diff --git a/browser/base/content/socialchat.xml b/browser/base/content/socialchat.xml
index 6ca1d44be29..c485ee20200 100644
--- a/browser/base/content/socialchat.xml
+++ b/browser/base/content/socialchat.xml
@@ -20,6 +20,37 @@
     </content>
 
     <implementation implements="nsIDOMEventListener">
+      <constructor><![CDATA[
+        let Social = Components.utils.import("resource:///modules/Social.jsm", {}).Social;
+        Social.setErrorListener(this.iframe, function(iframe) {
+          iframe.webNavigation.loadURI("about:socialerror?mode=compactInfo", null, null, null, null);
+        });
+        let iframeWindow = this.iframe.contentWindow;
+        this.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function DOMContentLoaded() {
+          this.removeEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", DOMContentLoaded);
+          this.isActive = !this.minimized;
+          // process this._callbacks, then set to null so the chatbox creator
+          // knows to make new callbacks immediately.
+          for (let callback of this._callbacks) {
+            if (callback)
+              callback(iframeWindow);
+          }
+          this._callbacks = null;
+
+          // content can send a socialChatActivity event to have the UI update.
+          let chatActivity = function() {
+            this.setAttribute("activity", true);
+            this.parentNode.updateTitlebar(this);
+          }.bind(this);
+          iframeWindow.addEventListener("socialChatActivity", chatActivity);
+          iframeWindow.addEventListener("unload", function unload() {
+            iframeWindow.removeEventListener("unload", unload);
+            iframeWindow.removeEventListener("socialChatActivity", chatActivity);
+          });
+        });
+        this.setAttribute("src", this.src);
+      ]]></constructor>
+
       <field name="iframe" readonly="true">
         document.getAnonymousElementByAttribute(this, "anonid", "iframe");
       </field>
@@ -381,51 +412,6 @@
         ]]></body>
       </method>
 
-      <method name="initChatBox">
-        <!-- ideally this would be a method on the chatbox itself, but the
-             vagaries of XBL bindings means that in some edge cases the
-             chatbox methods don't exist yet when we need them to...
-        -->
-        <parameter name="aChatBox"/>
-        <parameter name="aProvider"/>
-        <parameter name="aURL"/>
-        <parameter name="aCallback"/>
-        <body><![CDATA[
-          // callbacks to be called when onload fires - more might be added
-          // if the same chat is requested before onload has fired.  Set back
-          // to null in DOMContentLoaded, so null means DOMContentLoaded has
-          // already fired and new callbacks can be made immediately.
-          aChatBox._callbacks = [aCallback];
-          var tmp = {};
-          Components.utils.import("resource:///modules/Social.jsm", tmp);
-          tmp.Social.setErrorListener(aChatBox.iframe, function(iframe) {
-            iframe.webNavigation.loadURI("about:socialerror?mode=compactInfo", null, null, null, null);
-          });
-          let iframeWindow = aChatBox.iframe.contentWindow;
-          aChatBox.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function DOMContentLoaded() {
-            aChatBox.removeEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", DOMContentLoaded);
-            aChatBox.isActive = !aChatBox.minimized;
-            for (let callback of aChatBox._callbacks) {
-              if (callback)
-                callback(iframeWindow);
-            }
-            aChatBox._callbacks = null;
-            function chatActivity() {
-              aChatBox.setAttribute("activity", true);
-              aChatBox.parentNode.updateTitlebar(aChatBox);
-            };
-
-            iframeWindow.addEventListener("socialChatActivity", chatActivity);
-            iframeWindow.addEventListener("unload", function unload() {
-              iframeWindow.removeEventListener("unload", unload);
-              iframeWindow.removeEventListener("socialChatActivity", chatActivity);
-            });
-          });
-
-          aChatBox.setAttribute("origin", aProvider.origin);
-          aChatBox.setAttribute("src", aURL);
-        ]]></body>
-      </method>
       <method name="openChat">
         <parameter name="aProvider"/>
         <parameter name="aURL"/>
@@ -451,11 +437,16 @@
             this.chatboxForURL.delete(aURL);
           }
           cb = document.createElementNS("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul", "chatbox");
+          // _callbacks is a javascript property instead of a <field> as it
+          // must exist before the (possibly delayed) bindings are created.
+          cb._callbacks = [aCallback];
+          // src also a javascript property; the src attribute is set in the ctor.
+          cb.src = aURL;
           if (aMode == "minimized")
             cb.setAttribute("minimized", "true");
+          cb.setAttribute("origin", aProvider.origin);
           this.insertBefore(cb, this.firstChild);
           this.selectedChat = cb;
-          this.initChatBox(cb, aProvider, aURL, aCallback);
           this.chatboxForURL.set(aURL, Cu.getWeakReference(cb));
           this.resize();
         ]]></body>
