--- a/testing/puppeteer/firefox/firefox_puppeteer/mixins.py
+++ b/testing/puppeteer/firefox/firefox_puppeteer/mixins.py
@@ -78,19 +78,21 @@ class PuppeteerMixin(object):
 
         self._start_handle_count = len(self.marionette.window_handles)
         self._init_tab_handles = self.marionette.window_handles
         self.marionette.set_context('chrome')
 
         self.puppeteer = Puppeteer(self.marionette)
         self.browser = self.puppeteer.windows.current
         self.browser.focus()
+
         with self.marionette.using_context(self.marionette.CONTEXT_CONTENT):
-            # Ensure that we have a default page opened
-            self.marionette.navigate(self.puppeteer.prefs.get_pref('browser.newtab.url'))
+            # Bug 1312674 - Navigating to about:blank twice can cause a hang in
+            # Marionette. So try to always have a known default page loaded.
+            self.marionette.navigate('about:')
 
     def tearDown(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.marionette.set_context('chrome')
 
         try:
             # This code should be run after all other tearDown code
             # so that in case of a failure, further tests will not run
             # in a state that is more inconsistent than necessary.