diff --git a/xpcom/build/nsXPCOMPrivate.h b/xpcom/build/nsXPCOMPrivate.h
index 38720a2df65b..de94950ad7b3 100644
--- a/xpcom/build/nsXPCOMPrivate.h
+++ b/xpcom/build/nsXPCOMPrivate.h
@@ -270,6 +270,7 @@ void LogTerm();
 #endif
 
 extern bool gXPCOMShuttingDown;
+extern bool gXPCOMThreadsShutDown;
 
 namespace mozilla {
 namespace services {
diff --git a/xpcom/build/nsXPComInit.cpp b/xpcom/build/nsXPComInit.cpp
index 591a96363689..0fc6044dd105 100644
--- a/xpcom/build/nsXPComInit.cpp
+++ b/xpcom/build/nsXPComInit.cpp
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ nsXPTIInterfaceInfoManagerGetSingleton(nsISupports* outer,
 
 nsComponentManagerImpl* nsComponentManagerImpl::gComponentManager = NULL;
 bool gXPCOMShuttingDown = false;
+bool gXPCOMThreadsShutDown = false;
 
 static NS_DEFINE_CID(kComponentManagerCID, NS_COMPONENTMANAGER_CID);
 static NS_DEFINE_CID(kINIParserFactoryCID, NS_INIPARSERFACTORY_CID);
@@ -587,6 +588,7 @@ ShutdownXPCOM(nsIServiceManager* servMgr)
                 NotifyObservers(nullptr, NS_XPCOM_SHUTDOWN_THREADS_OBSERVER_ID,
                                 nullptr);
 
+        gXPCOMThreadsShutDown = true;
         nsCycleCollector_shutdownThreads();
 
         NS_ProcessPendingEvents(thread);
diff --git a/xpcom/threads/Makefile.in b/xpcom/threads/Makefile.in
index 2de09e5aad7c..b57c3cb361e5 100644
--- a/xpcom/threads/Makefile.in
+++ b/xpcom/threads/Makefile.in
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ MOZILLA_INTERNAL_API = 1
 LIBXUL_LIBRARY = 1
 
 LOCAL_INCLUDES	= -I$(srcdir)/../components
+LOCAL_INCLUDES = -I$(srcdir)/../build
 
 # we don't want the shared lib, but we want to force the creation of a static lib.
 FORCE_STATIC_LIB = 1
diff --git a/xpcom/threads/nsThread.cpp b/xpcom/threads/nsThread.cpp
index 75ce11cf5e69..6517dd7060d4 100644
--- a/xpcom/threads/nsThread.cpp
+++ b/xpcom/threads/nsThread.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "nsIObserverService.h"
 #include "mozilla/HangMonitor.h"
 #include "mozilla/Services.h"
+#include "nsXPCOMPrivate.h"
 
 #define HAVE_UALARM _BSD_SOURCE || (_XOPEN_SOURCE >= 500 ||                 \
                       _XOPEN_SOURCE && _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED) &&           \
@@ -388,6 +389,10 @@ nsThread::Dispatch(nsIRunnable *event, uint32_t flags)
 
   NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(event);
 
+  if (gXPCOMThreadsShutDown && MAIN_THREAD != mIsMainThread) {
+    return NS_ERROR_ILLEGAL_DURING_SHUTDOWN;
+  }
+
   if (flags & DISPATCH_SYNC) {
     nsThread *thread = nsThreadManager::get()->GetCurrentThread();
     NS_ENSURE_STATE(thread);