diff --git a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
index 257c39ed57d4..99bfc0ed90df 100644
--- a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
+++ b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
@@ -2218,7 +2218,7 @@ Tab.prototype = {
 var BrowserEventHandler = {
   init: function init() {
     Services.obs.addObserver(this, "Gesture:SingleTap", false);
-    Services.obs.addObserver(this, "Gesture:ShowPress", false);
+    document.addEventListener("touchstart", this, false);
     Services.obs.addObserver(this, "Gesture:CancelTouch", false);
     Services.obs.addObserver(this, "Gesture:DoubleTap", false);
     Services.obs.addObserver(this, "Gesture:Scroll", false);
@@ -2227,6 +2227,34 @@ var BrowserEventHandler = {
     BrowserApp.deck.addEventListener("DOMUpdatePageReport", PopupBlockerObserver.onUpdatePageReport, false);
   },
 
+  handleEvent: function(aEvent) {
+    switch(aEvent.type) {
+      case "touchstart":
+        if (aEvent.touches.length == 1) {
+          let closest = ElementTouchHelper.elementFromPoint(BrowserApp.selectedBrowser.contentWindow,
+                                                aEvent.touches[0].screenX, aEvent.touches[0].screenY);
+          if (!closest) {
+            closest = ElementTouchHelper.anyElementFromPoint(BrowserApp.selectedBrowser.contentWindow,
+                                                aEvent.touches[0].screenX, aEvent.touches[0].screenY);
+          }
+          if (closest) {
+            this._doTapHighlight(closest);
+    
+            // If we've pressed a scrollable element, let Java know that we may
+            // want to override the scroll behaviour (for document sub-frames)
+            this._scrollableElement = this._findScrollableElement(closest, true);
+            this._firstScrollEvent = true;
+    
+            if (this._scrollableElement != null) {
+              // Discard if it's the top-level scrollable, we let Java handle this
+              let doc = BrowserApp.selectedBrowser.contentDocument;
+              if (this._scrollableElement != doc.body && this._scrollableElement != doc.documentElement)
+                sendMessageToJava({ gecko: { type: "Panning:Override" } });
+            }
+          }
+        }
+    }
+  },
   observe: function(aSubject, aTopic, aData) {
     if (aTopic == "Gesture:Scroll") {
       // If we've lost our scrollable element, return. Don't cancel the
@@ -2261,26 +2289,6 @@ var BrowserEventHandler = {
       }
     } else if (aTopic == "Gesture:CancelTouch") {
       this._cancelTapHighlight();
-    } else if (aTopic == "Gesture:ShowPress") {
-      let data = JSON.parse(aData);
-      let closest = ElementTouchHelper.elementFromPoint(BrowserApp.selectedBrowser.contentWindow, data.x, data.y);
-      if (!closest)
-        closest = ElementTouchHelper.anyElementFromPoint(BrowserApp.selectedBrowser.contentWindow, data.x, data.y);
-      if (closest) {
-        this._doTapHighlight(closest);
-
-        // If we've pressed a scrollable element, let Java know that we may
-        // want to override the scroll behaviour (for document sub-frames)
-        this._scrollableElement = this._findScrollableElement(closest, true);
-        this._firstScrollEvent = true;
-
-        if (this._scrollableElement != null) {
-          // Discard if it's the top-level scrollable, we let Java handle this
-          let doc = BrowserApp.selectedBrowser.contentDocument;
-          if (this._scrollableElement != doc.body && this._scrollableElement != doc.documentElement)
-            sendMessageToJava({ gecko: { type: "Panning:Override" } });
-        }
-      }
     } else if (aTopic == "Gesture:SingleTap") {
       let element = this._highlightElement;
       if (element && !SelectHelper.handleClick(element)) {