>"There may still be a chance to override the new tab page behaviour in about:config."
There is. You don't even need to use about:config. It is right there is settings:
Settings > Home > New tabs > Blank Page
And for new windows it is:
Settings > Home > New windows > Custom > about:blank
You can, of course, do this in about:config as well, if desired.
>"One of the reasons I'm still on XFCE is because I have been able to configure sane scrollbars there as well"
TELL ME ABOUT IT!!! I absolutely CAN NOT STAND hidden, thin, disappearing scroll bars! Or mucking with the correct behavior of clicking above/below the handle moving ONE PAGE. (Warping should be a separate function, traditionally middle click). Or when the handle doesn't represent the size of the viewable area. The "old way" was the "correct way" for so many usability reasons.
So yeah, you are not alone. By the way, you can do that in Firefox with most any DE with certain settings. But scrollbars always seem to be a fight with various DE's and apps.