--- a/suite/browser/tabbrowser.xml
+++ b/suite/browser/tabbrowser.xml
@@ -995,16 +995,17 @@
             this.mLastRelatedIndex = 0;
 
             var newBrowser = this.mPanelContainer.selectedPanel.firstChild;
             // Transfer the dropped link handler to the new browser.
             // Note: closing the current tab sets mCurrentBrowser to null
             //       so we use mCurrentTab.linkedBrowser instead.
             newBrowser.droppedLinkHandler = this.mCurrentTab.linkedBrowser.droppedLinkHandler;
             newBrowser.showWindowResizer = this.mCurrentTab.linkedBrowser.showWindowResizer;
+            newBrowser.docShellIsActive = this.mCurrentTab.linkedBrowser.docShellIsActive;
             if (this.mCurrentBrowser) {
               this.mCurrentBrowser.droppedLinkHandler = null;
               // Only save the focused element if it is in our content window
               // or in an ancestor window.
               var focusedWindow = document.commandDispatcher.focusedWindow;
               var saveFocus = false;
 
               if (focusedWindow && focusedWindow.top == window.content) {
@@ -1041,21 +1042,19 @@
                 // Only blur the focused element if it isn't a tab, 
                 // to avoid breaking keyboard tab navigation
                 this.mCurrentBrowser.focusedWindow
                     .QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIInterfaceRequestor)
                     .getInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIDOMWindowUtils)
                     .focus(null);
               }
               this.mCurrentBrowser.setAttribute("type", "content-targetable");
-              this.mCurrentBrowser.docShell.isActive = false;
             }
 
             newBrowser.setAttribute("type", "content-primary");
-            newBrowser.docShell.isActive = true;
             this.mCurrentBrowser = newBrowser;
             this.mCurrentTab = this.selectedTab;
             this.mCurrentTab.removeAttribute("unread");
             var tabListener = this.mTabListeners[this.tabContainer.selectedIndex];
 
             // Update the URL bar.
             this.updateUrlBar(newBrowser.webProgress,
                               null,
@@ -1470,16 +1469,19 @@
             // browser element, which fires off a bunch of notifications. Some
             // of those notifications can cause code to run that inspects our
             // state, so it is important that the tab element is fully
             // initialized by this point.
             this.mPanelContainer.appendChild(n);
 
             b.addEventListener("DOMTitleChanged", this.onTitleChanged, true);
 
+            // We start our browsers out as inactive.
+            b.docShellIsActive = false;
+
             this.mStrip.collapsed = false;
 
             this.mPrefs.setBoolPref("browser.tabs.forceHide", false);
 
             // wire up a progress listener for the new browser object.
             var position = this.tabs.length - 1;
             var tabListener = this.mTabProgressListener(t, b, blank);
             const filter = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/appshell/component/browser-status-filter;1"]
@@ -1525,20 +1527,16 @@
             }
 
             if (aFocusNewTab) {
               var parentTab = this.selectedTab;
               this.selectedTab = t;
               this.mPreviousTab = parentTab;
             }
             else {
-              // We start our browsers out as inactive, and then maintain
-              // activeness in the tab switcher.
-              b.docShell.isActive = false;
-
               // The user opened a background tab, so updateCurrentBrowser
               // won't be called.  Explicitly clear the previous tab.
               this.mPreviousTab = null;
             }
             this.tabContainer._handleNewTab(t);
 
             var evt = document.createEvent("Events");
             evt.initEvent("TabOpen", true, false);