--- a/browser/components/newtab/NewTabMessages.jsm
+++ b/browser/components/newtab/NewTabMessages.jsm
@@ -63,16 +63,19 @@ let NewTabMessages = {
         this.uninit();
       } else if (!this._prefs.enabled && value) {
         this.init();
       }
     }
   },
 
   init() {
+    NewTabPrefsProvider.prefs.init();
+    NewTabWebChannel.init();
+
     this._prefs.enabled = Preferences.get(PREF_ENABLED, false);
 
     if (this._prefs.enabled) {
       NewTabWebChannel.on(ACTIONS.prefs.inPrefs, this.handlePrefRequest.bind(this));
       NewTabPrefsProvider.prefs.on(PREF_ENABLED, this._handleEnabledChange.bind(this));
 
       for (let pref of NewTabPrefsProvider.newtabPagePrefSet) {
         NewTabPrefsProvider.prefs.on(pref, this.handlePrefChange.bind(this));
@@ -86,10 +89,13 @@ let NewTabMessages = {
     if (this._prefs.enabled) {
       NewTabPrefsProvider.prefs.off(PREF_ENABLED, this._handleEnabledChange);
 
       NewTabWebChannel.off(ACTIONS.prefs.inPrefs, this.handlePrefRequest);
       for (let pref of NewTabPrefsProvider.newtabPagePrefSet) {
         NewTabPrefsProvider.prefs.off(pref, this.handlePrefChange);
       }
     }
+
+    NewTabPrefsProvider.prefs.uninit();
+    NewTabWebChannel.uninit();
   }
 };

--- a/browser/components/newtab/tests/browser/browser_newtabmessages.js
+++ b/browser/components/newtab/tests/browser/browser_newtabmessages.js
@@ -12,17 +12,16 @@ function setup() {
   Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.enhanced", true);
   Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote.mode", "test");
   Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote", true);
   NewTabMessages.init();
 }
 
 function cleanup() {
   NewTabMessages.uninit();
-  NewTabWebChannel.tearDownState();
   Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote", false);
   Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote.mode", "production");
 }
 registerCleanupFunction(cleanup);
 
 /*
  * Sanity tests for pref messages
  */

--- a/browser/components/newtab/tests/browser/browser_newtabwebchannel.js
+++ b/browser/components/newtab/tests/browser/browser_newtabwebchannel.js
@@ -2,33 +2,42 @@
 
 "use strict";
 
 Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/Preferences.jsm");
 Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/XPCOMUtils.jsm");
 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "NewTabWebChannel",
                                   "resource:///modules/NewTabWebChannel.jsm");
+XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "NewTabMessages",
+                                  "resource:///modules/NewTabMessages.jsm");
 
 const TEST_URL = "https://example.com/browser/browser/components/newtab/tests/browser/newtabwebchannel_basic.html";
 const TEST_URL_2 = "http://mochi.test:8888/browser/browser/components/newtab/tests/browser/newtabwebchannel_basic.html";
 
+function setup(mode = "test") {
+  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote.mode", mode);
+  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote", true);
+  NewTabWebChannel.init();
+  NewTabMessages.init();
+}
+
 function cleanup() {
-  NewTabWebChannel.tearDownState();
+  NewTabMessages.uninit();
+  NewTabWebChannel.uninit();
   Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote", false);
   Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote.mode", "production");
 }
 registerCleanupFunction(cleanup);
 
 /*
  * Tests flow of messages from newtab to chrome and chrome to newtab
  */
 add_task(function* open_webchannel_basic() {
-  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote.mode", "test");
-  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote", true);
+  setup();
 
   let tabOptions = {
     gBrowser,
     url: TEST_URL
   };
 
   let messagePromise = new Promise(resolve => {
     NewTabWebChannel.once("foo", function(name, msg) {
@@ -67,18 +76,17 @@ add_task(function* open_webchannel_basic
   yield unloadPromise;
   cleanup();
 });
 
 /*
  * Tests message broadcast reaches all open newtab pages
  */
 add_task(function* webchannel_broadcast() {
-  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote.mode", "test");
-  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote", true);
+  setup();
 
   let countingMessagePromise = new Promise(resolve => {
     let count = 0;
     NewTabWebChannel.on("foo", function test_message(name, msg) {
       count += 1;
       if (count === 2) {
         NewTabWebChannel.off("foo", test_message);
         resolve(msg.target);
@@ -128,18 +136,17 @@ add_task(function* webchannel_broadcast(
   yield countingUnloadPromise;
   cleanup();
 });
 
 /*
  * Tests switching modes
  */
 add_task(function* webchannel_switch() {
-  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote.mode", "test");
-  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote", true);
+  setup();
 
   function newMessagePromise() {
     return new Promise(resolve => {
       NewTabWebChannel.once("foo", function(name, msg) {
         resolve(msg.target);
       }.bind(this));
     });
   }
@@ -190,18 +197,17 @@ add_task(function* webchannel_switch() {
 
   Cu.forceGC();
   is(NewTabWebChannel.numBrowsers, 0, "Sanity check");
   yield unloadPromise;
   cleanup();
 });
 
 add_task(function* open_webchannel_reload() {
-  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote.mode", "test");
-  Preferences.set("browser.newtabpage.remote", true);
+  setup();
 
   let tabOptions = {
     gBrowser,
     url: TEST_URL
   };
 
   let messagePromise = new Promise(resolve => {
     NewTabWebChannel.once("foo", function(name, msg) {

--- a/browser/components/nsBrowserGlue.js
+++ b/browser/components/nsBrowserGlue.js
@@ -22,22 +22,16 @@ XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, 
                                   "resource:///modules/AboutNewTab.jsm");
 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "DirectoryLinksProvider",
                                   "resource:///modules/DirectoryLinksProvider.jsm");
 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "NewTabUtils",
                                   "resource://gre/modules/NewTabUtils.jsm");
 
-XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "NewTabPrefsProvider",
-                                  "resource:///modules/NewTabPrefsProvider.jsm");
-
-XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "NewTabWebChannel",
-                                  "resource:///modules/NewTabWebChannel.jsm");
-
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "NewTabMessages",
                                   "resource:///modules/NewTabMessages.jsm");
 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "UITour",
                                   "resource:///modules/UITour.jsm");
 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyModuleGetter(this, "AddonManager",
                                   "resource://gre/modules/AddonManager.jsm");
@@ -754,18 +748,16 @@ BrowserGlue.prototype = {
     webrtcUI.init();
     AboutHome.init();
 
     DirectoryLinksProvider.init();
     NewTabUtils.init();
     NewTabUtils.links.addProvider(DirectoryLinksProvider);
     AboutNewTab.init();
 
-    NewTabPrefsProvider.prefs.init();
-    NewTabWebChannel.init();
     NewTabMessages.init();
 
     SessionStore.init();
     BrowserUITelemetry.init();
     ContentSearch.init();
     FormValidationHandler.init();
 
     ContentClick.init();
@@ -1061,18 +1053,16 @@ BrowserGlue.prototype = {
       let appStartup = Cc["@mozilla.org/toolkit/app-startup;1"]
                          .getService(Ci.nsIAppStartup);
       appStartup.trackStartupCrashEnd();
     } catch (e) {
       Cu.reportError("Could not end startup crash tracking in quit-application-granted: " + e);
     }
 
     SelfSupportBackend.uninit();
-    NewTabPrefsProvider.prefs.uninit();
-    NewTabWebChannel.uninit();
     NewTabMessages.uninit();
 
     AboutNewTab.uninit();
     webrtcUI.uninit();
     FormValidationHandler.uninit();
     if (AppConstants.NIGHTLY_BUILD) {
       AddonWatcher.uninit();
     }