diff --git a/view/src/nsViewManager.cpp b/view/src/nsViewManager.cpp
index 69bbddd353d..60602f2bd12 100644
--- a/view/src/nsViewManager.cpp
+++ b/view/src/nsViewManager.cpp
@@ -480,7 +480,6 @@ nsViewManager::UpdateWidgetArea(nsView *aWidgetView, nsIWidget* aWidget,
     dirtyRegion->SimplifyOutward(8);
     nsViewManager* rootVM = RootViewManager();
     rootVM->mHasPendingUpdates = true;
-    rootVM->IncrementUpdateCount();
     return;
     // this should only happen at the top level, and this result
     // should not be consumed by top-level callers, so it doesn't
@@ -620,8 +619,6 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsViewManager::UpdateViewNoSuppression(nsIView *aView,
   displayRootVM->UpdateWidgetArea(displayRoot, displayRoot->GetWidget(),
                                   nsRegion(damagedRect), nsnull);
 
-  RootViewManager()->IncrementUpdateCount();
-
   return NS_OK;
 }
 
diff --git a/view/src/nsViewManager.h b/view/src/nsViewManager.h
index 3c4d29ef2d1..0a5fa12f264 100644
--- a/view/src/nsViewManager.h
+++ b/view/src/nsViewManager.h
@@ -191,31 +191,6 @@ private:
 
   void DoSetWindowDimensions(nscoord aWidth, nscoord aHeight);
 
-  // Safety helpers
-  void IncrementUpdateCount() {
-    NS_ASSERTION(IsRootVM(),
-                 "IncrementUpdateCount called on non-root viewmanager");
-    ++mUpdateCnt;
-  }
-
-  void DecrementUpdateCount() {
-    NS_ASSERTION(IsRootVM(),
-                 "DecrementUpdateCount called on non-root viewmanager");
-    --mUpdateCnt;
-  }
-
-  PRInt32 UpdateCount() const {
-    NS_ASSERTION(IsRootVM(),
-                 "DecrementUpdateCount called on non-root viewmanager");
-    return mUpdateCnt;
-  }
-
-  void ClearUpdateCount() {
-    NS_ASSERTION(IsRootVM(),
-                 "DecrementUpdateCount called on non-root viewmanager");
-    mUpdateCnt = 0;
-  }
-
   bool IsPainting() const {
     return RootViewManager()->mPainting;
   }
@@ -259,9 +234,6 @@ private:
   // the root view manager.  Some have accessor functions to enforce
   // this, as noted.
   
-  // Use IncrementUpdateCount(), DecrementUpdateCount(), UpdateCount(),
-  // ClearUpdateCount() on the root viewmanager to access mUpdateCnt.
-  PRInt32           mUpdateCnt;
   PRInt32           mUpdateBatchCnt;
   // Use IsPainting() and SetPainting() to access mPainting.
   bool              mPainting;