFeedback::BeginObserving()
     nsAutoString topic1(prefix);
     topic1 += ";status";
     rv = svc->AddObserver( this, topic1.GetUnicode() );
-   }
+  }
 
-    return;
+  return;
 }
 
 void nsMsgStatusFeedback::EndObserving() 
@@ -308,18 +308,27 @@ nsMsgStatusFeedback::StopMeteors()
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgStatusFeedback::CloseWindow()
+{
+  EndObserving();
+  mWindow = nsnull;
+  mWebShell = nsnull;
+  mWebShellWindow = nsnull;
+
+  return NS_OK;
+}
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgStatusFeedback::SetWebShell(nsIWebShell *shell, nsIDOMWindow *aWindow)
 {
 	if (aWindow)
 	{
 		nsCOMPtr<nsIScriptGlobalObject>
-			globalScript(do_QueryInterface(aWindow));
-      nsCOMPtr<nsIDocShell> docShell;
+	  globalScript(do_QueryInterface(aWindow));
+    nsCOMPtr<nsIDocShell> docShell;
 		if (globalScript)
 			globalScript->GetDocShell(getter_AddRefs(docShell));
 		nsCOMPtr<nsIWebShell> webshell(do_QueryInterface(docShell));
-      nsCOMPtr<nsIWebShell> rootWebshell;
+    nsCOMPtr<nsIWebShell> rootWebshell;
 		if (webshell)
 		{
 			webshell->GetRootWebShell(mWebShell);
@@ -348,7 +357,11 @@ static int debugSetAttr = 0;
 nsresult nsMsgStatusFeedback::setAttribute( nsIWebShell *shell,
                               const char *id,
                               const char *name,
-                              const nsString &value ) {
+                              const nsString &value ) 
+{
+    if (!mWebShell)
+      return NS_OK;
+
     nsresult rv = NS_OK;
 
     nsCOMPtr<nsIContentViewer> cv;
@@ -365,7 +378,7 @@ nsresult nsMsgStatusFeedback::setAttribute( nsIWebShell *shell,
                 // Up-cast.
                 nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMXULDocument> xulDoc( do_QueryInterface(doc) );
                 if ( xulDoc ) 
-				{
+				        {
                     // Find specified element.
                     nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMElement> elem;
                     rv = xulDoc->GetElementById( id, getter_AddRefs(elem) );
@@ -374,7 +387,7 @@ nsresult nsMsgStatusFeedback::setAttribute( nsIWebShell *shell,
                         rv = elem->SetAttribute( name, value );
                         if ( debugSetAttr ) {
                             char *p = value.ToNewCString();
-							printf("setting busy to %s\n", p);
+							              printf("setting busy to %s\n", p);
                             delete [] p;
                         }
                         if ( rv != NS_OK ) {
diff --git a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.h b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.h
index b37d86ca9eb3..ff15330d89b5 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.h
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgStatusFeedback.h
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ protected:
   PRBool mQueuedMeteorStops;
   nsCOMPtr<nsITimer> mStartTimer;
   nsCOMPtr<nsITimer> mStopTimer;
-  
+
   void BeginObserving();
   void EndObserving();
 
diff --git a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgWindow.cpp b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgWindow.cpp
index 985ea24e4444..60bbbef73c04 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgWindow.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgWindow.cpp
@@ -48,10 +48,7 @@ nsMsgWindow::nsMsgWindow()
 
 nsMsgWindow::~nsMsgWindow()
 {
-  nsresult rv = NS_OK;
-  NS_WITH_SERVICE(nsIURILoader, dispatcher, NS_URI_LOADER_PROGID, &rv);
-  if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)) 
-    rv = dispatcher->UnRegisterContentListener(this);
+  CloseWindow();
 }
 
 nsresult nsMsgWindow::Init()
@@ -77,6 +74,21 @@ nsresult nsMsgWindow::Init()
   return rv;
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgWindow::CloseWindow()
+{
+  nsresult rv = NS_OK;
+  NS_WITH_SERVICE(nsIURILoader, dispatcher, NS_URI_LOADER_PROGID, &rv);
+  if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)) 
+    rv = dispatcher->UnRegisterContentListener(this);
+
+  // make sure the status feedback object
+  // knows the window is going away...
+  if (mStatusFeedback)
+    mStatusFeedback->CloseWindow(); 
+
+  return NS_OK;
+}
+
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgWindow::GetStatusFeedback(nsIMsgStatusFeedback * *aStatusFeedback)
 {
 	if(!aStatusFeedback)