diff --git a/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java b/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java
index 2667dc0991a..f5b4ea320bd 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/BrowserApp.java
@@ -520,11 +520,12 @@ public class BrowserApp extends GeckoApp
         mAboutHomeStartupTimer = new Telemetry.UptimeTimer("FENNEC_STARTUP_TIME_ABOUTHOME");
 
         final Intent intent = getIntent();
-        final String args = intent.getStringExtra("args");
-
-        if (GuestSession.shouldUse(this, args)) {
-            mProfile = GeckoProfile.createGuestProfile(this);
-        } else {
+        final GeckoProfile p = GeckoProfile.get(this);
+        if (p != null && !p.inGuestMode()) {
+            // This is *only* valid because we never want to use the guest mode
+            // profile concurrently with a normal profile -- no syncing to it,
+            // no dual-profile usage, nothing. BrowserApp startup with a conventional
+            // GeckoProfile will cause the guest profile to be deleted.
             GeckoProfile.maybeCleanupGuestProfile(this);
         }
 
diff --git a/mobile/android/base/GeckoProfile.java b/mobile/android/base/GeckoProfile.java
index cec58c13f47..870ba948bc1 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/GeckoProfile.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/GeckoProfile.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.mozilla.gecko.mozglue.RobocopTarget;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.util.INIParser;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.util.INISection;
 
+import android.app.Activity;
 import android.content.ContentResolver;
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.content.Intent;
@@ -90,9 +91,19 @@ public final class GeckoProfile {
             }
         }
 
-        // If the guest profile should be used return it.
-        if (GuestSession.shouldUse(context, "")) {
-            return GeckoProfile.getGuestProfile(context);
+        final String args;
+        if (context instanceof Activity) {
+            args = ((Activity) context).getIntent().getStringExtra("args");
+        } else {
+            args = null;
+        }
+
+        if (GuestSession.shouldUse(context, args)) {
+            GeckoProfile p = GeckoProfile.getOrCreateGuestProfile(context);
+            if (isGeckoApp) {
+                ((GeckoApp) context).mProfile = p;
+            }
+            return p;
         }
 
         if (isGeckoApp) {
@@ -191,6 +202,7 @@ public final class GeckoProfile {
         return success;
     }
 
+    // Only public for access from tests.
     public static GeckoProfile createGuestProfile(Context context) {
         try {
             // We need to force the creation of a new guest profile if we want it outside of the normal profile path,
@@ -232,6 +244,18 @@ public final class GeckoProfile {
         return sGuestDir;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Performs IO. Be careful of using this on the main thread.
+     */
+    public static GeckoProfile getOrCreateGuestProfile(Context context) {
+        GeckoProfile p = getGuestProfile(context);
+        if (p == null) {
+            return createGuestProfile(context);
+        }
+
+        return p;
+    }
+
     public static GeckoProfile getGuestProfile(Context context) {
         if (sGuestProfile == null) {
             File guestDir = getGuestDir(context);