diff --git a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsMacMessagePump.cpp b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsMacMessagePump.cpp
index ea5011332fb..f6883307596 100644
--- a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsMacMessagePump.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsMacMessagePump.cpp
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ void nsMacMessagePump::DoMessagePump()
 	PRBool				haveEvent;
 	EventRecord			theEvent;
 
-	mInBackground = PR_FALSE;
+	nsToolkit::AppInForeground();
 	
 	while (mRunning)
 	{			
@@ -384,9 +384,9 @@ void nsMacMessagePump::DispatchEvent(PRBool aRealEvent, EventRecord *anEvent)
 				{
 					case suspendResumeMessage:
 						if ((anEvent->message & 1) == resumeFlag)
-							mInBackground = PR_FALSE;		// resume message
+							nsToolkit::AppInForeground();		// resume message
 						else
-							mInBackground = PR_TRUE;		// suspend message
+							nsToolkit::AppInBackground();		// suspend message
 						DoMouseMove(*anEvent);
 						break;
 
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ void	nsMacMessagePump::DoMouseMove(EventRecord &anEvent)
 
 	if (mMouseRgn)
 	{
-		Point globalMouse = anEvent.where;
+		Point globalMouse = anEvent.where;		
 		::SetRectRgn(mMouseRgn, globalMouse.h, globalMouse.v, globalMouse.h + 1, globalMouse.v + 1);
 	}
 
@@ -859,7 +859,7 @@ void	nsMacMessagePump::DoIdle(EventRecord &anEvent)
 	EventRecord	localEvent = anEvent;
 	localEvent.what = nullEvent;
 	lastWhere = localEvent.where;
-	DoMouseMove(localEvent);
+  DoMouseMove(localEvent);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsMacMessagePump.h b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsMacMessagePump.h
index 40090ec0a20..9760ee204f3 100644
--- a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsMacMessagePump.h
+++ b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsMacMessagePump.h
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ private:
 	PRBool					mRunning;
 	Point					mMousePoint;	// keep track of where the mouse is at all times
 	RgnHandle				mMouseRgn;
-	PRBool					mInBackground;
 	nsToolkit*				mToolkit;
 	nsMacMessageSink*       mMessageSink;
 	nsMacTSMMessagePump*	mTSMMessagePump;
diff --git a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsToolkit.cpp b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsToolkit.cpp
index 618806e4925..e824e742c75 100644
--- a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsToolkit.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsToolkit.cpp
@@ -140,6 +140,11 @@ void nsMacNSPREventQueueHandler::ProcessPLEventQueue()
 
 NS_IMPL_THREADSAFE_ISUPPORTS1(nsToolkit, nsIToolkit);
 
+
+// assume we begin as the fg app
+bool nsToolkit::sInForeground = true;
+
+
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -209,6 +214,28 @@ bool nsToolkit::HasAppearanceManager()
 	return hasAppearanceManager;
 }
 
+
+void 
+nsToolkit :: AppInForeground ( )
+{
+  sInForeground = true;
+}
+
+
+void 
+nsToolkit :: AppInBackground ( )
+{
+  sInForeground = false;
+} 
+
+
+bool
+nsToolkit :: IsAppInForeground ( )
+{
+  return sInForeground;
+}
+
+
 //-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 //
 // Return the nsIToolkit for the current thread.  If a toolkit does not
diff --git a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsToolkit.h b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsToolkit.h
index 4e9568cd499..075d7433cc3 100644
--- a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsToolkit.h
+++ b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsToolkit.h
@@ -66,9 +66,15 @@ public:
   
   // Appearance Mgr
   static bool 	HasAppearanceManager();
+  
+  // helpers to determine if the app is in the fg or bg
+  static void AppInForeground ( ) ;
+  static void AppInBackground ( ) ;
+  static bool IsAppInForeground ( ) ;
 
 protected:
   bool          mInited;
+  static bool   sInForeground;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsWindow.cpp b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsWindow.cpp
index 6c19c96ec01..a65f85fea06 100644
--- a/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsWindow.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/widget/src/mac/nsWindow.cpp
@@ -584,6 +584,11 @@ NS_METHOD nsWindow::SetCursor(nsCursor aCursor)
 {
   nsBaseWidget::SetCursor(aCursor);
 	
+	// allow the cursor to be set internally if we're in the bg, but
+	// don't actually set it.
+  if ( !nsToolkit::IsAppInForeground() )
+    return NS_OK;
+
   // mac specific cursor manipulation
 	//ĄTODO: We need a way to get non-os cursors here.
 	if (nsToolkit::HasAppearanceManager())