diff --git a/browser/base/content/browser-sets.inc b/browser/base/content/browser-sets.inc
index 53a679b1bc2b..eb798ad2ec6f 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/browser-sets.inc
+++ b/browser/base/content/browser-sets.inc
@@ -305,7 +305,9 @@
     <key id="viewBookmarksSidebarWinKb" key="&bookmarksSidebarWinCmd.commandkey;" command="viewBookmarksSidebar" modifiers="accel"/>
 #endif
 
-    <key id="key_stop" keycode="VK_ESCAPE" command="Browser:Stop"/>
+# don't use |command="Browser:Stop"|, ESC is being used to freeze animated gifs,
+# even if the stop button and menuitem are disabled (see Bug 284140)
+    <key id="key_stop" keycode="VK_ESCAPE" oncommand="BrowserStop();"/>
 #ifdef XP_MACOSX
     <key id="key_gotoHistory"  key="&historySidebarCmd.commandKey;"  command="viewHistorySidebar" modifiers="accel,shift"/>
 #else