diff --git a/mozilla/extensions/spellcheck/src/mozInlineSpellWordUtil.cpp b/mozilla/extensions/spellcheck/src/mozInlineSpellWordUtil.cpp
index b2aaa3281c3..85074382e78 100644
--- a/mozilla/extensions/spellcheck/src/mozInlineSpellWordUtil.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/extensions/spellcheck/src/mozInlineSpellWordUtil.cpp
@@ -95,8 +95,9 @@ mozInlineSpellWordUtil::Init(nsWeakPtr aWeakEditor)
   nsCOMPtr<nsIDOMElement> rootElt;
   rv = editor->GetRootElement(getter_AddRefs(rootElt));
   NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+  
   mRootNode = rootElt;
-
+  NS_ASSERTION(mRootNode, "GetRootElement returned null *and* claimed to suceed!");
   return NS_OK;
 }