diff --git a/uriloader/prefetch/nsOfflineCacheUpdate.cpp b/uriloader/prefetch/nsOfflineCacheUpdate.cpp
index 2fddf0a827f9..157029a8f915 100644
--- a/uriloader/prefetch/nsOfflineCacheUpdate.cpp
+++ b/uriloader/prefetch/nsOfflineCacheUpdate.cpp
@@ -419,9 +419,10 @@ nsOfflineCacheUpdate::Init(PRBool aPartialUpdate,
     nsresult rv;
 
     // Make sure the service has been initialized
-    if (!nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::GetInstance()) {
+    nsOfflineCacheUpdateService* service =
+        nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::EnsureService();
+    if (!service)
         return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
-    }
 
     LOG(("nsOfflineCacheUpdate::Init [%p]", this));
 
@@ -649,8 +650,8 @@ nsOfflineCacheUpdate::Finish()
 
     mState = STATE_FINISHED;
 
-    nsOfflineCacheUpdateService *service =
-        nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::GetInstance();
+    nsOfflineCacheUpdateService* service =
+        nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::EnsureService();
 
     if (!mPartialUpdate) {
         if (mSucceeded) {
@@ -822,8 +823,8 @@ nsOfflineCacheUpdate::Schedule()
 {
     LOG(("nsOfflineCacheUpdate::Schedule [%p]", this));
 
-    nsOfflineCacheUpdateService *service =
-        nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::GetInstance();
+    nsOfflineCacheUpdateService* service =
+        nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::EnsureService();
 
     if (!service) {
         return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
@@ -837,8 +838,8 @@ nsOfflineCacheUpdate::ScheduleOnDocumentStop(nsIDOMDocument *aDocument)
 {
     LOG(("nsOfflineCacheUpdate::ScheduleOnDocumentStop [%p]", this));
 
-    nsOfflineCacheUpdateService *service =
-        nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::GetInstance();
+    nsOfflineCacheUpdateService* service =
+        nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::EnsureService();
 
     if (!service) {
         return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
@@ -930,6 +931,18 @@ nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::GetInstance()
     return gOfflineCacheUpdateService;
 }
 
+nsOfflineCacheUpdateService *
+nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::EnsureService()
+{
+    if (!gOfflineCacheUpdateService) {
+        // Make the service manager hold a long-lived reference to the service
+        nsCOMPtr<nsIOfflineCacheUpdateService> service =
+            do_GetService(NS_OFFLINECACHEUPDATESERVICE_CONTRACTID);
+    }
+
+    return gOfflineCacheUpdateService;
+}
+
 nsresult
 nsOfflineCacheUpdateService::Schedule(nsOfflineCacheUpdate *aUpdate)
 {
diff --git a/uriloader/prefetch/nsOfflineCacheUpdate.h b/uriloader/prefetch/nsOfflineCacheUpdate.h
index 31427bd9c35e..542cf0062b51 100644
--- a/uriloader/prefetch/nsOfflineCacheUpdate.h
+++ b/uriloader/prefetch/nsOfflineCacheUpdate.h
@@ -177,8 +177,15 @@ public:
                                     nsIDOMDocument *aDocument);
     nsresult UpdateFinished(nsOfflineCacheUpdate *aUpdate);
 
-    static nsOfflineCacheUpdateService *GetInstance();
+    /**
+     * Returns the singleton nsOfflineCacheUpdateService without an addref, or
+     * nsnull if the service couldn't be created.
+     */
+    static nsOfflineCacheUpdateService *EnsureService();
 
+    /** Addrefs and returns the singleton nsOfflineCacheUpdateService. */
+    static nsOfflineCacheUpdateService *GetInstance();
+    
 private:
     nsresult ProcessNextUpdate();