diff --git a/xpfe/browser/resources/content/navigator.js b/xpfe/browser/resources/content/navigator.js
index f2a879b50f6..4034b2b22c3 100644
--- a/xpfe/browser/resources/content/navigator.js
+++ b/xpfe/browser/resources/content/navigator.js
@@ -1643,6 +1643,14 @@ function hiddenWindowStartup()
       broadcaster.setAttribute("disabled", "true");
   }
 
+  // Get the preferences service
+  var prefService = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"]
+                              .getService(Components.interfaces.nsIPrefService);
+  pref = prefService.getBranch(null);
+
+  // init global strings bundle
+  gNavigatorBundle = document.getElementById("bundle_navigator");
+
   // now load bookmarks after a delay
   setTimeout(hiddenWindowLoadBookmarksCallback, 0);
 }
diff --git a/xpfe/global/resources/content/hiddenWindow.xul b/xpfe/global/resources/content/hiddenWindow.xul
index 353930cac95..5d279273b84 100644
--- a/xpfe/global/resources/content/hiddenWindow.xul
+++ b/xpfe/global/resources/content/hiddenWindow.xul
@@ -77,7 +77,9 @@
   <script type="application/x-javascript" src="chrome://communicator/content/bookmarks/bookmarks.js"/>
   <script type="application/x-javascript" src="chrome://communicator/content/bookmarks/bookmarksMenu.js"/>
 
-  <stringbundleset id="stringbundleset"/>
+  <stringbundleset id="stringbundleset">
+    <stringbundle id="bundle_navigator" src="chrome://navigator/locale/navigator.properties"/>
+  </stringbundleset>
 
   <!-- keys are appended from the overlay -->
   <keyset id="tasksKeys">