diff --git a/xpfe/browser/resources/content/navigator.js b/xpfe/browser/resources/content/navigator.js
index 3f1890262f7..d3a9f5e879c 100644
--- a/xpfe/browser/resources/content/navigator.js
+++ b/xpfe/browser/resources/content/navigator.js
@@ -410,8 +410,8 @@ function Startup()
     
     if (uriToLoad && uriToLoad != "about:blank") {
       gURLBar.value = uriToLoad;
-      if ("arguments" in window && window.arguments.length >= 4) {
-        loadURI(uriToLoad, window.arguments[3]);
+      if ("arguments" in window && window.arguments.length >= 3) {
+        loadURI(uriToLoad, window.arguments[2]);
       } else {
         loadURI(uriToLoad);
       }
@@ -428,12 +428,11 @@ function Startup()
         return;
     }
 
-    // Focus the content area if the caller instructed us to.
-    if ("arguments" in window && window.arguments.length >= 3 && window.arguments[2] == true ||
-        !window.locationbar.visible)
-      setTimeout(WindowFocusTimerCallback, 0, _content);
-    else
+    // Focus the content area unless we're loading a blank page
+    if (uriToLoad == "about:blank" && window.locationbar.visible)
       setTimeout(WindowFocusTimerCallback, 0, gURLBar);
+    else
+      setTimeout(WindowFocusTimerCallback, 0, _content);
 
     // Perform default browser checking (after window opens).
     setTimeout( checkForDefaultBrowser, 0 );
diff --git a/xpfe/communicator/resources/content/contentAreaUtils.js b/xpfe/communicator/resources/content/contentAreaUtils.js
index 2609fd456fb..31f1df5f701 100644
--- a/xpfe/communicator/resources/content/contentAreaUtils.js
+++ b/xpfe/communicator/resources/content/contentAreaUtils.js
@@ -84,38 +84,29 @@ function getReferrer(doc)
 function openNewWindowWith(url) 
 {
   urlSecurityCheck(url, document);
-  var newWin;
-  var wintype = document.firstChild.getAttribute('windowtype');
-  var referrer = getReferrer(document);
 
   // if and only if the current window is a browser window and it has a document with a character
   // set, then extract the current charset menu setting from the current document and use it to
   // initialize the new browser window...
-  if (window && (wintype == "navigator:browser") &&
-    window._content && window._content.document) {
-    var DocCharset = window._content.document.characterSet;
-    var charsetArg = "charset="+DocCharset;
+  var charsetArg = null;
+  var wintype = document.firstChild.getAttribute('windowtype');
+  if (wintype == "navigator:browser")
+    charsetArg = "charset=" + window._content.document.characterSet;
 
-    //we should "inherit" the charset menu setting in a new window
-    newWin = window.openDialog( getBrowserURL(), "_blank", "chrome,all,dialog=no", url, charsetArg, true, referrer );
-  }
-  else { // forget about the charset information.
-    newWin = window.openDialog( getBrowserURL(), "_blank", "chrome,all,dialog=no", url, null, true, referrer );
-  }
+  var referrer = getReferrer(document);
+  window.openDialog(getBrowserURL(), "_blank", "chrome,all,dialog=no", url, charsetArg, referrer);
 }
 
 function openNewTabWith(url) 
 {
   urlSecurityCheck(url, document);
-  var wintype = document.firstChild.getAttribute('windowtype');
-  var referrer = getReferrer(document);
+  var browser = getBrowser();
 
-  if (window && (wintype == "navigator:browser")) {
-    var browser = getBrowser();
-    var t = browser.addTab(url, referrer); // open link in new tab
-    if (pref && !pref.getBoolPref("browser.tabs.loadInBackground"))
-      browser.selectedTab = t;
-  }
+  var referrer = getReferrer(document);
+  var tab = browser.addTab(url, referrer); // open link in new tab
+
+  if (pref && !pref.getBoolPref("browser.tabs.loadInBackground"))
+    browser.selectedTab = tab;
 }
 
 function findParentNode(node, parentNode)