diff --git a/layout/tools/reftest/reftest-content.js b/layout/tools/reftest/reftest-content.js
index 659bb7ab0a6..376685a3551 100644
--- a/layout/tools/reftest/reftest-content.js
+++ b/layout/tools/reftest/reftest-content.js
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ var gDebug;
 var gCurrentTestStartTime;
 var gClearingForAssertionCheck = false;
 
+const TYPE_LOAD = 'load';  // test without a reference (just test that it does
+                           // not assert, crash, hang, or leak)
 const TYPE_SCRIPT = 'script'; // test contains individual test results
 
 function markupDocumentViewer() {
@@ -638,6 +640,12 @@ const SYNC_DEFAULT = 0x0;
 const SYNC_ALLOW_DISABLE = 0x1;
 function SynchronizeForSnapshot(flags)
 {
+    if (gCurrentTestType == TYPE_SCRIPT ||
+        gCurrentTestType == TYPE_LOAD) {
+        // Script tests or load-only tests do not need any snapshotting
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (flags & SYNC_ALLOW_DISABLE) {
         var docElt = content.document.documentElement;
         if (docElt && docElt.hasAttribute("reftest-no-sync-layers")) {