diff --git a/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLCSSUtils.cpp b/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLCSSUtils.cpp
index 6cee18abeed..0e086971dfc 100644
--- a/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLCSSUtils.cpp
+++ b/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLCSSUtils.cpp
@@ -74,24 +74,6 @@ void ProcessBValue(nsAReadableString * aInputString, nsAWritableString & aOutput
   }
 }
 
-static
-void ProcessIValue(nsAReadableString * aInputString, nsAWritableString & aOutputString,
-                   const char * aDefaultValueString,
-                   const char * aPrependString, const char* aAppendString)
-{
-  if (aInputString) {
-    if (aInputString->Equals(NS_LITERAL_STRING("-moz-editor-invert-value"))) {
-      aOutputString.Assign(NS_LITERAL_STRING("normal"));
-    }
-    else {
-      aOutputString.Assign(NS_LITERAL_STRING("italic"));
-    }
-  }
-  else {
-    aOutputString.Assign(NS_LITERAL_STRING("italic"));
-  }
-}
-
 static
 void ProcessDefaultValue(nsAReadableString * aInputString, nsAWritableString & aOutputString,
                          const char * aDefaultValueString,
@@ -223,7 +205,7 @@ const nsHTMLCSSUtils::CSSEquivTable boldEquivTable[] = {
 };
 
 const nsHTMLCSSUtils::CSSEquivTable italicEquivTable[] = {
-  { nsHTMLCSSUtils::eCSSEditableProperty_font_style, ProcessIValue, nsnull, nsnull, nsnull, PR_TRUE },
+  { nsHTMLCSSUtils::eCSSEditableProperty_font_style, ProcessDefaultValue, "italic", nsnull, nsnull, PR_TRUE },
   { nsHTMLCSSUtils::eCSSEditableProperty_NONE, 0 }
 };
 
@@ -661,8 +643,7 @@ nsHTMLCSSUtils::RemoveCSSInlineStyle(nsIDOMNode *aNode, nsIAtom *aProperty, nsAR
 PRBool
 nsHTMLCSSUtils::IsCSSInvertable(nsIAtom *aProperty, const nsAReadableString *aAttribute)
 {
-  return PRBool(nsIEditProperty::b == aProperty
-                || nsIEditProperty::i == aProperty);
+  return PRBool(nsIEditProperty::b == aProperty);
 }
 
 // Get the default browser background color if we need it for GetCSSBackgroundColorState
diff --git a/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLEditor.h b/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLEditor.h
index 82d5a847632..70f35957b95 100644
--- a/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLEditor.h
+++ b/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLEditor.h
@@ -719,8 +719,6 @@ protected:
                              PRBool *aAll,
                              nsAWritableString *outValue);
 
-  nsresult RemoveElementIfUselessSpan(nsIDOMElement * aElement);
-
 // Data members
 protected:
 
diff --git a/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLEditorStyle.cpp b/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLEditorStyle.cpp
index d7a7545886f..bd0d0919e03 100644
--- a/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLEditorStyle.cpp
+++ b/editor/libeditor/html/nsHTMLEditorStyle.cpp
@@ -334,11 +334,7 @@ nsHTMLEditor::SetInlinePropertyOnTextNode( nsIDOMCharacterData *aTextNode,
   PRBool bHasProp;
   nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode> styleNode;
   IsTextPropertySetByContent(node, aProperty, aAttribute, aValue, bHasProp, getter_AddRefs(styleNode));
-  if (bHasProp &&
-      !(aValue && aValue->Equals(NS_LITERAL_STRING("-moz-editor-invert-value"))))
-  {
-    return NS_OK;
-  }
+  if (bHasProp) return NS_OK;
   
   // do we need to split the text node?
   PRUint32 textLen;
@@ -424,32 +420,10 @@ nsHTMLEditor::SetInlinePropertyOnNode( nsIDOMNode *aNode,
       // children of the aNode
       res = RemoveStyleInside(tmp, aProperty, aAttribute, PR_TRUE);
       if (NS_FAILED(res)) return res;
-      nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode> parentNode;
-      res = tmp->GetParentNode(getter_AddRefs(parentNode));
+      PRInt32 count;
+      // then we add the css styles corresponding to the HTML style request
+      res = mHTMLCSSUtils->SetCSSEquivalentToHTMLStyle(element, aProperty, aAttribute, aValue, &count);
       if (NS_FAILED(res)) return res;
-      PRBool isSet = PR_FALSE;
-      if (parentNode) {
-        // let's check if the parent element already has the style we want
-        nsAutoString parentValue;
-        mHTMLCSSUtils->IsCSSEquivalentToHTMLInlineStyleSet(parentNode, aProperty, aAttribute,
-                                                           isSet, parentValue,
-                                                           COMPUTED_STYLE_TYPE);
-      }
-      if (isSet && !(aValue && aValue->Equals(NS_LITERAL_STRING("-moz-editor-invert-value")))) {
-        // the parent has the style we want to apply and we are not trying to remove this style
-        // from the selection
-        res = mHTMLCSSUtils->RemoveCSSEquivalentToHTMLStyle(element,
-                                                      aProperty,
-                                                      aAttribute,
-                                                      aValue);
-        if (NS_FAILED(res)) return res;
-        res = RemoveElementIfUselessSpan(element);
-      }
-      else {
-        PRInt32 count;
-        // add the css styles corresponding to the HTML style request
-        res = mHTMLCSSUtils->SetCSSEquivalentToHTMLStyle(element, aProperty, aAttribute, aValue, &count);
-      }
       return res;
     }
   }
@@ -721,9 +695,21 @@ nsresult nsHTMLEditor::RemoveStyleInside(nsIDOMNode *aNode,
                                                       aProperty,
                                                       aAttribute,
                                                       &propertyValue);
-        nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMElement> element = do_QueryInterface(aNode);
-        res = RemoveElementIfUselessSpan(element);
+        // remove the node if it is a span, if its style attribute is empty or absent,
+        // and if it does not have a class nor an id
+        nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMElement> elem = do_QueryInterface(aNode);
+        nsAutoString styleVal;
+        PRBool isStyleSet;
+        res = GetAttributeValue(elem,  NS_LITERAL_STRING("style"), styleVal, &isStyleSet);
         if (NS_FAILED(res)) return res;
+        if (NodeIsType(aNode, nsIEditProperty::span) && (!isStyleSet || (0 == styleVal.Length()))) {
+          PRBool hasClassOrId ;
+          res = mHTMLCSSUtils->HasClassOrID(elem, hasClassOrId);
+          if (!hasClassOrId) {
+            res = RemoveContainer(aNode);
+            if (NS_FAILED(res)) return res;
+          }
+        }
       }
     }
   }  
@@ -1836,30 +1822,3 @@ nsHTMLEditor::IsCSSEnabled(PRBool *aIsSet)
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
-nsresult
-nsHTMLEditor::RemoveElementIfUselessSpan(nsIDOMElement * aElement)
-{
-  NS_ENSURE_TRUE(aElement, NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER);
-  nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode> node  = do_QueryInterface(aElement);
-
-  // early way out if node is not a span element
-  if (!NodeIsType(node, nsIEditProperty::span)) {
-    return NS_OK;
-  }
-
-  // remove the node if it is a span, if its style attribute is empty or absent,
-  // and if it does not have a class nor an id
-  nsAutoString styleVal;
-  PRBool isStyleSet;
-  nsresult res = GetAttributeValue(aElement,  NS_LITERAL_STRING("style"), styleVal, &isStyleSet);
-  if (NS_FAILED(res)) return res;
-  if (!isStyleSet || (0 == styleVal.Length())) {
-    PRBool hasClassOrId ;
-    res = mHTMLCSSUtils->HasClassOrID(aElement, hasClassOrId);
-    if (NS_FAILED(res)) return res;
-    if (!hasClassOrId) {
-      res = RemoveContainer(node);
-    }
-  }
-  return res;
-}