diff --git a/layout/generic/nsTextTransformer.cpp b/layout/generic/nsTextTransformer.cpp
index 3da5f840f8a6..3f74d868f6ce 100644
--- a/layout/generic/nsTextTransformer.cpp
+++ b/layout/generic/nsTextTransformer.cpp
@@ -39,12 +39,10 @@ static nsICaseConversion* gCaseConv =  nsnull;
 
 #define MAX_UNIBYTE 127
 
-nsTextTransformer::nsTextTransformer(PRUnichar* aBuffer, PRInt32 aBufLen, 
-                                     nsILineBreaker* aLineBreaker,
+nsTextTransformer::nsTextTransformer(nsILineBreaker* aLineBreaker,
                                      nsIWordBreaker* aWordBreaker)
-  : mAutoBuffer(aBuffer),
-    mBuffer(aBuffer),
-    mBufferLength(aBufLen < 0 ? 0 : aBufLen),
+  : mBuffer(mAutoWordBuffer),
+    mBufferLength(NS_TEXT_TRANSFORMER_AUTO_WORD_BUF_SIZE),
     mHasMultibyte(PR_FALSE),
     mLineBreaker(aLineBreaker),
     mWordBreaker(aWordBreaker)
@@ -53,7 +51,7 @@ nsTextTransformer::nsTextTransformer(PRUnichar* aBuffer, PRInt32 aBufLen,
 
 nsTextTransformer::~nsTextTransformer()
 {
-  if (mBuffer != mAutoBuffer) {
+  if (mBuffer != mAutoWordBuffer) {
     delete [] mBuffer;
   }
 }
@@ -63,14 +61,6 @@ nsTextTransformer::Init(nsIFrame* aFrame,
                         nsIContent* aContent,
                         PRInt32 aStartingOffset)
 {
-  // Make sure we have *some* space in case arguments to the ctor were
-  // bizzare.
-  if (mBufferLength < 100) {
-    if (!GrowBuffer()) {
-      return NS_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-    }
-  }
-
   // Get the frames text content
   nsITextContent* tc;
   if (NS_OK != aContent->QueryInterface(kITextContentIID, (void**) &tc)) {
@@ -143,8 +133,9 @@ nsTextTransformer::GrowBuffer(PRBool aForNextWord)
     if(aForNextWord)
       nsCRT::memcpy(newBuffer, mBuffer, sizeof(PRUnichar) * mBufferLength);
     else
-      nsCRT::memcpy(&newBuffer[mBufferLength], mBuffer, sizeof(PRUnichar) * mBufferLength);
-    if (mBuffer != mAutoBuffer) {
+      nsCRT::memcpy(&newBuffer[mBufferLength], mBuffer,
+                    sizeof(PRUnichar) * mBufferLength);
+    if (mBuffer != mAutoWordBuffer) {
       delete [] mBuffer;
     }
   }
@@ -678,10 +669,3 @@ nsTextTransformer::GetPrevWord(PRBool aInWord,
 #endif
   return &(mBuffer[mBufferLength-wordLen]);
 }
-
-PRUnichar*
-nsTextTransformer::GetTextAt(PRInt32 aOffset)
-{
-  // XXX
-  return mBuffer + aOffset;
-}
diff --git a/layout/generic/nsTextTransformer.h b/layout/generic/nsTextTransformer.h
index fc8ee87ede0c..3c11dae6d010 100644
--- a/layout/generic/nsTextTransformer.h
+++ b/layout/generic/nsTextTransformer.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ class nsTextRun;
 class nsILineBreaker;
 class nsIWordBreaker;
 
+#define NS_TEXT_TRANSFORMER_AUTO_WORD_BUF_SIZE 100
+
 /**
  * This object manages the transformation of text:
  *
@@ -46,11 +48,10 @@ class nsIWordBreaker;
  */
 class nsTextTransformer {
 public:
-
-  // The text transformer does not hold a reference to the line breaker
-  // and work breaker objects
-  nsTextTransformer(PRUnichar* aBuffer, PRInt32 aBufLen, 
-                    nsILineBreaker* aLineBreaker, nsIWordBreaker *aWordBreaker);
+  // Note: The text transformer does not hold a reference to the line
+  // breaker and work breaker objects
+  nsTextTransformer(nsILineBreaker* aLineBreaker,
+                    nsIWordBreaker *aWordBreaker);
 
   ~nsTextTransformer();
 
@@ -82,12 +83,17 @@ public:
     return mHasMultibyte;
   }
 
-  PRUnichar* GetTextAt(PRInt32 aOffset);
+  PRUnichar* GetWordBuffer() {
+    return mBuffer;
+  }
+
+  PRInt32 GetWordBufferLength() const {
+    return mBufferLength;
+  }
 
 protected:
-  PRBool GrowBuffer(PRBool aForNextWord=PR_TRUE);
+  PRBool GrowBuffer(PRBool aForNextWord = PR_TRUE);
 
-  PRUnichar* mAutoBuffer;
   PRUnichar* mBuffer;
   PRInt32 mBufferLength;
   PRBool mHasMultibyte;
@@ -106,6 +112,8 @@ protected:
 
   nsILineBreaker* mLineBreaker;  // does NOT hold reference
   nsIWordBreaker* mWordBreaker;  // does NOT hold reference
+
+  PRUnichar mAutoWordBuffer[NS_TEXT_TRANSFORMER_AUTO_WORD_BUF_SIZE];
 };
 
 #endif /* nsTextTransformer_h___ */
diff --git a/layout/html/base/src/nsTextTransformer.cpp b/layout/html/base/src/nsTextTransformer.cpp
index 3da5f840f8a6..3f74d868f6ce 100644
--- a/layout/html/base/src/nsTextTransformer.cpp
+++ b/layout/html/base/src/nsTextTransformer.cpp
@@ -39,12 +39,10 @@ static nsICaseConversion* gCaseConv =  nsnull;
 
 #define MAX_UNIBYTE 127
 
-nsTextTransformer::nsTextTransformer(PRUnichar* aBuffer, PRInt32 aBufLen, 
-                                     nsILineBreaker* aLineBreaker,
+nsTextTransformer::nsTextTransformer(nsILineBreaker* aLineBreaker,
                                      nsIWordBreaker* aWordBreaker)
-  : mAutoBuffer(aBuffer),
-    mBuffer(aBuffer),
-    mBufferLength(aBufLen < 0 ? 0 : aBufLen),
+  : mBuffer(mAutoWordBuffer),
+    mBufferLength(NS_TEXT_TRANSFORMER_AUTO_WORD_BUF_SIZE),
     mHasMultibyte(PR_FALSE),
     mLineBreaker(aLineBreaker),
     mWordBreaker(aWordBreaker)
@@ -53,7 +51,7 @@ nsTextTransformer::nsTextTransformer(PRUnichar* aBuffer, PRInt32 aBufLen,
 
 nsTextTransformer::~nsTextTransformer()
 {
-  if (mBuffer != mAutoBuffer) {
+  if (mBuffer != mAutoWordBuffer) {
     delete [] mBuffer;
   }
 }
@@ -63,14 +61,6 @@ nsTextTransformer::Init(nsIFrame* aFrame,
                         nsIContent* aContent,
                         PRInt32 aStartingOffset)
 {
-  // Make sure we have *some* space in case arguments to the ctor were
-  // bizzare.
-  if (mBufferLength < 100) {
-    if (!GrowBuffer()) {
-      return NS_ERROR_OUT_OF_MEMORY;
-    }
-  }
-
   // Get the frames text content
   nsITextContent* tc;
   if (NS_OK != aContent->QueryInterface(kITextContentIID, (void**) &tc)) {
@@ -143,8 +133,9 @@ nsTextTransformer::GrowBuffer(PRBool aForNextWord)
     if(aForNextWord)
       nsCRT::memcpy(newBuffer, mBuffer, sizeof(PRUnichar) * mBufferLength);
     else
-      nsCRT::memcpy(&newBuffer[mBufferLength], mBuffer, sizeof(PRUnichar) * mBufferLength);
-    if (mBuffer != mAutoBuffer) {
+      nsCRT::memcpy(&newBuffer[mBufferLength], mBuffer,
+                    sizeof(PRUnichar) * mBufferLength);
+    if (mBuffer != mAutoWordBuffer) {
       delete [] mBuffer;
     }
   }
@@ -678,10 +669,3 @@ nsTextTransformer::GetPrevWord(PRBool aInWord,
 #endif
   return &(mBuffer[mBufferLength-wordLen]);
 }
-
-PRUnichar*
-nsTextTransformer::GetTextAt(PRInt32 aOffset)
-{
-  // XXX
-  return mBuffer + aOffset;
-}
diff --git a/layout/html/base/src/nsTextTransformer.h b/layout/html/base/src/nsTextTransformer.h
index fc8ee87ede0c..3c11dae6d010 100644
--- a/layout/html/base/src/nsTextTransformer.h
+++ b/layout/html/base/src/nsTextTransformer.h
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ class nsTextRun;
 class nsILineBreaker;
 class nsIWordBreaker;
 
+#define NS_TEXT_TRANSFORMER_AUTO_WORD_BUF_SIZE 100
+
 /**
  * This object manages the transformation of text:
  *
@@ -46,11 +48,10 @@ class nsIWordBreaker;
  */
 class nsTextTransformer {
 public:
-
-  // The text transformer does not hold a reference to the line breaker
-  // and work breaker objects
-  nsTextTransformer(PRUnichar* aBuffer, PRInt32 aBufLen, 
-                    nsILineBreaker* aLineBreaker, nsIWordBreaker *aWordBreaker);
+  // Note: The text transformer does not hold a reference to the line
+  // breaker and work breaker objects
+  nsTextTransformer(nsILineBreaker* aLineBreaker,
+                    nsIWordBreaker *aWordBreaker);
 
   ~nsTextTransformer();
 
@@ -82,12 +83,17 @@ public:
     return mHasMultibyte;
   }
 
-  PRUnichar* GetTextAt(PRInt32 aOffset);
+  PRUnichar* GetWordBuffer() {
+    return mBuffer;
+  }
+
+  PRInt32 GetWordBufferLength() const {
+    return mBufferLength;
+  }
 
 protected:
-  PRBool GrowBuffer(PRBool aForNextWord=PR_TRUE);
+  PRBool GrowBuffer(PRBool aForNextWord = PR_TRUE);
 
-  PRUnichar* mAutoBuffer;
   PRUnichar* mBuffer;
   PRInt32 mBufferLength;
   PRBool mHasMultibyte;
@@ -106,6 +112,8 @@ protected:
 
   nsILineBreaker* mLineBreaker;  // does NOT hold reference
   nsIWordBreaker* mWordBreaker;  // does NOT hold reference
+
+  PRUnichar mAutoWordBuffer[NS_TEXT_TRANSFORMER_AUTO_WORD_BUF_SIZE];
 };
 
 #endif /* nsTextTransformer_h___ */