diff --git a/layout/xul/base/public/nsIEditorBoxObject.idl b/layout/xul/base/public/nsIEditorBoxObject.idl
index 76f1ed73fff..badaa6b0b57 100644
--- a/layout/xul/base/public/nsIEditorBoxObject.idl
+++ b/layout/xul/base/public/nsIEditorBoxObject.idl
@@ -38,12 +38,15 @@
 
 #include "nsIBoxObject.idl"
 
-interface nsIEditorShell;
+interface nsIEditor;
 interface nsIDocShell;
+interface nsIEditorShell;
 
 [scriptable, uuid(14B3B669-3414-4548-AA03-EDF257D889C8)]
 interface nsIEditorBoxObject : nsISupports
 {
+  readonly attribute nsIEditor editor;
+  // nsIEditorShell is deprecated and will go away -- please don't use it!
   readonly attribute nsIEditorShell editorShell;
   readonly attribute nsIDocShell docShell;
 };
diff --git a/layout/xul/base/src/nsEditorBoxObject.cpp b/layout/xul/base/src/nsEditorBoxObject.cpp
index 03f6b287a29..ff597efeb25 100644
--- a/layout/xul/base/src/nsEditorBoxObject.cpp
+++ b/layout/xul/base/src/nsEditorBoxObject.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ nsEditorBoxObject::SetDocument(nsIDocument* aDocument)
   if (mEditorShell)
   {
     rv = mEditorShell->Shutdown();
-    NS_ASSERTION(NS_SUCCEEDED(rv), "Error from editorShell->Shutdown");
+    NS_ASSERTION(NS_SUCCEEDED(rv), "Error from editor->Shutdown");
   }
   
   // this should only be called with a null document, which indicates
@@ -100,13 +100,22 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsEditorBoxObject::Init(nsIContent* aContent, nsIPresShell* aPresS
   if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
   
   NS_ASSERTION(!mEditorShell, "Double init of nsEditorBoxObject");
-  
+
+  // When editorshell goes away, this is what we should be doing:
+  //mEditor = do_CreateInstance("@mozilla.org/editor/htmleditor;1");
+  // but we need an editorshell for the transitional period, so:
   mEditorShell = do_CreateInstance("@mozilla.org/editor/editorshell;1");
   if (!mEditorShell) return NS_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
 
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsEditorBoxObject::GetEditor(nsIEditor** aResult)
+{
+  NS_ASSERTION(mEditorShell, "Editor box object not initted");
+  return mEditorShell->GetEditor(aResult);
+}
+
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsEditorBoxObject::GetEditorShell(nsIEditorShell** aResult)
 {
   NS_ASSERTION(mEditorShell, "Editor box object not initted");