--- a/toolkit/components/places/PlacesCategoriesStarter.js
+++ b/toolkit/components/places/PlacesCategoriesStarter.js
@@ -57,21 +57,17 @@ function PlacesCategoriesStarter() {
 PlacesCategoriesStarter.prototype = {
   // nsIObserver
 
   observe: function PCS_observe(aSubject, aTopic, aData) {
     switch (aTopic) {
       case PlacesUtils.TOPIC_SHUTDOWN:
         Services.obs.removeObserver(this, PlacesUtils.TOPIC_SHUTDOWN);
         Services.obs.removeObserver(this, TOPIC_GATHER_TELEMETRY);
-        let globalObj =
-          Cu.getGlobalForObject(PlacesCategoriesStarter.prototype);
-        let descriptor =
-          Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(globalObj, "PlacesDBUtils");
-        if (descriptor.value !== undefined) {
+        if (Cu.isModuleLoaded("resource://gre/modules/PlacesDBUtils.jsm")) {
           PlacesDBUtils.shutdown();
         }
         break;
       case TOPIC_GATHER_TELEMETRY:
         PlacesDBUtils.telemetry();
         break;
       case "idle-daily":
         // Once a week run places.sqlite maintenance tasks.