diff --git a/browser/components/feeds/content/subscribe.js b/browser/components/feeds/content/subscribe.js
index 68ac3eae1cd..cbcad6e51c1 100644
--- a/browser/components/feeds/content/subscribe.js
+++ b/browser/components/feeds/content/subscribe.js
@@ -59,7 +59,12 @@ var SubscribeHandler = {
   },
   
   _getPropertyAsString: function FH__getPropertyAsString(container, property) {
-    return container.fields.getPropertyAsAString(property);
+    try {
+      return container.fields.getPropertyAsAString(property);
+    }
+    catch (e) {
+    }
+    return "";
   },
   
   _setContentText: function SH__setContentText(id, text) {
@@ -84,7 +89,7 @@ var SubscribeHandler = {
     return this._bundle.GetStringFromName(key);
   },
   
-  init: function FH_init() {
+  init: function SH_init() {
     LOG("window.location.href = " + window.location.href);
     
     var feedService = 
@@ -106,12 +111,6 @@ var SubscribeHandler = {
       LOG("feed result is bozo?!");
     }
     
-    var container = result.doc;
-    this._setContentText("feedTitleText", container.title);
-    this._setContentText("feedSubtitleText", 
-                         this._getPropertyAsString(container, "description"));
-    document.title = container.title;
-                         
     // Set up the displayed handler
     this._initSelectedHandler();
     var prefs =   
@@ -120,8 +119,12 @@ var SubscribeHandler = {
     prefs.addObserver(PREF_SELECTED_HANDLER, this, false);
     prefs.addObserver(PREF_SELECTED_APP, this, false);
     
-    // ...
-    
+    var container = result.doc;
+    this._setContentText("feedTitleText", container.title);
+    this._setContentText("feedSubtitleText", 
+                         this._getPropertyAsString(container, "description"));
+    document.title = container.title;
+                         
     try {
       var parts = this._getPropertyAsBag(container, "image");
       
@@ -242,7 +245,7 @@ var SubscribeHandler = {
                                     "url(\"" + iconURI + "\")", "");
     }
     catch (e) {
-      LOG("E2: " + e);
+      LOG("EEEE: " + e);
       // No selected handlers yet! Make the user choose...
       chosen.setAttribute("hidden", "true");
       unchosen.removeAttribute("hidden");
diff --git a/browser/components/feeds/content/subscribe.xhtml b/browser/components/feeds/content/subscribe.xhtml
index 212992e8982..5113c82945b 100644
--- a/browser/components/feeds/content/subscribe.xhtml
+++ b/browser/components/feeds/content/subscribe.xhtml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
             &feedSubscribeNow;</a>
           &feedSubscribeUsing;
           <span id="feedSubscribeHandler">
-            <a id="feedSubscribeHandleText">Live Bookmarks</a>
+            <a id="feedSubscribeHandleText"></a>
           </span>
           <a id="feedChangeSubscribeOptions" href="javascript:SubscribeHandler.changeOptions();">
             &feedSubscribeChangeSubscribeOptions;</a>
diff --git a/browser/components/feeds/src/FeedConverter.js b/browser/components/feeds/src/FeedConverter.js
index 1853cbb7a82..2a8726c4f4c 100644
--- a/browser/components/feeds/src/FeedConverter.js
+++ b/browser/components/feeds/src/FeedConverter.js
@@ -68,6 +68,30 @@ const PREF_SELECTED_WEB = "browser.feeds.handlers.webservice";
 const PREF_SELECTED_HANDLER = "browser.feeds.handler";
 const PREF_SKIP_PREVIEW_PAGE = "browser.feeds.skip_preview_page";
 
+function safeGetBoolPref(pref, defaultValue) {
+  var prefs =   
+      Cc["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"].
+      getService(Ci.nsIPrefBranch);
+  try {
+    return prefs.getBoolPref(pref);
+  }
+  catch (e) {
+  }
+  return defaultValue;
+}
+
+function safeGetCharPref(pref, defaultValue) {
+  var prefs =   
+      Cc["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"].
+      getService(Ci.nsIPrefBranch);
+  try {
+    return prefs.getCharPref(pref);
+  }
+  catch (e) {
+  }
+  return defaultValue;
+}
+
 function FeedConverter() {
 }
 FeedConverter.prototype = {
@@ -149,12 +173,9 @@ FeedConverter.prototype = {
         Cc["@mozilla.org/browser/feeds/result-service;1"].
         getService(Ci.nsIFeedResultService);
     if (!this._forcePreviewPage) {
-      var prefs =   
-          Cc["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"].
-          getService(Ci.nsIPrefBranch);
-      var skipPreview = prefs.getBoolPref(PREF_SKIP_PREVIEW_PAGE);
+      var skipPreview = safeGetBoolPref(PREF_SKIP_PREVIEW_PAGE, false);
       if (skipPreview) {
-        var handler = prefs.getCharPref(PREF_SELECTED_HANDLER);
+        var handler = safeGetCharPref(PREF_SELECTED_HANDLER, "bookmarks");
         if (handler == "web") {
           var wccr = 
               Cc["@mozilla.org/web-content-handler-registrar;1"].
@@ -284,11 +305,16 @@ var FeedResultService = {
     var prefs =   
         Cc["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"].
         getService(Ci.nsIPrefBranch);
-    var handler = prefs.getCharPref(PREF_SELECTED_HANDLER);
+    var handler = safeGetCharPref(PREF_SELECTED_HANDLER, "bookmarks");
     switch (handler) {
     case "client":
-      var clientApp = 
-          prefs.getComplexValue(PREF_SELECTED_APP, Ci.nsILocalFile);
+      try {
+        var clientApp = 
+            prefs.getComplexValue(PREF_SELECTED_APP, Ci.nsILocalFile);
+      }
+      catch (e) {
+        return;
+      }
       var process = 
           Cc["@mozilla.org/process/util;1"].
           createInstance(Ci.nsIProcess);