diff --git a/browser/base/content/search.xml b/browser/base/content/search.xml
index 336ede20588..a6dd8819079 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/search.xml
+++ b/browser/base/content/search.xml
@@ -59,8 +59,14 @@
           else {
             var rEngine = this.RDF.GetResource(engine);
             var rChild  = this.RDF.GetResource("http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#child");
-            if (!this.ISEARCHDS.hasArcIn(rEngine, rChild))
+            if (!this.ISEARCHDS.hasArcIn(rEngine, rChild)) {
+              // XXXben this is a short term hack to prevent the search engine selector
+              // from forgetting the defaut.
+              var file = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/file/local;1"].createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsILocalFile);
+              file.initWithPath(unescape(engine.substr("engine://".length)));
+              if (!file.exists())
               this.currentEngine = "__PhoenixFindInPage";
+            }
           }
         ]]></body>
       </method>