diff --git a/mozilla/editor/base/CreateElementTxn.cpp b/mozilla/editor/base/CreateElementTxn.cpp
index a59786179b2..247218fd198 100644
--- a/mozilla/editor/base/CreateElementTxn.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/editor/base/CreateElementTxn.cpp
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP CreateElementTxn::Do(void)
     if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result;
     if (!newElement) return NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
     mNewNode = do_QueryInterface(newElement);
+    // Try to insert formatting whitespace for the new node:
+    mEditor->MarkNodeDirty(mNewNode);
   }
   NS_ASSERTION(((NS_SUCCEEDED(result)) && (mNewNode)), "could not create element.");
   if (!mNewNode) return NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
@@ -135,9 +137,6 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP CreateElementTxn::Do(void)
       result = mParent->InsertBefore(mNewNode, mRefNode, getter_AddRefs(resultNode));
       if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result; 
 
-      // Try to insert formatting whitespace for the new node:
-      mEditor->InsertFormattingForNode(mNewNode);
-
       // only set selection to insertion point if editor gives permission
       PRBool bAdjustSelection;
       mEditor->ShouldTxnSetSelection(&bAdjustSelection);
diff --git a/mozilla/editor/base/InsertElementTxn.cpp b/mozilla/editor/base/InsertElementTxn.cpp
index fbe7cdc6fad..155faf273db 100644
--- a/mozilla/editor/base/InsertElementTxn.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/editor/base/InsertElementTxn.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "InsertElementTxn.h"
 #include "nsIDOMSelection.h"
 #include "nsIContent.h"
+#include "nsIDOMNodeList.h"
 
 #ifdef NS_DEBUG
 static PRBool gNoisy = PR_FALSE;
@@ -78,37 +79,27 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP InsertElementTxn::Do(void)
 
   if (!mNode || !mParent) return NS_ERROR_NOT_INITIALIZED;
 
-  nsresult result;
+  nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNodeList> childNodes;
   nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode>refNode;
-  //if (0!=mOffset)
-  { // get a ref node
-    PRInt32 i=0;
-    result = mParent->GetFirstChild(getter_AddRefs(refNode));
-    if (NS_SUCCEEDED(result) && refNode)
-    {
-      for (; i<mOffset; i++)
-      {
-        nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode>nextSib;
-        result = refNode->GetNextSibling(getter_AddRefs(nextSib));  
-        if (NS_FAILED(result)) {
-          break;  // couldn't get a next sibling, so make aNode the first child
-        }
-        refNode = do_QueryInterface(nextSib);
-        if (!refNode) {
-          break;  // couldn't get a next sibling, so make aNode the first child
-        }
-      }
-    }
+  nsresult result = mParent->GetChildNodes(getter_AddRefs(childNodes));
+  if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result;
+  if (childNodes)
+  {
+    PRUint32 count;
+    childNodes->GetLength(&count);
+    if (mOffset>count) mOffset = count;
+    result = childNodes->Item(mOffset, getter_AddRefs(refNode));
+    if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result; 
+    // note, it's ok for mRefNode to be null.  that means append
   }
 
+  mEditor->MarkNodeDirty(mNode);
+
   nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode> resultNode;
   result = mParent->InsertBefore(mNode, refNode, getter_AddRefs(resultNode));
   if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result;
   if (!resultNode) return NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 
-  // Try to insert formatting whitespace for the new node:
-  mEditor->InsertFormattingForNode(resultNode);
-
   // only set selection to insertion point if editor gives permission
   PRBool bAdjustSelection;
   mEditor->ShouldTxnSetSelection(&bAdjustSelection);
diff --git a/mozilla/editor/libeditor/base/CreateElementTxn.cpp b/mozilla/editor/libeditor/base/CreateElementTxn.cpp
index a59786179b2..247218fd198 100644
--- a/mozilla/editor/libeditor/base/CreateElementTxn.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/editor/libeditor/base/CreateElementTxn.cpp
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP CreateElementTxn::Do(void)
     if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result;
     if (!newElement) return NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
     mNewNode = do_QueryInterface(newElement);
+    // Try to insert formatting whitespace for the new node:
+    mEditor->MarkNodeDirty(mNewNode);
   }
   NS_ASSERTION(((NS_SUCCEEDED(result)) && (mNewNode)), "could not create element.");
   if (!mNewNode) return NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
@@ -135,9 +137,6 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP CreateElementTxn::Do(void)
       result = mParent->InsertBefore(mNewNode, mRefNode, getter_AddRefs(resultNode));
       if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result; 
 
-      // Try to insert formatting whitespace for the new node:
-      mEditor->InsertFormattingForNode(mNewNode);
-
       // only set selection to insertion point if editor gives permission
       PRBool bAdjustSelection;
       mEditor->ShouldTxnSetSelection(&bAdjustSelection);
diff --git a/mozilla/editor/libeditor/base/InsertElementTxn.cpp b/mozilla/editor/libeditor/base/InsertElementTxn.cpp
index fbe7cdc6fad..155faf273db 100644
--- a/mozilla/editor/libeditor/base/InsertElementTxn.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/editor/libeditor/base/InsertElementTxn.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "InsertElementTxn.h"
 #include "nsIDOMSelection.h"
 #include "nsIContent.h"
+#include "nsIDOMNodeList.h"
 
 #ifdef NS_DEBUG
 static PRBool gNoisy = PR_FALSE;
@@ -78,37 +79,27 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP InsertElementTxn::Do(void)
 
   if (!mNode || !mParent) return NS_ERROR_NOT_INITIALIZED;
 
-  nsresult result;
+  nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNodeList> childNodes;
   nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode>refNode;
-  //if (0!=mOffset)
-  { // get a ref node
-    PRInt32 i=0;
-    result = mParent->GetFirstChild(getter_AddRefs(refNode));
-    if (NS_SUCCEEDED(result) && refNode)
-    {
-      for (; i<mOffset; i++)
-      {
-        nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode>nextSib;
-        result = refNode->GetNextSibling(getter_AddRefs(nextSib));  
-        if (NS_FAILED(result)) {
-          break;  // couldn't get a next sibling, so make aNode the first child
-        }
-        refNode = do_QueryInterface(nextSib);
-        if (!refNode) {
-          break;  // couldn't get a next sibling, so make aNode the first child
-        }
-      }
-    }
+  nsresult result = mParent->GetChildNodes(getter_AddRefs(childNodes));
+  if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result;
+  if (childNodes)
+  {
+    PRUint32 count;
+    childNodes->GetLength(&count);
+    if (mOffset>count) mOffset = count;
+    result = childNodes->Item(mOffset, getter_AddRefs(refNode));
+    if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result; 
+    // note, it's ok for mRefNode to be null.  that means append
   }
 
+  mEditor->MarkNodeDirty(mNode);
+
   nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMNode> resultNode;
   result = mParent->InsertBefore(mNode, refNode, getter_AddRefs(resultNode));
   if (NS_FAILED(result)) return result;
   if (!resultNode) return NS_ERROR_NULL_POINTER;
 
-  // Try to insert formatting whitespace for the new node:
-  mEditor->InsertFormattingForNode(resultNode);
-
   // only set selection to insertion point if editor gives permission
   PRBool bAdjustSelection;
   mEditor->ShouldTxnSetSelection(&bAdjustSelection);
diff --git a/mozilla/editor/public/nsIEditor.h b/mozilla/editor/public/nsIEditor.h
index f8e70c9eb33..ef725829e65 100644
--- a/mozilla/editor/public/nsIEditor.h
+++ b/mozilla/editor/public/nsIEditor.h
@@ -393,11 +393,11 @@ public:
   NS_IMETHOD InsertNoneditableTextNode(nsIDOMNode* aParent, PRInt32 aOffset,
                                        nsString& aStr) = 0;
   /** 
-   * InsertFormattingForNode() inserts formatting before and/or after a node.
+   * InsertFormattingForNode() sets a special dirty attribute on the node.
    * Usually this will be called immediately after creating a new node.
    * @param aNode      The node for which to insert formatting.
    */
-  NS_IMETHOD InsertFormattingForNode(nsIDOMNode* aNode) = 0;
+  NS_IMETHOD MarkNodeDirty(nsIDOMNode* aNode) = 0;
 
   /* ------------ Output methods -------------- */