diff --git a/services/sync/modules/engines.js b/services/sync/modules/engines.js
index c24f1cbb691..069e0405a04 100644
--- a/services/sync/modules/engines.js
+++ b/services/sync/modules/engines.js
@@ -274,8 +274,6 @@ SyncEngine.prototype = {
 
     let outnum = [i for (i in this._tracker.changedIDs)].length;
     this._log.info(outnum + " outgoing items pre-reconciliation");
-
-    this._tracker.disable(); // FIXME: need finer-grained ignoring
   },
 
   // Generate outgoing records
@@ -389,12 +387,15 @@ SyncEngine.prototype = {
     let self = yield;
     this._log.trace("Incoming:\n" + item);
     try {
+      this._tracker.ignoreID(item.id);
       yield this._store.applyIncoming(self.cb, item);
       if (this._lastSyncTmp < item.modified)
         this._lastSyncTmp = item.modified;
     } catch (e) {
       this._log.warn("Error while applying incoming record: " +
                      (e.message? e.message : e));
+    } finally {
+      this._tracker.unignoreID(item.id);
     }
   },
 
@@ -451,7 +452,6 @@ SyncEngine.prototype = {
     let self = yield;
     this._log.debug("Finishing up sync");
     this._tracker.resetScore();
-    this._tracker.enable();
   },
 
   _sync: function SyncEngine__sync() {
@@ -467,9 +467,6 @@ SyncEngine.prototype = {
       this._log.warn("Sync failed");
       throw e;
     }
-    finally {
-      this._tracker.enable();
-    }
   },
 
   _wipeServer: function SyncEngine__wipeServer() {
diff --git a/services/sync/modules/engines/bookmarks.js b/services/sync/modules/engines/bookmarks.js
index fc7b59f5b9b..127f266baf3 100644
--- a/services/sync/modules/engines/bookmarks.js
+++ b/services/sync/modules/engines/bookmarks.js
@@ -653,38 +653,39 @@ BookmarksTracker.prototype = {
       this._all[this._bms.getItemIdForGUID(guid)] = guid;
     }
 
+    // ignore changes to the three roots
+    // we use special names for them, so ignore their "real" places guid
+    // as well as ours, just in case
+    this.ignoreID("menu");
+    this.ignoreID("toolbar");
+    this.ignoreID("unfiled");
+    this.ignoreID(this._all[this._bms.bookmarksMenuFolder]);
+    this.ignoreID(this._all[this._bms.toolbarFolder]);
+    this.ignoreID(this._all[this._bms.unfiledBookmarksFolder]);
+
     this._bms.addObserver(this, false);
   },
 
   /* Every add/remove/change is worth 10 points */
   _upScore: function BMT__upScore() {
-    if (!this.enabled)
-      return;
     this._score += 10;
   },
 
   onItemAdded: function BMT_onEndUpdateBatch(itemId, folder, index) {
     this._all[itemId] = this._bms.getItemGUID(itemId);
-    //if (!this.enabled)
-      //return;
     this._log.trace("onItemAdded: " + itemId);
     this.addChangedID(this._all[itemId]);
     this._upScore();
   },
 
   onItemRemoved: function BMT_onItemRemoved(itemId, folder, index) {
-    let guid = this._all[itemId];
-    delete this._all[itemId];
-    if (!this.enabled)
-      return;
     this._log.trace("onItemRemoved: " + itemId);
-    this.addChangedID(guid);
+    this.addChangedID(this._all[itemId]);
+    delete this._all[itemId];
     this._upScore();
   },
 
   onItemChanged: function BMT_onItemChanged(itemId, property, isAnnotationProperty, value) {
-    if (!this.enabled)
-      return;
     this._log.trace("onItemChanged: " + itemId + ", property: " + property +
                     ", isAnno: " + isAnnotationProperty + ", value: " + value);
 
@@ -705,8 +706,6 @@ BookmarksTracker.prototype = {
   },
 
   onItemMoved: function BMT_onItemMoved(itemId, oldParent, oldIndex, newParent, newIndex) {
-    if (!this.enabled)
-      return;
     this._log.trace("onItemMoved: " + itemId);
     this.addChangedID(this._all[itemId]);
     this._upScore();
diff --git a/services/sync/modules/trackers.js b/services/sync/modules/trackers.js
index 56b5b1f84ad..29d15ace228 100644
--- a/services/sync/modules/trackers.js
+++ b/services/sync/modules/trackers.js
@@ -76,22 +76,11 @@ Tracker.prototype = {
   _init: function T__init() {
     this._log = Log4Moz.repository.getLogger(this._logName);
     this._score = 0;
+    this._ignored = [];
     this.loadChangedIDs();
     this.enable();
   },
 
-  get enabled() {
-    return this._enabled;
-  },
-
-  enable: function T_enable() {
-    this._enabled = true;
-  },
-
-  disable: function T_disable() {
-    this._enabled = false;
-  },
-
   /*
    * Score can be called as often as desired to decide which engines to sync
    *
@@ -163,13 +152,28 @@ Tracker.prototype = {
     }
   },
 
+  // ignore/unignore specific IDs.  Useful for ignoring items that are
+  // being processed, or that shouldn't be synced.
+  // But note: not persisted to disk
+
+  ignoreID: function T_ignoreID(id) {
+    this.unignoreID(id);
+    this._ignored.push(id);
+  },
+
+  unignoreID: function T_unignoreID(id) {
+    let index = this._ignored.indexOf(id);
+    if (index != -1)
+      this._ignored.splice(index, 1);
+  },
+
   addChangedID: function T_addChangedID(id) {
-    if (!this.enabled)
-      return;
     if (!id) {
       this._log.warn("Attempted to add undefined ID to tracker");
       return;
     }
+    if (id in this._ignored)
+      return;
     this._log.debug("Adding changed ID " + id);
     if (!this.changedIDs[id]) {
       this.changedIDs[id] = true;
@@ -178,12 +182,12 @@ Tracker.prototype = {
   },
 
   removeChangedID: function T_removeChangedID(id) {
-    if (!this.enabled)
-      return;
     if (!id) {
-      this._log.warn("Attempted to remove undefined ID from tracker");
+      this._log.warn("Attempted to remove undefined ID to tracker");
       return;
     }
+    if (id in this._ignored)
+      return;
     this._log.debug("Removing changed ID " + id);
     if (this.changedIDs[id]) {
       delete this.changedIDs[id];