--- a/browser/components/preferences/in-content/home.js
+++ b/browser/components/preferences/in-content/home.js
@@ -16,17 +16,17 @@
    *   this will be those URLs separated by the pipe character "|"
    * browser.newtabpage.enabled
    * - determines that is shown on the user's new tab page.
    *   true = Activity Stream is shown,
    *   false = about:blank is shown
    */
 
 Preferences.addAll([
-  { id: "browser.startup.homepage", type: "wstring" },
+  { id: "browser.startup.homepage", type: "string" },
   { id: "pref.browser.homepage.disable_button.current_page", type: "bool" },
   { id: "pref.browser.homepage.disable_button.bookmark_page", type: "bool" },
   { id: "pref.browser.homepage.disable_button.restore_default", type: "bool" },
   { id: "browser.newtabpage.enabled", type: "bool" }
 ]);
 
 const HOMEPAGE_OVERRIDE_KEY = "homepage_override";
 const URL_OVERRIDES_TYPE = "url_overrides";