diff --git a/widget/src/gtk/nsGtkEventHandler.cpp b/widget/src/gtk/nsGtkEventHandler.cpp
index 17486bb12b56..2f2edb463776 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk/nsGtkEventHandler.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/gtk/nsGtkEventHandler.cpp
@@ -773,6 +773,11 @@ handle_gdk_event (GdkEvent *event, gpointer data)
       // It was an event on one of our superwindows
 
       nsWindow *window = (nsWindow *)gtk_object_get_data (object, "nsWindow");
+
+      // if we don't have a window here anymore, we are probably in the process of being or have been destroyed
+      if (!window)
+        return;
+
       GtkWidget *current_grab = gtk_grab_get_current();
 
       // if there's a grab in progress, make sure to send it right to that widget.
diff --git a/widget/src/gtk/nsWidget.cpp b/widget/src/gtk/nsWidget.cpp
index e12094ebaf68..ae3efe548bd3 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk/nsWidget.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/gtk/nsWidget.cpp
@@ -260,11 +260,8 @@ nsWidget::nsWidget()
   mIsDragDest = PR_FALSE;
   mIsToplevel = PR_FALSE;
 
-  if (NS_OK == nsComponentManager::CreateInstance(kRegionCID,
-                                                  nsnull,
-                                                  NS_GET_IID(nsIRegion),
-                                                  (void**)&mUpdateArea))
-  {
+  mUpdateArea = do_CreateInstance(kRegionCID);
+  if (mUpdateArea) {
     mUpdateArea->Init();
     mUpdateArea->SetTo(0, 0, 0, 0);
   }
@@ -338,13 +335,11 @@ nsWidget::~nsWidget()
   printf("nsWidget::~nsWidget:%p\n", this);
 #endif
 
-  NS_IF_RELEASE(mUpdateArea);
-
   // it's safe to always call Destroy() because it will only allow itself
   // to be called once
   Destroy();
 
-  if (!sWidgetCount--) {
+  if (!--sWidgetCount) {
     NS_IF_RELEASE(sLookAndFeel);
   }
 
@@ -424,6 +419,10 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsWidget::Destroy(void)
   if (mIsDestroying)
     return NS_OK;
 
+  // we don't want people sending us events if we are the button motion target
+  if (sButtonMotionTarget == this)
+    sButtonMotionTarget = nsnull;
+
   // ok, set our state
   mIsDestroying = PR_TRUE;
 
@@ -1642,6 +1641,9 @@ nsWidget::InstallRealizeSignal(GtkWidget * aWidget)
 nsWidget::OnMotionNotifySignal(GdkEventMotion * aGdkMotionEvent)
 {
   
+  if (mIsDestroying)
+    return;
+
   nsMouseEvent event;
 
   event.message = NS_MOUSE_MOVE;
diff --git a/widget/src/gtk/nsWidget.h b/widget/src/gtk/nsWidget.h
index f021e6050834..15bf7721b96a 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk/nsWidget.h
+++ b/widget/src/gtk/nsWidget.h
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ protected:
 
   // This is the composite update area (union of all the calls to
   // Invalidate)
-  nsIRegion *mUpdateArea;
+  nsCOMPtr<nsIRegion> mUpdateArea;
 
   PRBool mShown;
 
diff --git a/widget/src/gtk/nsWindow.cpp b/widget/src/gtk/nsWindow.cpp
index b7b75fef8dba..5713d8cb304a 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk/nsWindow.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/gtk/nsWindow.cpp
@@ -165,6 +165,22 @@ nsWindow::~nsWindow()
     UnqueueDraw();
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsWindow::Destroy(void)
+{
+  // remove our pointer from the object so that we event handlers don't send us events
+  // after we are gone or in the process of going away
+
+  if (mSuperWin)
+    gtk_object_remove_data(GTK_OBJECT(mSuperWin), "nsWindow");
+  if (mShell)
+    gtk_object_remove_data(GTK_OBJECT(mShell), "nsWindow");
+  if (mMozArea)
+    gtk_object_remove_data(GTK_OBJECT(mMozArea), "nsWindow");
+
+  return nsWidget::Destroy();
+}
+
+
 PRBool nsWindow::IsChild() const
 {
   return PR_FALSE;
@@ -1028,6 +1044,9 @@ nsWindow::InstallFocusOutSignal(GtkWidget * aWidget)
 void 
 nsWindow::HandleGDKEvent(GdkEvent *event)
 {
+  if (mIsDestroying)
+    return;
+
   switch (event->any.type)
   {
   case GDK_MOTION_NOTIFY:
@@ -2543,6 +2562,9 @@ nsWindow::HandleXlibExposeEvent(XEvent *event)
 void
 nsWindow::HandleXlibButtonEvent(XButtonEvent * aButtonEvent)
 {
+  if (mIsDestroying)
+    return;
+
   nsMouseEvent event;
   
   PRUint32 eventType = 0;
diff --git a/widget/src/gtk/nsWindow.h b/widget/src/gtk/nsWindow.h
index 58f1e97827f4..0f1991766e5e 100644
--- a/widget/src/gtk/nsWindow.h
+++ b/widget/src/gtk/nsWindow.h
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ public:
   NS_IMETHOD           SetCursor(nsCursor aCursor);
   NS_IMETHOD           SetFocus(void);
   NS_IMETHOD           GetAttention(void);
+  NS_IMETHOD           Destroy();
 
   void                 QueueDraw();
   void                 UnqueueDraw();