--- a/toolkit/mozapps/update/nsUpdateService.js
+++ b/toolkit/mozapps/update/nsUpdateService.js
@@ -1009,31 +1009,32 @@ function handleUpdateFailure(update, err
   
   return false;
 }
 
 /**
  * Fall back to downloading a complete update in case an update has failed.
  *
  * @param update the update object that has failed to apply.
+ * @param postStaging true if we have just attempted to stage an update.
  */
-function handleFallbackToCompleteUpdate(update) {
+function handleFallbackToCompleteUpdate(update, postStaging) {
   cleanupActiveUpdate();
 
   update.statusText = gUpdateBundle.GetStringFromName("patchApplyFailure");
   var oldType = update.selectedPatch ? update.selectedPatch.type
                                      : "complete";
   if (update.selectedPatch && oldType == "partial" && update.patchCount == 2) {
     // Partial patch application failed, try downloading the complete
     // update in the background instead.
     LOG("UpdateService:_postUpdateProcessing - install of partial patch " +
         "failed, downloading complete patch");
     var status = Cc["@mozilla.org/updates/update-service;1"].
                  getService(Ci.nsIApplicationUpdateService).
-                 downloadUpdate(update, true);
+                 downloadUpdate(update, !postStaging);
     if (status == STATE_NONE)
       cleanupActiveUpdate();
   }
   else {
     LOG("handleFallbackToCompleteUpdate - install of complete or " +
         "only one patch offered failed.");
   }
   update.QueryInterface(Ci.nsIWritablePropertyBag);
@@ -1616,17 +1617,17 @@ UpdateService.prototype = {
       update.state = ary[0];
       if (update.state == STATE_FAILED && ary[1]) {
         if (handleUpdateFailure(update, ary[1])) {
           return;
         }
       }
 
       // Something went wrong with the patch application process.
-      handleFallbackToCompleteUpdate(update);
+      handleFallbackToCompleteUpdate(update, false);
 
       prompter.showUpdateError(update);
     }
   },
 
   /**
    * Submit the results of applying the update via telemetry.
    *
@@ -2431,17 +2432,17 @@ UpdateManager.prototype = {
   refreshUpdateStatus: function UM_refreshUpdateStatus(update) {
     var updateSucceeded = true;
     var status = readStatusFile(getUpdatesDir());
     var ary = status.split(":");
     update.state = ary[0];
     if (update.state == STATE_FAILED && ary[1]) {
       updateSucceeded = false;
       if (!handleUpdateFailure(update, ary[1])) {
-        handleFallbackToCompleteUpdate(update);
+        handleFallbackToCompleteUpdate(update, true);
       }
     }
     if (update.state == STATE_APPLIED && shouldUseService()) {
       writeStatusFile(getUpdatesDir(), update.state = STATE_APPLIED_SVC);
     }
     var um = Cc["@mozilla.org/updates/update-manager;1"].
              getService(Ci.nsIUpdateManager);
     um.saveUpdates();