diff --git a/docshell/base/nsDocShell.cpp b/docshell/base/nsDocShell.cpp
index a48f7b272023..f6030f8a823f 100644
--- a/docshell/base/nsDocShell.cpp
+++ b/docshell/base/nsDocShell.cpp
@@ -1428,6 +1428,15 @@ nsDocShell::SetName(const PRUnichar * aName)
     return NS_OK;
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP
+nsDocShell::NameEquals(const PRUnichar *aName, PRBool *_retval)
+{
+    NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(aName);
+    NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(_retval);
+    *_retval = mName.Equals(aName);
+    return NS_OK;
+}
+
 NS_IMETHODIMP
 nsDocShell::GetItemType(PRInt32 * aItemType)
 {
@@ -1908,7 +1917,6 @@ nsDocShell::FindChildWithName(const PRUnichar * aName,
 
     *_retval = nsnull;          // if we don't find one, we return NS_OK and a null result 
 
-    nsDependentString name(aName);
     nsXPIDLString childName;
     PRInt32 i, n = mChildren.Count();
     for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
@@ -1920,8 +1928,9 @@ nsDocShell::FindChildWithName(const PRUnichar * aName,
         if (aSameType && (childType != mItemType))
             continue;
 
-        child->GetName(getter_Copies(childName));
-        if (name.Equals(childName)) {
+        PRBool childNameEquals = PR_FALSE;
+        child->NameEquals(aName, &childNameEquals);
+        if (childNameEquals) {
             *_retval = child;
             NS_ADDREF(*_retval);
             break;
diff --git a/docshell/base/nsIDocShellTreeItem.idl b/docshell/base/nsIDocShellTreeItem.idl
index 09f48a23b83a..0d6adb86718e 100644
--- a/docshell/base/nsIDocShellTreeItem.idl
+++ b/docshell/base/nsIDocShellTreeItem.idl
@@ -39,6 +39,15 @@ interface nsIDocShellTreeItem : nsISupports
 	*/
 	attribute wstring name;
 
+        /**
+         * Compares the provided name against the item's name and
+         * returns the appropriate result.
+         *
+         * @return <CODE>PR_TRUE</CODE> if names match;
+         *         <CODE>PR_FALSE</CODE> otherwise.
+         */
+        boolean nameEquals(in wstring name);
+
 	/*
 	Definitions for the item types.
 	*/
diff --git a/embedding/browser/webBrowser/nsWebBrowser.cpp b/embedding/browser/webBrowser/nsWebBrowser.cpp
index 2a480357f11e..b178aa721d9b 100644
--- a/embedding/browser/webBrowser/nsWebBrowser.cpp
+++ b/embedding/browser/webBrowser/nsWebBrowser.cpp
@@ -397,6 +397,22 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsWebBrowser::SetName(const PRUnichar* aName)
    return NS_OK;
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsWebBrowser::NameEquals(const PRUnichar *aName, PRBool *_retval)
+{
+    NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(aName);
+    NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(_retval);
+    if(mDocShell)
+    {
+        nsCOMPtr<nsIDocShellTreeItem> docShellAsItem(do_QueryInterface(mDocShell));
+        NS_ENSURE_TRUE(docShellAsItem, NS_ERROR_FAILURE);
+        return docShellAsItem->NameEquals(aName, _retval);
+    }
+    else
+        *_retval = mInitInfo->name.Equals(aName);
+
+    return NS_OK;
+}
+
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsWebBrowser::GetItemType(PRInt32* aItemType)
 {
    NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(aItemType);