diff --git a/gfx/src/gtk/nsDeviceContextGTK.cpp b/gfx/src/gtk/nsDeviceContextGTK.cpp
index 26645d64818c..c77ca4d43d31 100644
--- a/gfx/src/gtk/nsDeviceContextGTK.cpp
+++ b/gfx/src/gtk/nsDeviceContextGTK.cpp
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsDeviceContextGTK::CreateRenderingContext(nsIRenderingContext *&a
   nsIRenderingContext *pContext;
   nsresult             rv;
   nsDrawingSurfaceGTK  *surf;
+  GtkWidget *w;
+
+  w = (GtkWidget*)mWidget;
 
   // to call init for this, we need to have a valid nsDrawingSurfaceGTK created
   pContext = new nsRenderingContextGTK();
@@ -161,15 +164,25 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsDeviceContextGTK::CreateRenderingContext(nsIRenderingContext *&a
     // create the nsDrawingSurfaceGTK
     surf = new nsDrawingSurfaceGTK();
 
-    if (nsnull != surf)
+    if (surf && w)
       {
+        GdkDrawable *gwin = nsnull;
         GdkDrawable *win = nsnull;
         // FIXME
-        if (GTK_IS_LAYOUT((GtkWidget*)mWidget))
-          win = (GdkDrawable*)gdk_window_ref(GTK_LAYOUT((GtkWidget*)mWidget)->bin_window);
+        if (GTK_IS_LAYOUT(w))
+          gwin = (GdkDrawable*)GTK_LAYOUT(w)->bin_window;
         else
-          win = (GdkDrawable*)gdk_window_ref(((GtkWidget*)mWidget)->window);
+          gwin = (GdkDrawable*)(w)->window;
 
+        // window might not be realized... ugh
+        if (gwin)
+          gdk_window_ref(gwin);
+        else
+          win = gdk_pixmap_new(nsnull,
+                               w->allocation.width,
+                               w->allocation.height,
+                               gdk_rgb_get_visual()->depth);
+        
         GdkGC *gc = gdk_gc_new(win);
 
         // init the nsDrawingSurfaceGTK
diff --git a/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.cpp b/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.cpp
index 723f420369c7..6511ce60a1ad 100644
--- a/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.cpp
+++ b/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,19 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::Init(nsIDeviceContext* aContext,
     // we want to ref the window here so that we can unref in the drawing surface.
     // otherwise, we can not unref and that causes windows that are created in the
     // drawing surface not to be freed.
-    GdkDrawable *win = (GdkDrawable*)gdk_window_ref((GdkWindow *)aWindow->GetNativeData(NS_NATIVE_WINDOW));
+    GdkDrawable *win = (GdkDrawable*)aWindow->GetNativeData(NS_NATIVE_WINDOW);
+    if (win)
+      gdk_window_ref((GdkWindow*)win);
+    else
+    {
+      GtkWidget *w = aWindow->GetNativeData(NS_NATIVE_WIDGET);
+
+      win = gdk_pixmap_new(nsnull,
+                           w->allocation.width,
+                           w->allocation.height,
+                           gdk_rgb_get_visual()->depth);
+    }
+
 #else
     GdkDrawable *win = (GdkDrawable *)aWindow->GetNativeData(NS_NATIVE_WINDOW);
 #endif