diff --git a/mobile/android/base/Tabs.java b/mobile/android/base/Tabs.java
index 478befbce4c..501315687a9 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/Tabs.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/Tabs.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.concurrent.CopyOnWriteArrayList;
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 
 public class Tabs implements GeckoEventListener {
     private static final String LOGTAG = "GeckoTabs";
@@ -41,6 +42,8 @@ public class Tabs implements GeckoEventListener {
     private static final int SCORE_INCREMENT_TAB_SELECTED = 10;
     private static final int SCORE_THRESHOLD = 30;
 
+    private static AtomicInteger sTabId = new AtomicInteger(0);
+
     private GeckoApp mActivity;
 
     private Tabs() {
@@ -68,17 +71,7 @@ public class Tabs implements GeckoEventListener {
         return mTabs.size();
     }
 
-    private Tab addTab(JSONObject params) throws JSONException {
-        int id = params.getInt("tabID");
-        if (mTabs.containsKey(id))
-           return mTabs.get(id);
-
-        // null strings return "null" (http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=13830)
-        String url = params.isNull("uri") ? null : params.getString("uri");
-        Boolean external = params.getBoolean("external");
-        int parentId = params.getInt("parentId");
-        String title = params.getString("title");
-
+    private Tab addTab(int id, String url, boolean external, int parentId, String title) {
         final Tab tab = new Tab(id, url, external, parentId, title);
         mTabs.put(id, tab);
         mOrder.add(tab);
@@ -245,7 +238,20 @@ public class Tabs implements GeckoEventListener {
                 }
             } else if (event.equals("Tab:Added")) {
                 Log.i(LOGTAG, "Received message from Gecko: " + SystemClock.uptimeMillis() + " - Tab:Added");
-                Tab tab = addTab(message);
+
+                int id = message.getInt("tabID");
+                Tab tab = null;
+
+                if (mTabs.containsKey(id)) {
+                    tab = mTabs.get(id);
+                } else {
+                    tab = addTab(id,
+                                 message.isNull("uri") ? null : message.getString("uri"),
+                                 message.getBoolean("external"),
+                                 message.getInt("parentId"),
+                                 message.getString("title"));
+                }
+
                 if (message.getBoolean("selected"))
                     selectTab(tab.getId());
                 if (message.getBoolean("delayLoad"))
@@ -446,18 +452,30 @@ public class Tabs implements GeckoEventListener {
      */
     public void loadUrl(String url, String searchEngine, int parentId, int flags) {
         JSONObject args = new JSONObject();
+        int tabId = -1;
+
         try {
             args.put("url", url);
             args.put("engine", searchEngine);
             args.put("parentId", parentId);
             args.put("userEntered", (flags & LOADURL_USER_ENTERED) != 0);
             args.put("newTab", (flags & LOADURL_NEW_TAB) != 0);
+
+            if ((flags & LOADURL_NEW_TAB) != 0) {
+                tabId = getNextTabId();
+                args.put("tabID", tabId);
+                addTab(tabId, null, false, parentId, url);
+            }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             Log.e(LOGTAG, "error building JSON arguments");
         }
 
         Log.d(LOGTAG, "Sending message to Gecko: " + SystemClock.uptimeMillis() + " - Tab:Load");
         GeckoAppShell.sendEventToGecko(GeckoEvent.createBroadcastEvent("Tab:Load", args.toString()));
+
+        if (tabId != -1) {
+            selectTab(tabId);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
@@ -480,4 +498,13 @@ public class Tabs implements GeckoEventListener {
 
         loadUrl(url, null, getSelectedTab().getId(), LOADURL_NEW_TAB);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Gets the next tab ID.
+     *
+     * This method is invoked via JNI.
+     */
+    public static int getNextTabId() {
+        return sTabId.getAndIncrement();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
index 6aa914cf067..5e2d5a4eb4d 100644
--- a/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
+++ b/mobile/android/chrome/content/browser.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/XPCOMUtils.jsm");
 Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/Services.jsm");
 Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/AddonManager.jsm");
 Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/FileUtils.jsm");
+Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/JNI.jsm");
 
 #ifdef ACCESSIBILITY
 Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/accessibility/AccessFu.jsm");
@@ -1082,7 +1083,8 @@ var BrowserApp = {
       let params = {
         selected: true,
         parentId: ("parentId" in data) ? data.parentId : -1,
-        flags: flags
+        flags: flags,
+        tabID: data.tabID
       };
 
       let url = data.url;
@@ -2232,8 +2234,6 @@ nsBrowserAccess.prototype = {
 };
 
 
-let gTabIDFactory = 0;
-
 // track the last known screen size so that new tabs
 // get created with the right size rather than being 1x1
 let gScreenWidth = 1;
@@ -2289,7 +2289,16 @@ Tab.prototype = {
     } catch (e) {}
 
     if (!aParams.zombifying) {
-      this.id = ++gTabIDFactory;
+      if ("tabID" in aParams) {
+        this.id = aParams.tabID;
+      } else {
+        let jni = new JNI();
+        let cls = jni.findClass("org.mozilla.gecko.Tabs");
+        let method = jni.getStaticMethodID(cls, "getNextTabId", "()I");
+        this.id = jni.callStaticIntMethod(cls, method);
+        jni.close();
+      }
+
       this.desktopMode = ("desktopMode" in aParams) ? aParams.desktopMode : false;
 
       let message = {
@@ -6632,7 +6641,6 @@ var WebappsUI = {
   get iconSize() {
     let iconSize = 64;
     try {
-      Cu.import("resource://gre/modules/JNI.jsm");
       let jni = new JNI();
       let cls = jni.findClass("org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoAppShell");
       let method = jni.getStaticMethodID(cls, "getPreferredIconSize", "()I");