diff --git a/browser/base/content/test/newtab/browser_newtab_bug722273.js b/browser/base/content/test/newtab/browser_newtab_bug722273.js
index bc561b321e11..82d86063cb0c 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/test/newtab/browser_newtab_bug722273.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/test/newtab/browser_newtab_bug722273.js
@@ -11,20 +11,27 @@ Cc["@mozilla.org/moz/jssubscript-loader;1"]
 
 let {Sanitizer} = tmp;
 
-function runTests() {
-  sanitizeHistory();
-  yield addFakeVisits();
-  yield addNewTabPageTab();
-
+add_task(function*() {
+  yield promiseSanitizeHistory();
+  yield promiseAddFakeVisits();
+  yield addNewTabPageTabPromise();
   is(getCell(0).site.url, URL, "first site is our fake site");
 
-  whenPagesUpdated();
-  yield sanitizeHistory();
+  whenPagesUpdated(() => {});
+  yield promiseSanitizeHistory();
 
-  ok(!getCell(0).site, "the fake site is gone");
-}
+  // Now wait until the grid is updated
+  while (true) {
+    if (!getCell(0).site) {
+      break;
+    }
+    info("the fake site is still present");
+    yield new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
+  }
+  ok(!getCell(0).site, "fake site is gone");
+});
 
-function addFakeVisits() {
+function promiseAddFakeVisits() {
   let visits = [];
   for (let i = 59; i > 0; i--) {
     visits.push({
@@ -37,19 +44,21 @@ function addFakeVisits() {
     title: "fake site",
     visits: visits
   };
-  PlacesUtils.asyncHistory.updatePlaces(place, {
-    handleError: function () ok(false, "couldn't add visit"),
-    handleResult: function () {},
-    handleCompletion: function () {
-      NewTabUtils.links.populateCache(function () {
-        NewTabUtils.allPages.update();
-        TestRunner.next();
-      }, true);
-    }
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    PlacesUtils.asyncHistory.updatePlaces(place, {
+      handleError: function () reject(new Error("Couldn't add visit")),
+      handleResult: function () {},
+      handleCompletion: function () {
+        NewTabUtils.links.populateCache(function () {
+          NewTabUtils.allPages.update();
+          resolve();
+        }, true);
+      }
+    });
   });
 }
 
-function sanitizeHistory() {
+function promiseSanitizeHistory() {
   let s = new Sanitizer();
   s.prefDomain = "privacy.cpd.";
 
@@ -64,5 +73,5 @@ function sanitizeHistory() {
   prefs.setBoolPref("sessions", false);
   prefs.setBoolPref("siteSettings", false);
 
-  s.sanitize();
+  return s.sanitize();
 }
diff --git a/browser/base/content/test/newtab/head.js b/browser/base/content/test/newtab/head.js
index ab88fc9f6431..a6935070c748 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/test/newtab/head.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/test/newtab/head.js
@@ -116,18 +116,58 @@ function watchLinksChangeOnce() {
 
 /**
  * Provide the default test function to start our test runner.
+ *
+ * We need different code paths for tests that are still wired for
+ * `TestRunner` and tests that have been ported to `add_task` as
+ * we cannot have both in the same file.
  */
-function test() {
-  waitForExplicitFinish();
-  // start TestRunner.run() after directory links is downloaded and written to disk
-  watchLinksChangeOnce().then(() => {
-    // Wait for hidden page to update with the desired links
-    whenPagesUpdated(() => TestRunner.run(), true);
-  });
+function isTestPortedToAddTask() {
+  return gTestPath.endsWith("browser_newtab_bug722273.js");
+}
+if (!isTestPortedToAddTask()) {
+  this.test = function() {
+    waitForExplicitFinish();
+    // start TestRunner.run() after directory links is downloaded and written to disk
+    watchLinksChangeOnce().then(() => {
+      // Wait for hidden page to update with the desired links
+      whenPagesUpdated(() => TestRunner.run(), true);
+    });
 
-  // Save the original directory source (which is set globally for tests)
-  gOrigDirectorySource = Services.prefs.getCharPref(PREF_NEWTAB_DIRECTORYSOURCE);
-  Services.prefs.setCharPref(PREF_NEWTAB_DIRECTORYSOURCE, gDirectorySource);
+    // Save the original directory source (which is set globally for tests)
+    gOrigDirectorySource = Services.prefs.getCharPref(PREF_NEWTAB_DIRECTORYSOURCE);
+    Services.prefs.setCharPref(PREF_NEWTAB_DIRECTORYSOURCE, gDirectorySource);
+  }
+} else {
+  add_task(function* setup() {
+    registerCleanupFunction(function() {
+      return new Promise(resolve => {
+        function cleanupAndFinish() {
+          PlacesTestUtils.clearHistory().then(() => {
+            whenPagesUpdated(resolve);
+            NewTabUtils.restore();
+          });
+        }
+
+        let callbacks = NewTabUtils.links._populateCallbacks;
+        let numCallbacks = callbacks.length;
+
+        if (numCallbacks)
+          callbacks.splice(0, numCallbacks, cleanupAndFinish);
+        else
+          cleanupAndFinish();
+      });
+    });
+
+    let promiseReady = Task.spawn(function*() {
+      yield watchLinksChangeOnce();
+      yield new Promise(resolve => whenPagesUpdated(resolve, true));
+    });
+
+    // Save the original directory source (which is set globally for tests)
+    gOrigDirectorySource = Services.prefs.getCharPref(PREF_NEWTAB_DIRECTORYSOURCE);
+    Services.prefs.setCharPref(PREF_NEWTAB_DIRECTORYSOURCE, gDirectorySource);
+    yield promiseReady;
+  });
 }
 
 /**