--- a/devtools/client/performance/components/test/head.js
+++ b/devtools/client/performance/components/test/head.js
@@ -4,17 +4,16 @@
 "use strict";
 
 /* global window, document, SimpleTest, requestAnimationFrame, is, ok */
 /* exported Cc, Ci, Cu, Cr, Assert, Task, TargetFactory, Toolbox, browserRequire,
    forceRender, setProps, dumpn, checkOptimizationHeader, checkOptimizationTree */
 const { require } = ChromeUtils.import("resource://devtools/shared/Loader.jsm", {});
 let { Assert } = require("resource://testing-common/Assert.jsm");
 const { BrowserLoader } = ChromeUtils.import("resource://devtools/client/shared/browser-loader.js", {});
-const defer = require("devtools/shared/defer");
 const flags = require("devtools/shared/flags");
 let { TargetFactory } = require("devtools/client/framework/target");
 let { Toolbox } = require("devtools/client/framework/toolbox");
 
 let { require: browserRequire } = BrowserLoader({
   baseURI: "resource://devtools/client/performance/",
   window
 });
@@ -32,25 +31,25 @@ SimpleTest.waitForExplicitFinish();
 
 function onNextAnimationFrame(fn) {
   return () =>
     requestAnimationFrame(() =>
       requestAnimationFrame(fn));
 }
 
 function setState(component, newState) {
-  const deferred = defer();
-  component.setState(newState, onNextAnimationFrame(deferred.resolve));
-  return deferred.promise;
+  return new Promise(resolve => {
+    component.setState(newState, onNextAnimationFrame(resolve));
+  });
 }
 
 function setProps(component, newState) {
-  const deferred = defer();
-  component.setProps(newState, onNextAnimationFrame(deferred.resolve));
-  return deferred.promise;
+  return new Promise(resolve => {
+    component.setProps(newState, onNextAnimationFrame(resolve));
+  });
 }
 
 function dumpn(msg) {
   dump(`PERFORMANCE-COMPONENT-TEST: ${msg}\n`);
 }
 
 /**
  * Default opts data for testing. First site has a simple IonType,

--- a/devtools/client/performance/modules/widgets/graphs.js
+++ b/devtools/client/performance/modules/widgets/graphs.js
@@ -7,17 +7,16 @@
  * This file contains the base line graph that all Performance line graphs use.
  */
 
 const { extend } = require("devtools/shared/extend");
 const LineGraphWidget = require("devtools/client/shared/widgets/LineGraphWidget");
 const MountainGraphWidget = require("devtools/client/shared/widgets/MountainGraphWidget");
 const { CanvasGraphUtils } = require("devtools/client/shared/widgets/Graphs");
 
-const defer = require("devtools/shared/defer");
 const EventEmitter = require("devtools/shared/event-emitter");
 
 const { colorUtils } = require("devtools/shared/css/color");
 const { getColor } = require("devtools/client/shared/theme");
 const ProfilerGlobal = require("devtools/client/performance/modules/global");
 const { MarkersOverview } = require("devtools/client/performance/modules/widgets/markers-overview");
 const { createTierGraphDataFromFrameNode } = require("devtools/client/performance/modules/logic/jit");
 
@@ -205,30 +204,32 @@ GraphsController.prototype = {
    * Saves rendering progress as a promise to be consumed by `destroy`,
    * to wait for cleaning up rendering during destruction.
    */
   async render(recordingData, resolution) {
     // Get the previous render promise so we don't start rendering
     // until the previous render cycle completes, which can occur
     // especially when a recording is finished, and triggers a
     // fresh rendering at a higher rate
-    await (this._rendering && this._rendering.promise);
+    await this._rendering;
 
     // Check after yielding to ensure we're not tearing down,
     // as this can create a race condition in tests
     if (this._destroyed) {
       return;
     }
 
-    this._rendering = defer();
-    for (const graph of (await this._getEnabled())) {
-      await graph.setPerformanceData(recordingData, resolution);
-      this.emit("rendered", graph.graphName);
-    }
-    this._rendering.resolve();
+    this._rendering = new Promise(async (resolve) => {
+      for (const graph of (await this._getEnabled())) {
+        await graph.setPerformanceData(recordingData, resolution);
+        this.emit("rendered", graph.graphName);
+      }
+      resolve();
+    });
+    await this._rendering;
   },
 
   /**
    * Destroys the underlying graphs.
    */
   async destroy() {
     const primary = this._getPrimaryLink();
 
@@ -236,17 +237,17 @@ GraphsController.prototype = {
 
     if (primary) {
       primary.off("selecting", this._onSelecting);
     }
 
     // If there was rendering, wait until the most recent render cycle
     // has finished
     if (this._rendering) {
-      await this._rendering.promise;
+      await this._rendering;
     }
 
     for (const graph of this.getWidgets()) {
       await graph.destroy();
     }
   },
 
   /**

--- a/devtools/client/performance/panel.js
+++ b/devtools/client/performance/panel.js
@@ -1,17 +1,15 @@
 /* -*- Mode: javascript; tab-width: 2; indent-tabs-mode: nil; c-basic-offset: 2 -*- */
 /* vim: set ft=javascript ts=2 et sw=2 tw=80: */
 /* This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
  * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 "use strict";
 
-const defer = require("devtools/shared/defer");
-
 loader.lazyRequireGetter(this, "EventEmitter", "devtools/shared/event-emitter");
 
 function PerformancePanel(iframeWindow, toolbox) {
   this.panelWin = iframeWindow;
   this.toolbox = toolbox;
 
   EventEmitter.decorate(this);
 }
@@ -25,18 +23,16 @@ PerformancePanel.prototype = {
    * @return object
    *         A promise that is resolved when the Performance tool
    *         completes opening.
    */
   async open() {
     if (this._opening) {
       return this._opening;
     }
-    const deferred = defer();
-    this._opening = deferred.promise;
 
     this.panelWin.gToolbox = this.toolbox;
     this.panelWin.gTarget = this.target;
     this._checkRecordingStatus = this._checkRecordingStatus.bind(this);
 
     // Actor is already created in the toolbox; reuse
     // the same front, and the toolbox will also initialize the front,
     // but redo it here so we can hook into the same event to prevent race conditions
@@ -59,17 +55,19 @@ PerformancePanel.prototype = {
     // Fire this once incase we have an in-progress recording (console profile)
     // that caused this start up, and no state change yet, so we can highlight the
     // tab if we need.
     this._checkRecordingStatus();
 
     this.isReady = true;
     this.emit("ready");
 
-    deferred.resolve(this);
+    this._opening = new Promise(resolve => {
+      resolve(this);
+    });
     return this._opening;
   },
 
   // DevToolPanel API
 
   get target() {
     return this.toolbox.target;
   },

--- a/devtools/client/performance/performance-controller.js
+++ b/devtools/client/performance/performance-controller.js
@@ -38,17 +38,16 @@ var Waterfall = React.createFactory(requ
 var JITOptimizationsView = React.createFactory(require("devtools/client/performance/components/jit-optimizations"));
 var RecordingControls = React.createFactory(require("devtools/client/performance/components/recording-controls"));
 var RecordingButton = React.createFactory(require("devtools/client/performance/components/recording-button"));
 var RecordingList = React.createFactory(require("devtools/client/performance/components/recording-list"));
 var RecordingListItem = React.createFactory(require("devtools/client/performance/components/recording-list-item"));
 
 var Services = require("Services");
 var promise = require("promise");
-const defer = require("devtools/shared/defer");
 var EventEmitter = require("devtools/shared/event-emitter");
 var DevToolsUtils = require("devtools/shared/DevToolsUtils");
 var flags = require("devtools/shared/flags");
 var system = require("devtools/shared/system");
 
 // Logic modules
 /* exported L10N, PerformanceTelemetry, TIMELINE_BLUEPRINT, RecordingUtils,
    PerformanceUtils, OptimizationsGraph, GraphsController,
@@ -537,24 +536,24 @@ var PerformanceController = {
    * Takes a PerformanceRecording and a state, and waits for
    * the event to be emitted from the front for that recording.
    *
    * @param {PerformanceRecordingFront} recording
    * @param {string} expectedState
    * @return {Promise}
    */
   async waitForStateChangeOnRecording(recording, expectedState) {
-    const deferred = defer();
-    this.on(EVENTS.RECORDING_STATE_CHANGE, function handler(state, model) {
-      if (state === expectedState && model === recording) {
-        this.off(EVENTS.RECORDING_STATE_CHANGE, handler);
-        deferred.resolve();
-      }
+    await new Promise(resolve => {
+      this.on(EVENTS.RECORDING_STATE_CHANGE, function handler(state, model) {
+        if (state === expectedState && model === recording) {
+          this.off(EVENTS.RECORDING_STATE_CHANGE, handler);
+          resolve();
+        }
+      });
     });
-    await deferred.promise;
   },
 
   /**
    * Called on init, sets an `e10s` attribute on the main view container with
    * "disabled" if e10s is possible on the platform and just not on, or "unsupported"
    * if e10s is not possible on the platform. If e10s is on, no attribute is set.
    */
   _setMultiprocessAttributes: function() {

--- a/devtools/client/performance/test/browser_perf-recordings-io-03.js
+++ b/devtools/client/performance/test/browser_perf-recordings-io-03.js
@@ -33,24 +33,22 @@ var test = async function () {
 function getUnicodeConverter() {
   let className = "@mozilla.org/intl/scriptableunicodeconverter";
   let converter = Cc[className].createInstance(Ci.nsIScriptableUnicodeConverter);
   converter.charset = "UTF-8";
   return converter;
 }
 
 function asyncCopy(data, file) {
-  let deferred = defer();
-
   let string = JSON.stringify(data);
   let inputStream = getUnicodeConverter().convertToInputStream(string);
   let outputStream = FileUtils.openSafeFileOutputStream(file);
 
-  NetUtil.asyncCopy(inputStream, outputStream, status => {
-    if (!Components.isSuccessCode(status)) {
-      deferred.reject(new Error("Could not save data to file."));
-    }
-    deferred.resolve();
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    NetUtil.asyncCopy(inputStream, outputStream, status => {
+      if (!Components.isSuccessCode(status)) {
+        reject(new Error("Could not save data to file."));
+      }
+      resolve();
+    });
   });
-
-  return deferred.promise;
 }
 /* eslint-enable */

--- a/devtools/client/performance/test/browser_perf-recordings-io-04.js
+++ b/devtools/client/performance/test/browser_perf-recordings-io-04.js
@@ -155,24 +155,22 @@ var test = async function () {
 function getUnicodeConverter() {
   let className = "@mozilla.org/intl/scriptableunicodeconverter";
   let converter = Cc[className].createInstance(Ci.nsIScriptableUnicodeConverter);
   converter.charset = "UTF-8";
   return converter;
 }
 
 function asyncCopy(data, file) {
-  let deferred = defer();
-
   let string = JSON.stringify(data);
   let inputStream = getUnicodeConverter().convertToInputStream(string);
   let outputStream = FileUtils.openSafeFileOutputStream(file);
 
-  NetUtil.asyncCopy(inputStream, outputStream, status => {
-    if (!Components.isSuccessCode(status)) {
-      deferred.reject(new Error("Could not save data to file."));
-    }
-    deferred.resolve();
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    NetUtil.asyncCopy(inputStream, outputStream, status => {
+      if (!Components.isSuccessCode(status)) {
+        reject(new Error("Could not save data to file."));
+      }
+      resolve();
+    });
   });
-
-  return deferred.promise;
 }
 /* eslint-enable */

--- a/devtools/client/performance/test/browser_perf-recordings-io-06.js
+++ b/devtools/client/performance/test/browser_perf-recordings-io-06.js
@@ -119,24 +119,22 @@ var test = async function () {
 function getUnicodeConverter() {
   let className = "@mozilla.org/intl/scriptableunicodeconverter";
   let converter = Cc[className].createInstance(Ci.nsIScriptableUnicodeConverter);
   converter.charset = "UTF-8";
   return converter;
 }
 
 function asyncCopy(data, file) {
-  let deferred = defer();
-
   let string = JSON.stringify(data);
   let inputStream = getUnicodeConverter().convertToInputStream(string);
   let outputStream = FileUtils.openSafeFileOutputStream(file);
 
-  NetUtil.asyncCopy(inputStream, outputStream, status => {
-    if (!Components.isSuccessCode(status)) {
-      deferred.reject(new Error("Could not save data to file."));
-    }
-    deferred.resolve();
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    NetUtil.asyncCopy(inputStream, outputStream, status => {
+      if (!Components.isSuccessCode(status)) {
+        reject(new Error("Could not save data to file."));
+      }
+      resolve();
+    });
   });
-
-  return deferred.promise;
 }
 /* eslint-enable */

--- a/devtools/client/performance/test/browser_timeline-waterfall-workers.js
+++ b/devtools/client/performance/test/browser_timeline-waterfall-workers.js
@@ -68,30 +68,28 @@ function testWorkerMarkerUI(node) {
 }
 
 /**
  * Takes a string `script` and evaluates it directly in the content
  * in potentially a different process.
  */
 function evalInDebuggee(script) {
   let { generateUUID } = Cc["@mozilla.org/uuid-generator;1"].getService(Ci.nsIUUIDGenerator);
-  let deferred = defer();
 
   if (!mm) {
     throw new Error("`loadFrameScripts()` must be called when using MessageManager.");
   }
-
-  let id = generateUUID().toString();
-  mm.sendAsyncMessage("devtools:test:eval", { script: script, id: id });
-  mm.addMessageListener("devtools:test:eval:response", handler);
+  return new Promise(resolve => {
+    let id = generateUUID().toString();
+    mm.sendAsyncMessage("devtools:test:eval", {script: script, id: id});
+    mm.addMessageListener("devtools:test:eval:response", handler);
 
-  function handler({ data }) {
-    if (id !== data.id) {
-      return;
-    }
+    function handler({data}) {
+      if (id !== data.id) {
+        return;
+      }
 
-    mm.removeMessageListener("devtools:test:eval:response", handler);
-    deferred.resolve(data.value);
-  }
-
-  return deferred.promise;
+      mm.removeMessageListener("devtools:test:eval:response", handler);
+      resolve(data.value);
+    }
+  });
 }
 /* eslint-enable */