diff --git content/browser/renderer_host/render_widget_host_view_aura.cc content/browser/renderer_host/render_widget_host_view_aura.cc
index 5bebf776d70d..7e7eba1be689 100644
--- content/browser/renderer_host/render_widget_host_view_aura.cc
+++ content/browser/renderer_host/render_widget_host_view_aura.cc
@@ -434,13 +434,6 @@ RenderWidgetHostViewAura::RenderWidgetHostViewAura(
   selection_controller_client_.reset(
       new TouchSelectionControllerClientAura(this));
   CreateSelectionController();
-
-  RenderViewHost* rvh = RenderViewHost::From(host_);
-  if (rvh) {
-    // TODO(mostynb): actually use prefs.  Landing this as a separate CL
-    // first to rebaseline some unreliable layout tests.
-    ignore_result(rvh->GetWebkitPreferences());
-  }
 }
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -780,8 +773,10 @@ void RenderWidgetHostViewAura::UpdateBackgroundColorFromRenderer(
   background_color_ = color;
 
   bool opaque = SkColorGetA(color) == SK_AlphaOPAQUE;
-  window_->layer()->SetFillsBoundsOpaquely(opaque);
-  window_->layer()->SetColor(color);
+  if (window_) {
+    window_->layer()->SetFillsBoundsOpaquely(opaque);
+    window_->layer()->SetColor(color);
+  }
 }
 
 bool RenderWidgetHostViewAura::IsMouseLocked() {
@@ -1937,6 +1932,15 @@ void RenderWidgetHostViewAura::CreateAuraWindow(aura::client::WindowType type) {
   window_->Init(ui::LAYER_SOLID_COLOR);
   window_->layer()->SetColor(background_color_);
 
+  // Do this after |window_| is created to avoid crashes on Win10.
+  // See https://crbug.com/761389.
+  RenderViewHost* rvh = RenderViewHost::From(host_);
+  if (rvh) {
+    // TODO(mostynb): actually use prefs.  Landing this as a separate CL
+    // first to rebaseline some unreliable layout tests.
+    ignore_result(rvh->GetWebkitPreferences());
+  }
+
   if (!IsUsingMus())
     return;