--- a/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/java/org/mozilla/gecko/Clipboard.java
+++ b/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/java/org/mozilla/gecko/Clipboard.java
@@ -7,101 +7,61 @@ package org.mozilla.gecko;
 import java.util.concurrent.SynchronousQueue;
 
 import org.mozilla.gecko.annotation.WrapForJNI;
 import org.mozilla.gecko.util.ThreadUtils;
 
 import android.content.ClipboardManager;
 import android.content.ClipData;
 import android.content.Context;
-import android.util.Log;
+import android.text.TextUtils;
 
 public final class Clipboard {
     private final static String LOGTAG = "GeckoClipboard";
-    private final static SynchronousQueue<String> sClipboardQueue = new SynchronousQueue<String>();
 
     private Clipboard() {
     }
 
     @WrapForJNI(calledFrom = "gecko")
     public static String getText(final Context context) {
-        // If we're on the UI thread or the background thread, we have a looper on the thread
-        // and can just call this directly. For any other threads, post the call to the
-        // background thread.
-
-        if (ThreadUtils.isOnUiThread() || ThreadUtils.isOnBackgroundThread()) {
-            return getClipboardTextImpl(context);
+        final ClipboardManager cm = (ClipboardManager)
+                context.getSystemService(Context.CLIPBOARD_SERVICE);
+        if (cm.hasPrimaryClip()) {
+            ClipData clip = cm.getPrimaryClip();
+            if (clip != null && clip.getItemCount() > 0) {
+                ClipData.Item item = clip.getItemAt(0);
+                return item.coerceToText(context).toString();
+            }
         }
-
-        ThreadUtils.postToBackgroundThread(new Runnable() {
-            @Override
-            public void run() {
-                String text = getClipboardTextImpl(context);
-                try {
-                    sClipboardQueue.put(text != null ? text : "");
-                } catch (InterruptedException ie) { }
-            }
-        });
-
-        try {
-            return sClipboardQueue.take();
-        } catch (InterruptedException ie) {
-            return "";
-        }
+        return null;
     }
 
     @WrapForJNI(calledFrom = "gecko")
     public static void setText(final Context context, final CharSequence text) {
-        ThreadUtils.postToBackgroundThread(new Runnable() {
-            @Override
-            public void run() {
-                // In API Level 11 and above, CLIPBOARD_SERVICE returns android.content.ClipboardManager,
-                // which is a subclass of android.text.ClipboardManager.
-                final ClipboardManager cm = (ClipboardManager) context.getSystemService(Context.CLIPBOARD_SERVICE);
-                final ClipData clip = ClipData.newPlainText("Text", text);
-                try {
-                    cm.setPrimaryClip(clip);
-                } catch (NullPointerException e) {
-                    // Bug 776223: This is a Samsung clipboard bug. setPrimaryClip() can throw
-                    // a NullPointerException if Samsung's /data/clipboard directory is full.
-                    // Fortunately, the text is still successfully copied to the clipboard.
-                }
-                return;
-            }
-        });
+        // In API Level 11 and above, CLIPBOARD_SERVICE returns android.content.ClipboardManager,
+        // which is a subclass of android.text.ClipboardManager.
+        final ClipboardManager cm = (ClipboardManager)
+                context.getSystemService(Context.CLIPBOARD_SERVICE);
+        try {
+            cm.setPrimaryClip(ClipData.newPlainText("Text", text));
+        } catch (NullPointerException e) {
+            // Bug 776223: This is a Samsung clipboard bug. setPrimaryClip() can throw
+            // a NullPointerException if Samsung's /data/clipboard directory is full.
+            // Fortunately, the text is still successfully copied to the clipboard.
+        }
     }
 
     /**
      * @return true if the clipboard is nonempty, false otherwise.
      */
     @WrapForJNI(calledFrom = "gecko")
     public static boolean hasText(final Context context) {
-        final ClipboardManager cm = (ClipboardManager) context.getSystemService(Context.CLIPBOARD_SERVICE);
-        return cm.hasPrimaryClip();
+        return !TextUtils.isEmpty(getText(context));
     }
 
     /**
      * Deletes all text from the clipboard.
      */
     @WrapForJNI(calledFrom = "gecko")
     public static void clearText(final Context context) {
         setText(context, null);
     }
-
-    /**
-     * On some devices, access to the clipboard service needs to happen
-     * on a thread with a looper, so this function requires a looper is
-     * present on the thread.
-     */
-    @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
-    static String getClipboardTextImpl(final Context context) {
-        final ClipboardManager cm = (ClipboardManager)
-                context.getSystemService(Context.CLIPBOARD_SERVICE);
-        if (cm.hasPrimaryClip()) {
-            ClipData clip = cm.getPrimaryClip();
-            if (clip != null) {
-                ClipData.Item item = clip.getItemAt(0);
-                return item.coerceToText(context).toString();
-            }
-        }
-        return null;
-    }
 }

--- a/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/java/org/mozilla/geckoview/GeckoRuntime.java
+++ b/mobile/android/geckoview/src/main/java/org/mozilla/geckoview/GeckoRuntime.java
@@ -116,16 +116,19 @@ public final class GeckoRuntime implemen
 
         mSettings = settings;
 
         // Bug 1453062 -- the EventDispatcher should really live here (or in GeckoThread)
         EventDispatcher.getInstance().registerUiThreadListener(mEventListener, "Gecko:Exited");
 
         mSettings.runtime = this;
         mSettings.flush();
+
+        // Initialize the system ClipboardManager by accessing it on the main thread.
+        GeckoAppShell.getApplicationContext().getSystemService(Context.CLIPBOARD_SERVICE);
         return true;
     }
 
     /**
      * Create a new runtime with default settings and attach it to the given
      * context.
      *
      * Create will throw if there is already an active Gecko instance running,