diff --git a/components/script/dom/htmlinputelement.rs b/components/script/dom/htmlinputelement.rs
index 8ca412a04f9..1f8abb17992 100644
--- a/components/script/dom/htmlinputelement.rs
+++ b/components/script/dom/htmlinputelement.rs
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ impl HTMLInputElement {
             checked_changed: Cell::new(false),
             value_changed: Cell::new(false),
             size: Cell::new(DEFAULT_INPUT_SIZE),
-            textinput: DOMRefCell::new(TextInput::new(Single, "".to_owned(), chan)),
+            textinput: DOMRefCell::new(TextInput::new(Single, "".to_owned(), Some(chan))),
             activation_state: DOMRefCell::new(InputActivationState::new())
         }
     }
diff --git a/components/script/dom/htmltextareaelement.rs b/components/script/dom/htmltextareaelement.rs
index 60bbd7a73d9..738c906e91b 100644
--- a/components/script/dom/htmltextareaelement.rs
+++ b/components/script/dom/htmltextareaelement.rs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ impl HTMLTextAreaElement {
         let chan = document.window().root().r().constellation_chan();
         HTMLTextAreaElement {
             htmlelement: HTMLElement::new_inherited(HTMLElementTypeId::HTMLTextAreaElement, localName, prefix, document),
-            textinput: DOMRefCell::new(TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "".to_owned(), chan)),
+            textinput: DOMRefCell::new(TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "".to_owned(), Some(chan))),
             cols: Cell::new(DEFAULT_COLS),
             rows: Cell::new(DEFAULT_ROWS),
             value_changed: Cell::new(false),
diff --git a/components/script/textinput.rs b/components/script/textinput.rs
index 315b44d8dcf..33c8ce90665 100644
--- a/components/script/textinput.rs
+++ b/components/script/textinput.rs
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ pub struct TextInput {
     selection_begin: Option<TextPoint>,
     /// Is this a multiline input?
     multiline: bool,
-    constellation_channel: ConstellationChan
+    constellation_channel: Option<ConstellationChan>
 }
 
 /// Resulting action to be taken by the owner of a text input that is handling an event.
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ fn is_control_key(event: JSRef<KeyboardEvent>) -> bool {
 
 impl TextInput {
     /// Instantiate a new text input control
-    pub fn new(lines: Lines, initial: DOMString, cc: ConstellationChan) -> TextInput {
+    pub fn new(lines: Lines, initial: DOMString, cc: Option<ConstellationChan>) -> TextInput {
         let mut i = TextInput {
             lines: vec!(),
             edit_point: Default::default(),
@@ -298,9 +298,14 @@ impl TextInput {
             },
             "v" if is_control_key(event) => {
                 let (tx, rx) = channel();
-                self.constellation_channel.0.send(ConstellationMsg::GetClipboardContents(tx)).unwrap();
-                let contents = rx.recv().unwrap();
-                self.insert_string(contents.as_slice());
+                let mut contents = None;
+                if let Some(ref cc) = self.constellation_channel {
+                    cc.0.send(ConstellationMsg::GetClipboardContents(tx)).unwrap();
+                    contents = Some(rx.recv().unwrap());
+                }
+                if let Some(contents) = contents {
+                    self.insert_string(contents.as_slice());
+                }
                 KeyReaction::DispatchInput
             },
             // printable characters have single-character key values
diff --git a/tests/unit/script/textinput.rs b/tests/unit/script/textinput.rs
index 322ee63c1c5..0d7326685db 100644
--- a/tests/unit/script/textinput.rs
+++ b/tests/unit/script/textinput.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use std::borrow::ToOwned;
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_delete_char() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned(), None);
     textinput.adjust_horizontal(2, Selection::NotSelected);
     textinput.delete_char(DeleteDir::Backward);
     assert_eq!(textinput.get_content(), "acdefg");
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ fn test_textinput_delete_char() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_insert_char() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned(), None);
     textinput.adjust_horizontal(2, Selection::NotSelected);
     textinput.insert_char('a');
     assert_eq!(textinput.get_content(), "abacdefg");
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ fn test_textinput_insert_char() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_get_sorted_selection() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned(), None);
     textinput.adjust_horizontal(2, Selection::NotSelected);
     textinput.adjust_horizontal(2, Selection::Selected);
     let (begin, end) = textinput.get_sorted_selection();
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ fn test_textinput_get_sorted_selection() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_replace_selection() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned(), None);
     textinput.adjust_horizontal(2, Selection::NotSelected);
     textinput.adjust_horizontal(2, Selection::Selected);
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ fn test_textinput_replace_selection() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_current_line_length() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned(), None);
     assert_eq!(textinput.current_line_length(), 3);
 
     textinput.adjust_vertical(1, Selection::NotSelected);
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ fn test_textinput_current_line_length() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_adjust_vertical() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned(), None);
     textinput.adjust_horizontal(3, Selection::NotSelected);
     textinput.adjust_vertical(1, Selection::NotSelected);
     assert_eq!(textinput.edit_point.line, 1);
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ fn test_textinput_adjust_vertical() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_adjust_horizontal() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned(), None);
     textinput.adjust_horizontal(4, Selection::NotSelected);
     assert_eq!(textinput.edit_point.line, 1);
     assert_eq!(textinput.edit_point.index, 0);
@@ -115,12 +115,12 @@ fn test_textinput_adjust_horizontal() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_handle_return() {
-    let mut single_line_textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdef".to_owned());
+    let mut single_line_textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdef".to_owned(), None);
     single_line_textinput.adjust_horizontal(3, Selection::NotSelected);
     single_line_textinput.handle_return();
     assert_eq!(single_line_textinput.get_content(), "abcdef");
 
-    let mut multi_line_textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abcdef".to_owned());
+    let mut multi_line_textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abcdef".to_owned(), None);
     multi_line_textinput.adjust_horizontal(3, Selection::NotSelected);
     multi_line_textinput.handle_return();
     assert_eq!(multi_line_textinput.get_content(), "abc\ndef");
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ fn test_textinput_handle_return() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_select_all() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned(), None);
     assert_eq!(textinput.edit_point.line, 0);
     assert_eq!(textinput.edit_point.index, 0);
 
@@ -139,16 +139,16 @@ fn test_textinput_select_all() {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_get_content() {
-    let single_line_textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned());
+    let single_line_textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Single, "abcdefg".to_owned(), None);
     assert_eq!(single_line_textinput.get_content(), "abcdefg");
 
-    let multi_line_textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned());
+    let multi_line_textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned(), None);
     assert_eq!(multi_line_textinput.get_content(), "abc\nde\nf");
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn test_textinput_set_content() {
-    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned());
+    let mut textinput = TextInput::new(Lines::Multiple, "abc\nde\nf".to_owned(), None);
     assert_eq!(textinput.get_content(), "abc\nde\nf");
 
     textinput.set_content("abc\nf".to_owned());