--- a/toolkit/components/places/tests/unit/test_async_history_api.js
+++ b/toolkit/components/places/tests/unit/test_async_history_api.js
@@ -12,17 +12,16 @@ XPCOMUtils.defineLazyServiceGetter(this,
                                    "@mozilla.org/browser/history;1",
                                    "mozIAsyncHistory");
 
 XPCOMUtils.defineLazyServiceGetter(this, "gGlobalHistory",
                                    "@mozilla.org/browser/nav-history-service;1",
                                    "nsIGlobalHistory2");
 
 const TEST_DOMAIN = "http://mozilla.org/";
-const TOPIC_UPDATEPLACES_COMPLETE = "places-updatePlaces-complete";
 const URI_VISIT_SAVED = "uri-visit-saved";
 const RECENT_EVENT_THRESHOLD = 15 * 60 * 1000000;
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //// Helpers
 
 /**
  * Object that represents a mozIVisitInfo object.
@@ -737,24 +736,24 @@ function test_place_id_ignored()
       },
       handleError: function handleError(aResultCode) {
         do_throw("Unexpected error: " + aResultCode);
       }
     });
   }));
 }
 
-function test_observer_topic_dispatched_when_complete()
+function test_handleCompletion_called_when_complete()
 {
   // We test a normal visit, and embeded visit, and a uri that would fail
   // the canAddURI test to make sure that the notification happens after *all*
   // of them have had a callback.
   let places = [
     { uri: NetUtil.newURI(TEST_DOMAIN +
-                          "test_observer_topic_dispatched_when_complete"),
+                          "test_handleCompletion_called_when_complete"),
       visits: [
         new VisitInfo(),
         new VisitInfo(TRANSITION_EMBED),
       ],
     },
     { uri: NetUtil.newURI("data:,Hello%2C%20World!"),
       visits: [
         new VisitInfo(),
@@ -772,30 +771,23 @@ function test_observer_topic_dispatched_
   gHistory.updatePlaces(places, {
     handleResult: function handleResult(aPlaceInfo) {
       let checker = PlacesUtils.history.canAddURI(aPlaceInfo.uri) ?
         do_check_true : do_check_false;
       callbackCountSuccess++;
     },
     handleError: function handleError(aResultCode, aPlaceInfo) {
       callbackCountFailure++;
-    }
-  });
-
-  let observer = {
-    observe: function(aSubject, aTopic, aData)
-    {
-      do_check_eq(aTopic, TOPIC_UPDATEPLACES_COMPLETE);
+    },
+    handleCompletion: function handleCompletion() {
       do_check_eq(callbackCountSuccess, EXPECTED_COUNT_SUCCESS);
       do_check_eq(callbackCountFailure, EXPECTED_COUNT_FAILURE);
-      Services.obs.removeObserver(observer, TOPIC_UPDATEPLACES_COMPLETE);
       waitForAsyncUpdates(run_next_test);
     },
-  };
-  Services.obs.addObserver(observer, TOPIC_UPDATEPLACES_COMPLETE, false);
+  });
 }
 
 function test_add_visit()
 {
   const VISIT_TIME = Date.now() * 1000;
   let place = {
     uri: NetUtil.newURI(TEST_DOMAIN + "test_add_visit"),
     title: "test_add_visit title",
@@ -1295,25 +1287,18 @@ function test_callbacks_not_supplied()
     catch (e if e.result === Cr.NS_ERROR_FAILURE) {
       // NetUtil.newURI() can throw if e.g. our app knows about imap://
       // but the account is not set up and so the URL is invalid for us.
       // Note this in the log but ignore as it's not the subject of this test.
       do_log_info("Could not construct URI for '" + url + "'; ignoring");
     }
   });
   
-  gHistory.updatePlaces(places, {} );
-  let observer = {
-    observe: function(aSubject, aTopic, aData)
-    {
-      Services.obs.removeObserver(observer, TOPIC_UPDATEPLACES_COMPLETE);
-      waitForAsyncUpdates(run_next_test);
-    },
-  };
-  Services.obs.addObserver(observer, TOPIC_UPDATEPLACES_COMPLETE, false);
+  gHistory.updatePlaces(places, {});
+  waitForAsyncUpdates(run_next_test);
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //// Test Runner
 
 [
   test_interface_exists,
   test_invalid_uri_throws,
@@ -1328,17 +1313,17 @@ function test_callbacks_not_supplied()
   test_non_addable_uri_errors,
   test_duplicate_guid_errors,
   test_invalid_referrerURI_ignored,
   test_nonnsIURI_referrerURI_ignored,
   test_invalid_sessionId_ignored,
   test_unstored_sessionId_ignored,
   test_old_referrer_ignored,
   test_place_id_ignored,
-  test_observer_topic_dispatched_when_complete,
+  test_handleCompletion_called_when_complete,
   test_add_visit,
   test_properties_saved,
   test_guid_saved,
   test_referrer_saved,
   test_sessionId_saved,
   test_guid_change_saved,
   test_title_change_saved,
   test_no_title_does_not_clear_title,