diff --git a/gfx/src/gtk/nsDrawingSurfaceGTK.cpp b/gfx/src/gtk/nsDrawingSurfaceGTK.cpp
index 5bb66fd0b255..59fa2f9dd59c 100644
--- a/gfx/src/gtk/nsDrawingSurfaceGTK.cpp
+++ b/gfx/src/gtk/nsDrawingSurfaceGTK.cpp
@@ -376,24 +376,6 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsDrawingSurfaceGTK :: Init(GdkGC *aGC, PRUint32 aWidth,
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
-/* below are utility functions used mostly for nsRenderingContext and nsImage
- * to plug into gdk_* functions for drawing.  You should not set a pointer
- * that might hang around with the return from these.  instead use the ones
- * above.  pav
- */
-
-GdkDrawable *nsDrawingSurfaceGTK::GetDrawable(void)
-{
-  return mPixmap;
-}
-
-
-void nsDrawingSurfaceGTK::GetSize(PRUint32 *aWidth, PRUint32 *aHeight)
-{
-  *aWidth = mWidth;
-  *aHeight = mHeight;
-}
-
 PRUint8 
 nsDrawingSurfaceGTK::ConvertMaskToCount(unsigned long val)
 {
diff --git a/gfx/src/gtk/nsDrawingSurfaceGTK.h b/gfx/src/gtk/nsDrawingSurfaceGTK.h
index b9e425672d2a..051264304119 100644
--- a/gfx/src/gtk/nsDrawingSurfaceGTK.h
+++ b/gfx/src/gtk/nsDrawingSurfaceGTK.h
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ public:
  * that might hang around with the return from these.  instead use the ones
  * above.  pav
  */
-  GdkDrawable *GetDrawable(void);
+  GdkDrawable *GetDrawable(void) { return mPixmap; }
 
-  void GetSize(PRUint32 *aWidth, PRUint32 *aHeight);
+  void GetSize(PRUint32 *aWidth, PRUint32 *aHeight) { *aWidth = mWidth; *aHeight = mHeight; }
 
 
 protected:
diff --git a/gfx/src/gtk/nsGCCache.cpp b/gfx/src/gtk/nsGCCache.cpp
index be770ba1d32e..80db9950caed 100644
--- a/gfx/src/gtk/nsGCCache.cpp
+++ b/gfx/src/gtk/nsGCCache.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ void nsGCCache::Flush(unsigned long flags)
     if (gc_cache [i].flags & flags) {
       gdk_gc_unref(gc_cache [i].gc);
       if (gc_cache [i].clipRegion)
-	gdk_region_destroy(gc_cache [i].clipRegion);
+        gdk_region_destroy(gc_cache [i].clipRegion);
       memset (&gc_cache [i], 0,  sizeof (gc_cache [i]));
     }
     else
@@ -83,17 +83,17 @@ GdkGC *nsGCCache::GetGCFromDW(GdkWindow *window, GdkGCValues *gcv, GdkGCValuesMa
        i++)
   {
     if (flags == gc_cache [i].flags && 
-	!memcmp (gcv, &gc_cache [i].gcv, sizeof (*gcv)))
+        !memcmp (gcv, &gc_cache [i].gcv, sizeof (*gcv)))
       if (clipRegion) {
-	if (gc_cache[i].clipRegion &&
-	    gdk_region_equal(clipRegion, gc_cache[i].clipRegion)) {
-	  //	  printf("found GC in cache %i\n", ++numCalls);
-	  return gc_cache [i].gc;
-	}
+        if (gc_cache[i].clipRegion &&
+            gdk_region_equal(clipRegion, gc_cache[i].clipRegion)) {
+          //          printf("found GC in cache %i\n", ++numCalls);
+          return gc_cache [i].gc;
+        }
       } else {
-	if(!gc_cache[i].clipRegion)
-	  //	  printf("found GC in cache %i\n", ++numCalls);
-	  return gc_cache [i].gc;
+        if(!gc_cache[i].clipRegion)
+          //          printf("found GC in cache (no region) %i\n", ++numCalls);
+          return gc_cache [i].gc;
       }
   }
   
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ GdkGC *nsGCCache::GetGCFromDW(GdkWindow *window, GdkGCValues *gcv, GdkGCValuesMa
     if (clear_p) {
       gdk_gc_unref(gc_cache [this_slot].gc);
       if (gc_cache [this_slot].clipRegion)
-	gdk_region_destroy(gc_cache [this_slot].clipRegion);
+        gdk_region_destroy(gc_cache [this_slot].clipRegion);
       gc_cache [this_slot].gc = NULL;
       gc_cache [this_slot].clipRegion = NULL;
     }
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ GdkGC *nsGCCache::GetGCFromDW(GdkWindow *window, GdkGCValues *gcv, GdkGCValuesMa
       gc_cache [this_slot].clipRegion = gdk_region_copy(clipRegion);
       
       if (gc_cache [this_slot].clipRegion) {
-	gdk_gc_set_clip_region(gc, gc_cache [this_slot].clipRegion);
+        gdk_gc_set_clip_region(gc, gc_cache [this_slot].clipRegion);
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.cpp b/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.cpp
index c385f2025553..7a32c7b89a91 100644
--- a/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.cpp
+++ b/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.cpp
@@ -157,21 +157,6 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::Init(nsIDeviceContext* aContext,
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::CommonInit()
 {
-  // this keeps the cursor flashing
-  PRUint32 w, h;
-
-  mSurface->GetSize(&w, &h);
-
-  if ( NS_SUCCEEDED(nsComponentManager::CreateInstance(kRegionCID, 0, NS_GET_IID(nsIRegion), (void**)&mClipRegion)) )
-  {
-    mClipRegion->Init();
-    mClipRegion->SetTo(0,0,w,h);
-  } else {
-    // we're going to crash shortly after if we hit this, but we will return NS_ERROR_FAILURE anyways.
-    return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
-  }
-
-
   mContext->GetDevUnitsToAppUnits(mP2T);
   float app2dev;
   mContext->GetAppUnitsToDevUnits(app2dev);
@@ -344,12 +329,11 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::PopState(PRBool &aClipEmpty)
       mTMatrix = state->mMatrix;
     }
 
-    if (state->mClipRegion) {
-      NS_IF_RELEASE(mClipRegion);
+    // state->mClipRegion might be null, but thats ok.  we want that.
+    NS_IF_RELEASE(mClipRegion);
 
-      mClipRegion = state->mClipRegion;
-      mClipIsSet = PR_FALSE;
-    }
+    mClipRegion = state->mClipRegion;
+    mClipIsSet = PR_FALSE;
 
     if (state->mFontMetrics && (mFontMetrics != state->mFontMetrics))
       SetFont(state->mFontMetrics);
@@ -383,10 +367,26 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::IsVisibleRect(const nsRect& aRect,
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
+NS_METHOD nsRenderingContextGTK::CreateClipRegion()
+{
+  PRUint32 w, h;
+  mSurface->GetSize(&w, &h);
+
+  if ( NS_SUCCEEDED(nsComponentManager::CreateInstance(kRegionCID, 0, NS_GET_IID(nsIRegion), (void**)&mClipRegion)) ) {
+    mClipRegion->Init();
+    mClipRegion->SetTo(0,0,w,h);
+  } else {
+    // we're going to crash shortly after if we hit this, but we will return NS_ERROR_FAILURE anyways.
+    return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
+  }
+  return NS_OK;
+}
+
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::GetClipRect(nsRect &aRect, PRBool &aClipValid)
 {
   PRInt32 x, y, w, h;
-  if (!mClipRegion->IsEmpty())
+  
+  if (!mClipRegion || !mClipRegion->IsEmpty())
   {
     mClipRegion->GetBoundingBox(&x,&y,&w,&h);
     aRect.SetRect(x,y,w,h);
@@ -443,6 +443,11 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::SetClipRect(const nsRect& aRect,
                                                  nsClipCombine aCombine,
                                                  PRBool &aClipEmpty)
 {
+
+  if (!mClipRegion) {
+    CreateClipRegion();
+  }
+
   nsRect trect = aRect;
 
 #ifdef TRACE_SET_CLIP
@@ -452,8 +457,6 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::SetClipRect(const nsRect& aRect,
 
   mClipIsSet = PR_FALSE;
 
-  mClipIsSet = PR_FALSE;
-
   mTMatrix->TransformCoord(&trect.x, &trect.y,
                            &trect.width, &trect.height);
 
@@ -509,8 +512,10 @@ void nsRenderingContextGTK::UpdateGC()
   valuesMask = GdkGCValuesMask(valuesMask | GDK_GC_FUNCTION);
   values.function = mFunction;
 
-  GdkRegion *rgn;
-  mClipRegion->GetNativeRegion((void*&)rgn);
+  GdkRegion *rgn = nsnull;
+  if (mClipRegion) {
+    mClipRegion->GetNativeRegion((void*&)rgn);
+  }
 
   mGC = gcCache->GetClipGC(mSurface->GetDrawable(), 
                            &values,
@@ -564,8 +569,8 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::SetClipRegion(const nsIRegion& aRegion,
                                                    nsClipCombine aCombine,
                                                    PRBool &aClipEmpty)
 {
-  if(!mClipRegion) {
-    return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
+  if (!mClipRegion) {
+    CreateClipRegion();
   }
 
   mClipIsSet = PR_FALSE;
@@ -596,6 +601,9 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::SetClipRegion(const nsIRegion& aRegion,
  */
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::CopyClipRegion(nsIRegion &aRegion)
 {
+  if (!mClipRegion)
+    return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
+
   aRegion.SetTo(*NS_STATIC_CAST(nsIRegion*, mClipRegion));
   return NS_OK;
 }
@@ -604,7 +612,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::GetClipRegion(nsIRegion **aRegion)
 {
   nsresult rv = NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
 
-  if (!aRegion)
+  if (!aRegion || !mClipRegion)
     return NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 
   if (*aRegion) { // copy it, they should be using CopyClipRegion 
@@ -1619,10 +1627,9 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::DrawImage(nsIImage *aImage,
 {
   nscoord x, y, w, h;
 
-  if (mClipRegion->IsEmpty())
-  {
-    // this is bad!
-    //    printf("drawing image with empty clip region\n");
+  if (!mClipRegion) {
+    return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
+  } else if (mClipRegion->IsEmpty()) {
     return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
   }
 
@@ -1657,10 +1664,9 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsRenderingContextGTK::DrawImage(nsIImage *aImage,
 {
   nsRect	sr,dr;
 
-  if (mClipRegion->IsEmpty())
-  {
-    // this is bad!
-    //    printf("drawing image with empty clip region\n");
+  if (!mClipRegion) {
+    return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
+  } else if (mClipRegion->IsEmpty()) {
     return NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
   }
 
diff --git a/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.h b/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.h
index 754bcd69e103..bfe1796152eb 100644
--- a/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.h
+++ b/gfx/src/gtk/nsRenderingContextGTK.h
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ public:
 
   NS_IMETHOD IsVisibleRect(const nsRect& aRect, PRBool &aVisible);
 
+
+  NS_METHOD CreateClipRegion();
   NS_IMETHOD SetClipRect(const nsRect& aRect, nsClipCombine aCombine, PRBool &aClipEmpty);
   NS_IMETHOD GetClipRect(nsRect &aRect, PRBool &aClipValid);
   NS_IMETHOD SetClipRegion(const nsIRegion& aRegion, nsClipCombine aCombine, PRBool &aClipEmpty);