--- a/browser/base/content/test/appUpdate/head.js
+++ b/browser/base/content/test/appUpdate/head.js
@@ -23,16 +23,19 @@ const LOG_FUNCTION = info;
 /* import-globals-from testConstants.js */
 Services.scriptloader.loadSubScript(DATA_URI_SPEC + "testConstants.js", this);
 /* import-globals-from ../../../../../toolkit/mozapps/update/tests/data/shared.js */
 Services.scriptloader.loadSubScript(DATA_URI_SPEC + "shared.js", this);
 
 var gURLData = URL_HOST + "/" + REL_PATH_DATA;
 const URL_MANUAL_UPDATE = gURLData + "downloadPage.html";
 
+const gEnv = Cc["@mozilla.org/process/environment;1"].
+             getService(Components.interfaces.nsIEnvironment);
+
 const NOTIFICATIONS = [
   "update-available",
   "update-manual",
   "update-restart"
 ];
 
 /**
  * Delay for a very short period. Useful for moving the code after this
@@ -95,21 +98,23 @@ function setUpdateTimerPrefs() {
  *         A list of test steps to perform, specifying expected doorhangers
  *         and additional validation/cleanup callbacks.
  * @return A promise which will resolve once all of the steps have been run
  *         and cleanup has been performed.
  */
 function runUpdateTest(updateParams, checkAttempts, steps) {
   return Task.spawn(function*() {
     registerCleanupFunction(() => {
+      gEnv.set("MOZ_TEST_SKIP_UPDATE_STAGE", "");
       gMenuButtonUpdateBadge.uninit();
       gMenuButtonUpdateBadge.init();
       cleanUpUpdates();
     });
 
+    gEnv.set("MOZ_TEST_SKIP_UPDATE_STAGE", "1");
     setUpdateTimerPrefs();
     yield SpecialPowers.pushPrefEnv({
       set: [
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_DOWNLOADPROMPTATTEMPTS, 0],
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_ENABLED, true],
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_IDLETIME, 0],
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_URL_MANUAL, URL_MANUAL_UPDATE],
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_LOG, DEBUG_AUS_TEST],
@@ -150,21 +155,23 @@ function runUpdateTest(updateParams, che
  *         A list of test steps to perform, specifying expected doorhangers
  *         and additional validation/cleanup callbacks.
  * @return A promise which will resolve once all of the steps have been run
  *         and cleanup has been performed.
  */
 function runUpdateProcessingTest(updates, steps) {
   return Task.spawn(function*() {
     registerCleanupFunction(() => {
+      gEnv.set("MOZ_TEST_SKIP_UPDATE_STAGE", "");
       gMenuButtonUpdateBadge.reset();
       cleanUpUpdates();
     });
 
     setUpdateTimerPrefs();
+    gEnv.set("MOZ_TEST_SKIP_UPDATE_STAGE", "1");
     SpecialPowers.pushPrefEnv({
       set: [
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_DOWNLOADPROMPTATTEMPTS, 0],
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_ENABLED, true],
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_IDLETIME, 0],
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_URL_MANUAL, URL_MANUAL_UPDATE],
         [PREF_APP_UPDATE_LOG, DEBUG_AUS_TEST],
       ]});