--- a/toolkit/devtools/server/actors/highlighter.js
+++ b/toolkit/devtools/server/actors/highlighter.js
@@ -994,21 +994,26 @@ BoxModelHighlighter.prototype = Heritage
       return true;
     }
 
     this._hideBoxModel();
     return false;
   },
 
   _nodeNeedsHighlighting: function() {
+    let hasNoQuads = !this.currentQuads.margin &&
+                     !this.currentQuads.border &&
+                     !this.currentQuads.padding &&
+                     !this.currentQuads.content;
     if (!this.currentNode ||
         Cu.isDeadWrapper(this.currentNode) ||
         this.currentNode.nodeType !== Ci.nsIDOMNode.ELEMENT_NODE ||
         !this.currentNode.ownerDocument ||
-        !this.currentNode.ownerDocument.defaultView) {
+        !this.currentNode.ownerDocument.defaultView ||
+        hasNoQuads) {
       return false;
     }
 
     if (!this._computedStyle) {
       this._computedStyle = CssLogic.getComputedStyle(this.currentNode);
     }
 
     return this._computedStyle.getPropertyValue("display") !== "none";