diff --git a/browser/base/content/test/Makefile.in b/browser/base/content/test/Makefile.in
--- a/browser/base/content/test/Makefile.in
+++ b/browser/base/content/test/Makefile.in
@@ -94,16 +94,17 @@
                  browser_bug386835.js \
                  dummy_page.html \
                  browser_bug422590.js \
                  browser_sanitize-sitepermissions.js \
                  browser_bug356571.js \
                  browser_sanitize-passwordDisabledHosts.js \
                  browser_bug479408.js \
                  browser_bug479408_sample.html \
+                 browser_scope.js \
     $(NULL)
 
 ifeq (,$(filter mac cocoa,$(MOZ_WIDGET_TOOLKIT)))
 _BROWSER_FILES += browser_bug462289.js
 else
 _BROWSER_FILES += browser_customize.js
 endif
 
diff --git a/testing/mochitest/tests/browser/browser_scope.js b/browser/base/content/test/browser_scope.js
rename from testing/mochitest/tests/browser/browser_scope.js
rename to browser/base/content/test/browser_scope.js
diff --git a/testing/mochitest/tests/browser/Makefile.in b/testing/mochitest/tests/browser/Makefile.in
--- a/testing/mochitest/tests/browser/Makefile.in
+++ b/testing/mochitest/tests/browser/Makefile.in
@@ -41,17 +41,17 @@
 VPATH		= @srcdir@
 relativesrcdir  = testing/mochitest/tests/browser
 
 include $(DEPTH)/config/autoconf.mk
 include $(topsrcdir)/config/rules.mk
 
 _BROWSER_TEST_FILES = 	  browser_pass.js \
 	                  browser_async.js \
-	                  browser_scope.js \
+	                  browser_privileges.js \
 # Disabled, these are only good for testing the harness' failure reporting
 #	                  browser_fail.js \
 #	                  browser_fail_async_throw.js \
 #	                  browser_fail_fp.js \
 #	                  browser_fail_pf.js \
 #	                  browser_fail_throw.js \
 #	                  browser_fail_timeout.js \
 	                  $(NULL)
diff --git a/testing/mochitest/tests/browser/browser_privileges.js b/testing/mochitest/tests/browser/browser_privileges.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/testing/mochitest/tests/browser/browser_privileges.js
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+function test() {
+  // simple test to confirm we have chrome privileges
+  let hasPrivileges = true;
+
+  // this will throw an exception if we are not running with privileges
+  try {
+    var prefs = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/preferences-service;1"].
+                getService(Components.interfaces.nsIPrefBranch);
+  }
+  catch (e) {
+    hasPrivileges = false;
+  }
+
+  // if we get here, we must have chrome privileges
+  ok(hasPrivileges, "running with chrome privileges");
+}