diff --git a/extensions/cookie/nsCookieManager.cpp b/extensions/cookie/nsCookieManager.cpp
index 6d279782f39..379d2f7125d 100644
--- a/extensions/cookie/nsCookieManager.cpp
+++ b/extensions/cookie/nsCookieManager.cpp
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ nsresult nsCookieManager::Init()
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsCookieManager::RemoveAll(void) {
   ::COOKIE_RemoveAll();
-  ::COOKIE_Write(nsnull);
+  ::COOKIE_Write();
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/extensions/cookie/nsCookieService.cpp b/extensions/cookie/nsCookieService.cpp
index 58c48d0bb32..300ba2400d4 100644
--- a/extensions/cookie/nsCookieService.cpp
+++ b/extensions/cookie/nsCookieService.cpp
@@ -80,18 +80,13 @@ nsresult nsCookieService::Init()
   COOKIE_RegisterPrefCallbacks();
   nsresult rv;
 
-  // cache mDir
-  rv = NS_GetSpecialDirectory(NS_APP_USER_PROFILE_50_DIR, getter_AddRefs(mDir));
-  if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)) {
-    COOKIE_Read();
-  }
+  COOKIE_Read();
 
   nsCOMPtr<nsIObserverService> observerService = 
            do_GetService("@mozilla.org/observer-service;1", &rv);
   if (observerService) {
     observerService->AddObserver(this, "profile-before-change", PR_TRUE);
     observerService->AddObserver(this, "profile-do-change", PR_TRUE);
-    observerService->AddObserver(this, "xpcom-shutdown", PR_TRUE);
     observerService->AddObserver(this, "cookieIcon", PR_FALSE);
   }
 
@@ -214,9 +209,9 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsCookieService::Observe(nsISupports *aSubject, const char *aTopic
   if (!nsCRT::strcmp(aTopic, "profile-before-change")) {
     // The profile is about to change,
     // or is going away because the application is shutting down.
-    
-    COOKIE_Write(mDir);
+    COOKIE_Write();
     COOKIE_RemoveAll();
+
     if (!nsCRT::strcmp(someData, NS_LITERAL_STRING("shutdown-cleanse").get()))
       COOKIE_DeletePersistentUserData();
   } else if (!nsCRT::strcmp(aTopic, "profile-do-change")) {
diff --git a/extensions/cookie/nsCookieService.h b/extensions/cookie/nsCookieService.h
index 15f07448d5c..0145928b744 100644
--- a/extensions/cookie/nsCookieService.h
+++ b/extensions/cookie/nsCookieService.h
@@ -63,11 +63,6 @@ public:
   nsCookieService();
   virtual ~nsCookieService(void);
   nsresult Init();
-  
-protected:
-  // cached IOService
-  nsCOMPtr<nsIFile> mDir;
-  
 };
 
 #endif /* nsCookieService_h__ */
diff --git a/extensions/cookie/nsCookies.cpp b/extensions/cookie/nsCookies.cpp
index 0970c4e5fce..dd36ab4b78e 100644
--- a/extensions/cookie/nsCookies.cpp
+++ b/extensions/cookie/nsCookies.cpp
@@ -1750,7 +1750,7 @@ COOKIE_SetCookieStringFromHttp(nsIURI * curURL, nsIURI * firstURL, nsIPrompt *aP
 
 /* saves out the HTTP cookies to disk */
 PUBLIC nsresult
-COOKIE_Write(nsIFile* dir) {
+COOKIE_Write() {
   if (!cookie_changed) {
     return NS_OK;
   }
@@ -1758,19 +1758,10 @@ COOKIE_Write(nsIFile* dir) {
   time_t cur_date = get_current_time();
   char date_string[36];
   nsFileSpec dirSpec;
-  nsCOMPtr<nsIFileSpec> dirSpec0;
   nsresult rv;
-  if (dir == nsnull) {
-    rv = CKutil_ProfileDirectory(dirSpec);
-    if (NS_FAILED(rv)) {
-      return rv;
-    }
-  } else {
-    rv = NS_NewFileSpecFromIFile(dir, getter_AddRefs(dirSpec0));
-    if (NS_FAILED(rv)) {
-      return rv;
-    }
-    rv = dirSpec0->GetFileSpec(&dirSpec);
+  rv = CKutil_ProfileDirectory(dirSpec);
+  if (NS_FAILED(rv)) {
+    return rv;
   }
   dirSpec += kCookiesFileName;
   PRBool ignored;
@@ -2093,7 +2084,7 @@ COOKIE_Remove
         cookie_list->RemoveElementAt(count);
         deleteCookie((void*)cookie, nsnull);
         cookie_changed = PR_TRUE;
-        COOKIE_Write(nsnull);
+        COOKIE_Write();
         break;
       }
     }
diff --git a/extensions/cookie/nsCookies.h b/extensions/cookie/nsCookies.h
index 6c64505ba8a..2ee07f2710e 100644
--- a/extensions/cookie/nsCookies.h
+++ b/extensions/cookie/nsCookies.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class nsIPrompt;
 class nsIHttpChannel;
 
 extern nsresult COOKIE_Read();
-extern nsresult COOKIE_Write(nsIFile* dir);
+extern nsresult COOKIE_Write();
 extern nsresult COOKIE_Notify();
 //XXX these should operate on |const char*|
 extern char * COOKIE_GetCookie(nsIURI * address);