diff --git a/browser/base/content/browser.js b/browser/base/content/browser.js
index aee524302cd7..682bb0710800 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/browser.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/browser.js
@@ -1770,20 +1770,17 @@ function FillInHTMLTooltip(tipElement)
 
   var titleText = null;
   var XLinkTitleText = null;
-  var direction = "inherit";
   
   while (!titleText && !XLinkTitleText && tipElement) {
     if (tipElement.nodeType == Node.ELEMENT_NODE) {
       titleText = tipElement.getAttribute("title");
       XLinkTitleText = tipElement.getAttributeNS(XLinkNS, "title");
-      direction = tipElement.ownerDocument.defaultView.getComputedStyle(tipElement, "").getPropertyValue("direction");
     }
     tipElement = tipElement.parentNode;
   }
 
   var texts = [titleText, XLinkTitleText];
   var tipNode = document.getElementById("aHTMLTooltip");
-  tipNode.style.direction = direction;
 
   for (var i = 0; i < texts.length; ++i) {
     var t = texts[i];
diff --git a/xpfe/browser/resources/content/browser.js b/xpfe/browser/resources/content/browser.js
index 62b89bfa7064..045748fb8909 100644
--- a/xpfe/browser/resources/content/browser.js
+++ b/xpfe/browser/resources/content/browser.js
@@ -354,20 +354,17 @@ function FillInHTMLTooltip(tipElement)
 
   var titleText = null;
   var XLinkTitleText = null;
-  var direction = "inherit";
   
   while (!titleText && !XLinkTitleText && tipElement) {
     if (tipElement.nodeType == Node.ELEMENT_NODE) {
       titleText = tipElement.getAttribute("title");
       XLinkTitleText = tipElement.getAttributeNS(XLinkNS, "title");
-      direction = tipElement.ownerDocument.defaultView.getComputedStyle(tipElement, "").getPropertyValue("direction");
     }
     tipElement = tipElement.parentNode;
   }
 
   var texts = [titleText, XLinkTitleText];
   var tipNode = document.getElementById("aHTMLTooltip");
-  tipNode.style.direction = direction;
 
   for (var i = 0; i < texts.length; ++i) {
     var t = texts[i];