--- a/layout/base/nsPresShell.cpp
+++ b/layout/base/nsPresShell.cpp
@@ -2767,21 +2767,24 @@ PresShell::InitialReflow(nscoord aWidth,
   }
 
   // For printing, we just immediately unsuppress.
   if (!mPresContext->IsPaginated()) {
     // Kick off a one-shot timer based off our pref value.  When this timer
     // fires, if painting is still locked down, then we will go ahead and
     // trigger a full invalidate and allow painting to proceed normally.
     mPaintingSuppressed = PR_TRUE;
-    mPaintSuppressionTimer = do_CreateInstance("@mozilla.org/timer;1");
-    if (!mPaintSuppressionTimer)
-      // Uh-oh.  We must be out of memory.  No point in keeping painting locked down.
+    // Don't suppress painting if the document isn't loading.
+    nsIDocument::ReadyState readyState = mDocument->GetReadyStateEnum();
+    if (readyState != nsIDocument::READYSTATE_COMPLETE) {
+      mPaintSuppressionTimer = do_CreateInstance("@mozilla.org/timer;1");
+    }
+    if (!mPaintSuppressionTimer) {
       mPaintingSuppressed = PR_FALSE;
-    else {
+    } else {
       // Initialize the timer.
 
       // Default to PAINTLOCK_EVENT_DELAY if we can't get the pref value.
       PRInt32 delay =
         nsContentUtils::GetIntPref("nglayout.initialpaint.delay",
                                    PAINTLOCK_EVENT_DELAY);
 
       mPaintSuppressionTimer->InitWithFuncCallback(sPaintSuppressionCallback,