diff --git a/browser/components/places/content/treeView.js b/browser/components/places/content/treeView.js
index 28b5e4f0c5cd..a4d97fbeffe3 100644
--- a/browser/components/places/content/treeView.js
+++ b/browser/components/places/content/treeView.js
@@ -787,6 +787,10 @@ PlacesTreeView.prototype = {
     if (!this._tree || !this._result)
       return;
 
+    // Nothing to do for the root node.
+    if (aNode == this._rootNode)
+      return;
+
     let row = this._getRowForNode(aNode);
     if (row == -1)
       return;
diff --git a/browser/components/places/tests/chrome/Makefile.in b/browser/components/places/tests/chrome/Makefile.in
index 53ace7cd105e..5660d865ff76 100644
--- a/browser/components/places/tests/chrome/Makefile.in
+++ b/browser/components/places/tests/chrome/Makefile.in
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ _CHROME_TEST_FILES = \
 	test_0_multiple_left_pane.xul \
 	test_0_bug510634.xul \
 	test_bug549192.xul \
+	test_bug549491.xul \
 	$(NULL)
 
 libs:: $(_CHROME_TEST_FILES)
diff --git a/browser/components/places/tests/chrome/test_bug549491.xul b/browser/components/places/tests/chrome/test_bug549491.xul
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..71c7d4656c88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/browser/components/places/tests/chrome/test_bug549491.xul
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+<?xml version="1.0"?>
+
+<!--
+    Any copyright is dedicated to the Public Domain.
+    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
+   -->
+
+<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://global/skin" type="text/css"?>
+<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://mochikit/content/tests/SimpleTest/test.css"
+                 type="text/css"?>
+
+<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://browser/content/places/places.css"?>
+<?xml-stylesheet href="chrome://browser/skin/places/places.css"?>
+<?xul-overlay href="chrome://browser/content/places/placesOverlay.xul"?>
+
+<window xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"
+        title="549491: 'The root node is never visible' exception when details of the root node are modified "
+        onload="runTest();">
+
+  <script type="application/javascript"
+          src="chrome://mochikit/content/MochiKit/packed.js" />
+  <script type="application/javascript"
+          src="chrome://mochikit/content/tests/SimpleTest/SimpleTest.js" />
+
+  <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" />
+
+  <tree id="tree"
+        type="places"
+        flatList="true"
+        flex="1">
+    <treecols>
+      <treecol label="Title" id="title" anonid="title" primary="true" ordinal="1" flex="1"/>
+      <splitter class="tree-splitter"/>
+      <treecol label="Date" anonid="date" flex="1"/>
+    </treecols>
+    <treechildren flex="1"/>
+  </tree>
+
+  <script type="application/javascript"><![CDATA[
+    /**
+     * Bug 549491
+     * https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=549491
+     *
+     * Ensures that changing the details of places tree's root-node doesn't
+     * throw.
+     */
+
+    SimpleTest.waitForExplicitFinish();
+
+    function runTest() {
+      const Cc = Components.classes;
+      const Ci = Components.interfaces;
+      Components.utils.import("resource://gre/modules/Services.jsm");
+
+      PlacesUtils.bhistory.removeAllPages();
+      PlacesUtils.history
+                 .addVisit(Services.io.newURI("http://example.tld/", null, null),
+                           Date.now() * 1000, null, PlacesUtils.history.TRANSITION_TYPED, false, 0);
+
+      // Make a history query.
+      let query = PlacesUtils.history.getNewQuery();
+      let opts = PlacesUtils.history.getNewQueryOptions();
+      let queryURI = PlacesUtils.history.queriesToQueryString([query], 1, opts);
+
+      // Setup the places tree contents.
+      let tree = document.getElementById("tree");
+      tree.place = queryURI;
+
+      let rootNode = tree.result.root;
+      let obs = tree.view.QueryInterface(Ci.nsINavHistoryResultObserver);
+      obs.nodeHistoryDetailsChanged(rootNode, rootNode.time, rootNode.accessCount);
+      obs.nodeTitleChanged(rootNode, rootNode.title);
+      ok(true, "No exceptions thrown");
+
+      // Cleanup.
+      PlacesUtils.bhistory.removeAllPages();
+
+      SimpleTest.finish();
+    }
+
+  ]]></script>
+</window>
