[cookiecaper]

This won't happen upstream because to get suggestions from a unified search bar, everything you type, including full addresses, must be sent to your search engine for suggestions. With a separate search bar, it is at least clear that you expect what you are typing to be sent to the search provider, and Firefox assumes you don't mind autocomplete features in that case. It is a different story, however, when records subpoenaed from Google include "http://p\, "http://p-o\, "http://p-o-r\, "http://p-o-r-n\. There may be a reason you're typing a string in the address bar instead of the search bar, after all...

Additionally, separation allows Awesome Bar to work better since it doesn't have to clutter the results with search suggestions.

However, if you like that functionality, there are multiple extensions that provide it. I've used Omnibar in the past.