diff --git a/content/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp b/content/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp
index 04c7948713da..d999899f5381 100644
--- a/content/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp
+++ b/content/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp
@@ -308,6 +308,9 @@ nsHTMLDocument::StartDocumentLoad(nsIURL *aURL,
 
     nsAutoString charset = "ISO-8859-1"; // fallback value in case webShell return error
     nsCharsetSource charsetSource = kCharsetFromDocTypeDefault;
+    const PRUnichar* requestCharset = nsnull;
+    nsCharsetSource requestCharsetSource = kCharsetUninitialized;
+    
 
 #ifdef rickgdebug
     nsString outString;   // added out. Redirect to stdout if desired -- gpk 04/01/99
@@ -324,6 +327,12 @@ nsHTMLDocument::StartDocumentLoad(nsIURL *aURL,
             charset = defaultCharsetFromWebShell;
             charsetSource = kCharsetFromUserDefault;
        }
+       // for html, we need to find out the Meta tag from the hint.
+       rv = webShell->GetCharacterSetHint(&requestCharset, &requestCharsetSource);
+       if(NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)) {
+            if(requestCharsetSource > charsetSource)
+            	charset = requestCharset;
+       }
     }
     NS_IF_RELEASE(webShell);
 #endif
@@ -331,8 +340,6 @@ nsHTMLDocument::StartDocumentLoad(nsIURL *aURL,
     // XXXX
     // We should take care two more cases here
     // 1. The charset attribute from HTTP header
-    // 2. The charset parameter from the META Tag - 
-    //   which explicit pass to nsWebShell from nsCharsetObserver
 
     if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)) {
        rv = this->SetDocumentCharacterSet(charset);
diff --git a/layout/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp b/layout/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp
index 04c7948713da..d999899f5381 100644
--- a/layout/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp
+++ b/layout/html/document/src/nsHTMLDocument.cpp
@@ -308,6 +308,9 @@ nsHTMLDocument::StartDocumentLoad(nsIURL *aURL,
 
     nsAutoString charset = "ISO-8859-1"; // fallback value in case webShell return error
     nsCharsetSource charsetSource = kCharsetFromDocTypeDefault;
+    const PRUnichar* requestCharset = nsnull;
+    nsCharsetSource requestCharsetSource = kCharsetUninitialized;
+    
 
 #ifdef rickgdebug
     nsString outString;   // added out. Redirect to stdout if desired -- gpk 04/01/99
@@ -324,6 +327,12 @@ nsHTMLDocument::StartDocumentLoad(nsIURL *aURL,
             charset = defaultCharsetFromWebShell;
             charsetSource = kCharsetFromUserDefault;
        }
+       // for html, we need to find out the Meta tag from the hint.
+       rv = webShell->GetCharacterSetHint(&requestCharset, &requestCharsetSource);
+       if(NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)) {
+            if(requestCharsetSource > charsetSource)
+            	charset = requestCharset;
+       }
     }
     NS_IF_RELEASE(webShell);
 #endif
@@ -331,8 +340,6 @@ nsHTMLDocument::StartDocumentLoad(nsIURL *aURL,
     // XXXX
     // We should take care two more cases here
     // 1. The charset attribute from HTTP header
-    // 2. The charset parameter from the META Tag - 
-    //   which explicit pass to nsWebShell from nsCharsetObserver
 
     if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)) {
        rv = this->SetDocumentCharacterSet(charset);