diff --git a/components/net/fetch/methods.rs b/components/net/fetch/methods.rs
index 97c6fc1d871..994f3d36702 100644
--- a/components/net/fetch/methods.rs
+++ b/components/net/fetch/methods.rs
@@ -150,9 +150,8 @@ pub fn main_fetch(request: Rc<Request>,
     // currently the clients themselves set referrer policy in RequestInit
 
     // Step 7
-    if request.referrer_policy.get().is_none() {
-        request.referrer_policy.set(Some(ReferrerPolicy::NoReferrerWhenDowngrade));
-    }
+    let referrer_policy = request.referrer_policy.get().unwrap_or(ReferrerPolicy::NoReferrerWhenDowngrade);
+    request.referrer_policy.set(Some(referrer_policy));
 
     // Step 8
     if *request.referrer.borrow() != Referrer::NoReferrer {
@@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ pub fn main_fetch(request: Rc<Request>,
         // this stops the assertion in determine_request_referrer from failing
         request.headers.borrow_mut().remove::<RefererHeader>();
         let referrer_url = determine_request_referrer(&mut *request.headers.borrow_mut(),
-                                                      request.referrer_policy.get(),
+                                                      referrer_policy,
                                                       request.referrer.borrow_mut().take(),
                                                       request.current_url().clone());
         *request.referrer.borrow_mut() = Referrer::from_url(referrer_url);
diff --git a/components/net/http_loader.rs b/components/net/http_loader.rs
index 88d37877f54..ddcdef9a439 100644
--- a/components/net/http_loader.rs
+++ b/components/net/http_loader.rs
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ fn strip_url(mut referrer_url: ServoUrl, origin_only: bool) -> Option<ServoUrl>
 
 /// https://w3c.github.io/webappsec-referrer-policy/#determine-requests-referrer
 pub fn determine_request_referrer(headers: &mut Headers,
-                                  referrer_policy: Option<ReferrerPolicy>,
+                                  referrer_policy: ReferrerPolicy,
                                   referrer_url: Option<ServoUrl>,
                                   url: ServoUrl) -> Option<ServoUrl> {
     //TODO - algorithm step 2 not addressed
@@ -285,14 +285,14 @@ pub fn determine_request_referrer(headers: &mut Headers,
     if let Some(ref_url) = referrer_url {
         let cross_origin = ref_url.origin() != url.origin();
         return match referrer_policy {
-            Some(ReferrerPolicy::NoReferrer) => None,
-            Some(ReferrerPolicy::Origin) => strip_url(ref_url, true),
-            Some(ReferrerPolicy::SameOrigin) => if cross_origin { None } else { strip_url(ref_url, false) },
-            Some(ReferrerPolicy::UnsafeUrl) => strip_url(ref_url, false),
-            Some(ReferrerPolicy::OriginWhenCrossOrigin) => strip_url(ref_url, cross_origin),
-            Some(ReferrerPolicy::StrictOrigin) => strict_origin(ref_url, url),
-            Some(ReferrerPolicy::StrictOriginWhenCrossOrigin) => strict_origin_when_cross_origin(ref_url, url),
-            Some(ReferrerPolicy::NoReferrerWhenDowngrade) | None =>
+            ReferrerPolicy::NoReferrer => None,
+            ReferrerPolicy::Origin => strip_url(ref_url, true),
+            ReferrerPolicy::SameOrigin => if cross_origin { None } else { strip_url(ref_url, false) },
+            ReferrerPolicy::UnsafeUrl => strip_url(ref_url, false),
+            ReferrerPolicy::OriginWhenCrossOrigin => strip_url(ref_url, cross_origin),
+            ReferrerPolicy::StrictOrigin => strict_origin(ref_url, url),
+            ReferrerPolicy::StrictOriginWhenCrossOrigin => strict_origin_when_cross_origin(ref_url, url),
+            ReferrerPolicy::NoReferrerWhenDowngrade =>
                 no_referrer_when_downgrade_header(ref_url, url),
         };
     }