diff --git a/embedding/android/GeckoApp.java b/embedding/android/GeckoApp.java
index f6f47e5a9e4..7c2fad4197b 100644
--- a/embedding/android/GeckoApp.java
+++ b/embedding/android/GeckoApp.java
@@ -684,8 +684,12 @@ abstract public class GeckoApp
                 Intent.createChooser(intent, getString(R.string.choose_file)),
                 FILE_PICKER_REQUEST);
         String filePickerResult = "";
+
         try {
-            filePickerResult = mFilePickerResult.take();
+            while (null == (filePickerResult = mFilePickerResult.poll(1, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS))) {
+                Log.i("GeckoApp", "processing events from showFilePicker ");
+                GeckoAppShell.processNextNativeEvent();
+            }
         } catch (InterruptedException e) {
             Log.i(LOG_FILE_NAME, "showing file picker ",  e);
         }
diff --git a/embedding/android/GeckoAppShell.java b/embedding/android/GeckoAppShell.java
index 13c8e2fd932..6cf86e196e0 100644
--- a/embedding/android/GeckoAppShell.java
+++ b/embedding/android/GeckoAppShell.java
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ public class GeckoAppShell
     public static native void onChangeNetworkLinkStatus(String status, String type);
     public static native void reportJavaCrash(String stack);
 
+    public static native void processNextNativeEvent();
+
     // A looper thread, accessed by GeckoAppShell.getHandler
     private static class LooperThread extends Thread {
         public SynchronousQueue<Handler> mHandlerQueue =
diff --git a/other-licenses/android/APKOpen.cpp b/other-licenses/android/APKOpen.cpp
index 14de579f4f3..a13c7049fbd 100644
--- a/other-licenses/android/APKOpen.cpp
+++ b/other-licenses/android/APKOpen.cpp
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_ ## name(JNIEnv *jenv, jclass jc, type1 one
 SHELL_WRAPPER0(nativeInit)
 SHELL_WRAPPER1(nativeRun, jstring)
 SHELL_WRAPPER1(notifyGeckoOfEvent, jobject)
+SHELL_WRAPPER0(processNextNativeEvent)
 SHELL_WRAPPER1(setSurfaceView, jobject)
 SHELL_WRAPPER0(onResume)
 SHELL_WRAPPER0(onLowMemory)
@@ -676,6 +677,7 @@ loadLibs(const char *apkName)
   GETFUNC(nativeInit);
   GETFUNC(nativeRun);
   GETFUNC(notifyGeckoOfEvent);
+  GETFUNC(processNextNativeEvent);
   GETFUNC(setSurfaceView);
   GETFUNC(onResume);
   GETFUNC(onLowMemory);
diff --git a/widget/src/android/AndroidJNI.cpp b/widget/src/android/AndroidJNI.cpp
index 869e651d55b..ec7c8cb3353 100644
--- a/widget/src/android/AndroidJNI.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/android/AndroidJNI.cpp
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ using namespace mozilla;
 extern "C" {
     NS_EXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_nativeInit(JNIEnv *, jclass);
     NS_EXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_notifyGeckoOfEvent(JNIEnv *, jclass, jobject event);
+    NS_EXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_processNextNativeEvent(JNIEnv *, jclass);
     NS_EXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_setSurfaceView(JNIEnv *jenv, jclass, jobject sv);
     NS_EXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_onResume(JNIEnv *, jclass);
     NS_EXPORT void JNICALL Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_onLowMemory(JNIEnv *, jclass);
@@ -92,6 +93,14 @@ Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_notifyGeckoOfEvent(JNIEnv *jenv, jclass jc,
         nsAppShell::gAppShell->PostEvent(new AndroidGeckoEvent(jenv, event));
 }
 
+NS_EXPORT void JNICALL
+Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_processNextNativeEvent(JNIEnv *jenv, jclass)
+{
+    // poke the appshell
+    if (nsAppShell::gAppShell)
+        nsAppShell::gAppShell->ProcessNextNativeEvent(PR_FALSE);
+}
+
 NS_EXPORT void JNICALL
 Java_org_mozilla_gecko_GeckoAppShell_setSurfaceView(JNIEnv *jenv, jclass, jobject obj)
 {