diff --git a/devtools/client/webreplay/menu.js b/devtools/client/webreplay/menu.js
index 356c929954c6..3ad5168f41fa 100644
--- a/devtools/client/webreplay/menu.js
+++ b/devtools/client/webreplay/menu.js
@@ -44,8 +44,11 @@ function ReloadAndRecordTab() {
     newFrameloader: true,
     remoteType: E10SUtils.DEFAULT_REMOTE_TYPE,
   });
-  gBrowser.loadURI(url, {
-    triggeringPrincipal: gBrowser.selectedBrowser.contentPrincipal,
+  Services.ppmm.addMessageListener("RecordingInitialized", function listener() {
+    Services.ppmm.removeMessageListener("RecordingInitialized", listener);
+    gBrowser.loadURI(url, {
+      triggeringPrincipal: gBrowser.selectedBrowser.contentPrincipal,
+    });
   });
   Services.telemetry.scalarAdd("devtools.webreplay.reload_recording", 1);
 }
diff --git a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_record.js b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_record.js
index e569ec8760d4..eb0bfad7fc38 100644
--- a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_record.js
+++ b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_record.js
@@ -6,11 +6,7 @@
 
 // Test basic recording of a tab without any debugging.
 add_task(async function() {
-  const recordingTab = BrowserTestUtils.addTab(gBrowser, null, {
-    recordExecution: "*",
-  });
-  gBrowser.selectedTab = recordingTab;
-  openTrustedLinkIn(EXAMPLE_URL + "doc_rr_basic.html", "current");
+  const recordingTab = await openRecordingTab("doc_rr_basic.html");
   await once(Services.ppmm, "RecordingFinished");
 
   await gBrowser.removeTab(recordingTab);
diff --git a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-01.js b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-01.js
index b6ec5a5088d1..13eb45ebce7a 100644
--- a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-01.js
+++ b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-01.js
@@ -7,11 +7,7 @@
 // Basic test for saving a recording and then replaying it in a new tab.
 add_task(async function() {
   const recordingFile = newRecordingFile();
-  const recordingTab = BrowserTestUtils.addTab(gBrowser, null, {
-    recordExecution: "*",
-  });
-  gBrowser.selectedTab = recordingTab;
-  openTrustedLinkIn(EXAMPLE_URL + "doc_rr_basic.html", "current");
+  const recordingTab = await openRecordingTab("doc_rr_basic.html");
   await once(Services.ppmm, "RecordingFinished");
 
   const remoteTab = recordingTab.linkedBrowser.frameLoader.remoteTab;
diff --git a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-02.js b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-02.js
index 9c95be6151e0..1af71a660558 100644
--- a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-02.js
+++ b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-02.js
@@ -9,11 +9,7 @@ add_task(async function() {
   waitForExplicitFinish();
 
   const recordingFile = newRecordingFile();
-  const recordingTab = BrowserTestUtils.addTab(gBrowser, null, {
-    recordExecution: "*",
-  });
-  gBrowser.selectedTab = recordingTab;
-  openTrustedLinkIn(EXAMPLE_URL + "doc_rr_continuous.html", "current");
+  const recordingTab = await openRecordingTab("doc_rr_continuous.html");
 
   let dbg = await attachDebugger(recordingTab);
 
diff --git a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-03.js b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-03.js
index 353da78b75e6..474bfa5877ea 100644
--- a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-03.js
+++ b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/browser_dbg_rr_replay-03.js
@@ -10,11 +10,7 @@ add_task(async function() {
   await pushPref("devtools.recordreplay.enableRewinding", false);
 
   const recordingFile = newRecordingFile();
-  const recordingTab = BrowserTestUtils.addTab(gBrowser, null, {
-    recordExecution: "*",
-  });
-  gBrowser.selectedTab = recordingTab;
-  openTrustedLinkIn(EXAMPLE_URL + "doc_rr_basic.html", "current");
+  const recordingTab = await openRecordingTab("doc_rr_basic.html");
   await once(Services.ppmm, "RecordingFinished");
 
   const remoteTab = recordingTab.linkedBrowser.frameLoader.remoteTab;
diff --git a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/head.js b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/head.js
index 2fb01710db8e..18ab6ec17948 100644
--- a/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/head.js
+++ b/devtools/client/webreplay/mochitest/head.js
@@ -27,6 +27,14 @@ async function attachDebugger(tab) {
   return { ...dbg, tab, threadFront };
 }
 
+async function openRecordingTab(url) {
+  const tab = BrowserTestUtils.addTab(gBrowser, null, { recordExecution: "*" });
+  gBrowser.selectedTab = tab;
+  await once(Services.ppmm, "RecordingInitialized");
+  openTrustedLinkIn(EXAMPLE_URL + url, "current");
+  return tab;
+}
+
 async function attachRecordingDebugger(
   url,
   { waitForRecording, disableLogging, skipInterrupt } = {}
@@ -35,9 +43,7 @@ async function attachRecordingDebugger(
     await pushPref("devtools.recordreplay.logging", true);
   }
 
-  const tab = BrowserTestUtils.addTab(gBrowser, null, { recordExecution: "*" });
-  gBrowser.selectedTab = tab;
-  openTrustedLinkIn(EXAMPLE_URL + url, "current");
+  const tab = await openRecordingTab(url);
 
   if (waitForRecording) {
     await once(Services.ppmm, "RecordingFinished");
diff --git a/devtools/server/actors/replay/replay.js b/devtools/server/actors/replay/replay.js
index 63ed84a27ca2..84fc1959ae44 100644
--- a/devtools/server/actors/replay/replay.js
+++ b/devtools/server/actors/replay/replay.js
@@ -80,6 +80,18 @@ dbg.onNewGlobalObject = function(global) {
   }
 };
 
+// If we are recording, we need to notify the UI process when the content global
+// has been initialized in this process, which will allow URLs to be loaded.
+Services.obs.addObserver(
+  {
+    observe(subject, topic, data) {
+      assert(topic == "content-document-global-created");
+      Services.cpmm.sendAsyncMessage("RecordingInitialized");
+    },
+  },
+  "content-document-global-created"
+);
+
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Utilities
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////