diff --git a/content/html/content/src/nsHTMLInputElement.cpp b/content/html/content/src/nsHTMLInputElement.cpp
index db0d484834f..f77feec65e4 100644
--- a/content/html/content/src/nsHTMLInputElement.cpp
+++ b/content/html/content/src/nsHTMLInputElement.cpp
@@ -1757,8 +1757,14 @@ nsHTMLInputElement::ParseAttribute(PRInt32 aNamespaceID,
         return PR_FALSE;
       }
 
-      mType = aResult.GetEnumValue();
-      if (mType == NS_FORM_INPUT_FILE) {
+      // Make sure to do the check for newType being NS_FORM_INPUT_FILE and the
+      // corresponding SetValueInternal() call _before_ we set mType.  That way
+      // the logic in SetValueInternal() will work right (that logic makes
+      // assumptions about our frame based on mType, but we won't have had time
+      // to recreate frames yet -- that happens later in the SetAttr()
+      // process).
+      PRInt8 newType = aResult.GetEnumValue();
+      if (newType == NS_FORM_INPUT_FILE) {
         // If the type is being changed to file, set the element value
         // to the empty string. This is for security.
         // Call SetValueInternal so that this doesn't accidentally get caught
@@ -1766,6 +1772,8 @@ nsHTMLInputElement::ParseAttribute(PRInt32 aNamespaceID,
         SetValueInternal(EmptyString(), nsnull);
       }
 
+      mType = newType;
+
       return PR_TRUE;
     }
     if (aAttribute == nsHTMLAtoms::width) {