diff --git a/security/manager/pki/resources/content/createCertInfo.js b/security/manager/pki/resources/content/createCertInfo.js
index f8a6528a556e..650385da5dfc 100644
--- a/security/manager/pki/resources/content/createCertInfo.js
+++ b/security/manager/pki/resources/content/createCertInfo.js
@@ -48,8 +48,15 @@ function onLoad()
   }
   
   setCursor("wait");
+
+  var obs = {
+    observe : function keygenListenerObserve(subject, topic, data) {
+      if (topic == "keygen-finished")
+        window.close();
+    }
+  };
   
-  keygenThread.startKeyGeneration(window);
+  keygenThread.startKeyGeneration(obs);
 }
 
 function onClose()
diff --git a/security/manager/ssl/public/nsIGenKeypairInfoDlg.idl b/security/manager/ssl/public/nsIGenKeypairInfoDlg.idl
index 5fa51bf3a93e..5dddd39416a1 100644
--- a/security/manager/ssl/public/nsIGenKeypairInfoDlg.idl
+++ b/security/manager/ssl/public/nsIGenKeypairInfoDlg.idl
@@ -52,5 +52,15 @@ interface nsIGeneratingKeypairInfoDialogs : nsISupports
 };
 
 %{C++
-#define NS_GENERATINGKEYPAIRINFODIALOGS_CONTRACTID "@mozilla.org/nsGeneratingKeypairInfoDialogs;1"
+/**
+ * This component is to be implemented by the embeddor. It is used to show
+ * feedback to the user while a private key is being generated.
+ *
+ * This component is only ever used on the UI thread.
+ *
+ * INTERFACES THAT NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED:
+ *   nsIGeneratingKeypairInfoDialogs
+ */
+#define NS_GENERATINGKEYPAIRINFODIALOGS_CONTRACTID \
+            "@mozilla.org/nsGeneratingKeypairInfoDialogs;1"
 %}
diff --git a/security/manager/ssl/public/nsIKeygenThread.idl b/security/manager/ssl/public/nsIKeygenThread.idl
index 73f60e2eb58d..d7ca557832c3 100644
--- a/security/manager/ssl/public/nsIKeygenThread.idl
+++ b/security/manager/ssl/public/nsIKeygenThread.idl
@@ -38,25 +38,30 @@
 
 #include "nsISupports.idl"
 
-interface nsIDOMWindowInternal;
+interface nsIObserver;
 
 /**
  * nsIKeygenThread
  *  This is used to communicate with the thread generating a key pair,
  *  to be used by the dialog displaying status information.
  */
-[scriptable, uuid(195763b8-1dd2-11b2-a843-eb44e44aaa37)]
+[scriptable, uuid(8712a243-5539-447c-9f47-8653f40c3a09)]
 interface nsIKeygenThread : nsISupports
 {
   /**
    * startKeyGeneration - run the thread
-   *   A user interface implementing this interface needs to
+   *   A user interface using this interface needs to
    *   call this method as soon as the status information
    *   is displaying. This will trigger key generation.
    *   To allow the closure of the status information,
-   *   the thread needs a handle to the displayed window.
+   *   the thread needs a handle to an observer.
+   *
+   *   observer will be called on the UI thread.
+   *   When the key generation is done, the observe method will
+   *   be called with a topic of "keygen-finished" and null data
+   *   and subject.
    */
-  void startKeyGeneration(in nsIDOMWindowInternal statusDialog);
+  void startKeyGeneration(in nsIObserver observer);
 
   /**
    * userCanceled - notify the thread
diff --git a/security/manager/ssl/src/nsKeygenThread.cpp b/security/manager/ssl/src/nsKeygenThread.cpp
index e2af8ca2fafd..cbaa15417804 100644
--- a/security/manager/ssl/src/nsKeygenThread.cpp
+++ b/security/manager/ssl/src/nsKeygenThread.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 #include "nsCOMPtr.h"
 #include "nsProxiedService.h"
 #include "nsKeygenThread.h"
-#include "nsIDOMWindowInternal.h"
+#include "nsIObserver.h"
 #include "nsNSSShutDown.h"
 
 NS_IMPL_THREADSAFE_ISUPPORTS1(nsKeygenThread, nsIKeygenThread)
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ NS_IMPL_THREADSAFE_ISUPPORTS1(nsKeygenThread, nsIKeygenThread)
 
 nsKeygenThread::nsKeygenThread()
 :mutex(nsnull),
- statusDialogPtr(nsnull),
  iAmRunning(PR_FALSE),
  keygenReady(PR_FALSE),
  statusDialogClosed(PR_FALSE),
@@ -71,10 +70,6 @@ nsKeygenThread::~nsKeygenThread()
   if (mutex) {
     PR_DestroyLock(mutex);
   }
-  
-  if (statusDialogPtr) {
-    NS_RELEASE(statusDialogPtr);
-  }
 }
 
 void nsKeygenThread::SetParams(
@@ -146,24 +141,24 @@ static void PR_CALLBACK nsKeygenThreadRunner(void *arg)
   self->Run();
 }
 
-nsresult nsKeygenThread::StartKeyGeneration(nsIDOMWindowInternal *statusDialog)
+nsresult nsKeygenThread::StartKeyGeneration(nsIObserver* aObserver)
 {
   if (!mutex)
     return NS_OK;
 
-  if (!statusDialog )
+  if (!aObserver)
     return NS_OK;
 
   nsCOMPtr<nsIProxyObjectManager> proxyman(do_GetService(NS_XPCOMPROXY_CONTRACTID));
   if (!proxyman)
     return NS_OK;
 
-  nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMWindowInternal> wi;
+  nsCOMPtr<nsIObserver> obs;
   proxyman->GetProxyForObject( NS_UI_THREAD_EVENTQ,
-                               nsIDOMWindowInternal::GetIID(),
-                               statusDialog,
+                               NS_GET_IID(nsIObserver),
+                               aObserver,
                                PROXY_SYNC | PROXY_ALWAYS,
-                               getter_AddRefs(wi));
+                               getter_AddRefs(obs));
 
   PR_Lock(mutex);
 
@@ -172,9 +167,7 @@ nsresult nsKeygenThread::StartKeyGeneration(nsIDOMWindowInternal *statusDialog)
       return NS_OK;
     }
 
-    statusDialogPtr = wi;
-    NS_ADDREF(statusDialogPtr);
-    wi = 0;
+    observer.swap(obs);
 
     iAmRunning = PR_TRUE;
 
@@ -238,8 +231,7 @@ void nsKeygenThread::Run(void)
   // As long as key generation can't be canceled, we don't need 
   // to care for cleaning this up.
 
-  nsIDOMWindowInternal *windowToClose = 0;
-
+  nsCOMPtr<nsIObserver> obs;
   PR_Lock(mutex);
 
     keygenReady = PR_TRUE;
@@ -255,15 +247,14 @@ void nsKeygenThread::Run(void)
     wincx = 0;
 
     if (!statusDialogClosed)
-      windowToClose = statusDialogPtr;
+      obs = observer;
 
-    statusDialogPtr = 0;
-    statusDialogClosed = PR_TRUE;
+    observer = nsnull;
 
   PR_Unlock(mutex);
 
-  if (windowToClose)
-    windowToClose->Close();
+  if (obs)
+    obs->Observe(nsnull, "keygen-finished", nsnull);
 }
 
 void nsKeygenThread::Join()
diff --git a/security/manager/ssl/src/nsKeygenThread.h b/security/manager/ssl/src/nsKeygenThread.h
index cc512ac00883..93860e4b70df 100644
--- a/security/manager/ssl/src/nsKeygenThread.h
+++ b/security/manager/ssl/src/nsKeygenThread.h
@@ -43,13 +43,16 @@
 #include "nspr.h"
 
 #include "nsIKeygenThread.h"
+#include "nsCOMPtr.h"
+
+class nsIObserver;
 
 class nsKeygenThread : public nsIKeygenThread
 {
 private:
   PRLock *mutex;
   
-  nsIDOMWindowInternal* statusDialogPtr;
+  nsCOMPtr<nsIObserver> observer;
 
   PRBool iAmRunning;
   PRBool keygenReady;
diff --git a/uriloader/base/nsIDownload.idl b/uriloader/base/nsIDownload.idl
index 2714058182a7..fdf119fd2228 100644
--- a/uriloader/base/nsIDownload.idl
+++ b/uriloader/base/nsIDownload.idl
@@ -154,7 +154,6 @@ interface nsIDownload : nsITransfer {
  * be stored, but which is not equal to the target file.
  *
  * INTERFACES THAT NEED TO BE IMPLEMENTED:
- *   nsISupports
  *   nsITransfer
  *   nsIDownload
  *   nsIWebProgressListener