diff --git a/mailnews/compose/public/nsISmtpServer.idl b/mailnews/compose/public/nsISmtpServer.idl
index 5c801d352647..44d3cfa2d9a4 100644
--- a/mailnews/compose/public/nsISmtpServer.idl
+++ b/mailnews/compose/public/nsISmtpServer.idl
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ interface nsISmtpServer : nsISupports {
     attribute string redirectorType;   
 
     attribute long authMethod;
+    readonly attribute boolean trySecAuth;
     attribute long trySSL;
 
     readonly attribute string serverURI;
diff --git a/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpProtocol.cpp b/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpProtocol.cpp
index 24cc1a1459ae..15755a37c159 100644
--- a/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpProtocol.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpProtocol.cpp
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ void nsSmtpProtocol::Initialize(nsIURI * aURL)
     m_prefAuthMethod = PREF_AUTH_NONE;
     m_usernamePrompted = PR_FALSE;
     m_prefTrySSL = PREF_SSL_TRY;
+    m_prefTrySecAuth = PR_TRUE;
     m_tlsInitiated = PR_FALSE;
 
     m_urlErrorState = NS_ERROR_FAILURE;
@@ -294,6 +295,7 @@ void nsSmtpProtocol::Initialize(nsIURI * aURL)
     if (smtpServer) {
         smtpServer->GetAuthMethod(&m_prefAuthMethod);
         smtpServer->GetTrySSL(&m_prefTrySSL);
+        smtpServer->GetTrySecAuth(&m_prefTrySecAuth);
     }
 
     rv = RequestOverrideInfo(smtpServer);
@@ -686,6 +688,8 @@ PRInt32 nsSmtpProtocol::SendEhloResponse(nsIInputStream * inputStream, PRUint32
             if (m_responseText.Find("EXTERNAL", PR_TRUE, 5) >= 0)  
                 SetFlag(SMTP_AUTH_EXTERNAL_ENABLED);
 
+            if(m_prefTrySecAuth)
+            {
             if (m_responseText.Find("CRAM-MD5", PR_TRUE, 5) >= 0)
             {
                 nsresult rv;
@@ -693,6 +697,7 @@ PRInt32 nsSmtpProtocol::SendEhloResponse(nsIInputStream * inputStream, PRUint32
                 // this checks if psm is installed...
                 if (NS_SUCCEEDED(rv))
                   SetFlag(SMTP_AUTH_CRAM_MD5_ENABLED);
+                }
             }
 
             // for use after mechs disabled fallbacks when login failed
diff --git a/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpProtocol.h b/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpProtocol.h
index 08db9b12f87a..99fcb1576a5c 100644
--- a/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpProtocol.h
+++ b/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpProtocol.h
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ private:
   // *** the following should move to the smtp server when we support
   // multiple smtp servers
   PRInt32 m_prefAuthMethod;
+    PRBool m_prefTrySecAuth;
   PRBool m_usernamePrompted;
     PRInt32 m_prefTrySSL;
   PRBool m_tlsEnabled;
diff --git a/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpServer.cpp b/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpServer.cpp
index 2ad61a016bd6..8a76084377ca 100644
--- a/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpServer.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/compose/src/nsSmtpServer.cpp
@@ -217,6 +217,22 @@ nsSmtpServer::SetTrySSL(PRInt32 trySSL)
     return prefs->SetIntPref(pref.get(), trySSL);
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP
+nsSmtpServer::GetTrySecAuth(PRBool *trySecAuth)
+{
+    nsresult rv;
+    nsCAutoString pref;
+    NS_ENSURE_ARG_POINTER(trySecAuth);
+    nsCOMPtr<nsIPref> prefs(do_GetService(NS_PREF_CONTRACTID, &rv));
+    if (NS_FAILED(rv)) return rv;
+    *trySecAuth = PR_TRUE;
+    getPrefString("trySecAuth", pref);
+    rv = prefs->GetBoolPref(pref.get(), trySecAuth);
+    if (NS_FAILED(rv))
+        prefs->GetBoolPref("mail.smtpserver.default.trySecAuth", trySecAuth);
+    return NS_OK;
+}
+
 NS_IMETHODIMP
 nsSmtpServer::GetAuthMethod(PRInt32 *authMethod)
 {
diff --git a/mailnews/mailnews.js b/mailnews/mailnews.js
index 591478d69a6f..34630db9e9bf 100644
--- a/mailnews/mailnews.js
+++ b/mailnews/mailnews.js
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ pref("mail.server.default.manualMark",false);
 pref("mail.server.default.manualMarkMode",0); // 0 == "move to junk folder", 1 == "delete"
 
 pref("mail.smtpserver.default.auth_method", 1); // auth any
+pref("mail.smtpserver.default.trySecAuth", true);
 pref("mail.smtpserver.default.try_ssl", 0);
 
 // For the next 3 prefs, see <http://www.bucksch.org/1/projects/mozilla/16507>
diff --git a/modules/libpref/src/init/mailnews.js b/modules/libpref/src/init/mailnews.js
index 591478d69a6f..34630db9e9bf 100644
--- a/modules/libpref/src/init/mailnews.js
+++ b/modules/libpref/src/init/mailnews.js
@@ -383,6 +383,7 @@ pref("mail.server.default.manualMark",false);
 pref("mail.server.default.manualMarkMode",0); // 0 == "move to junk folder", 1 == "delete"
 
 pref("mail.smtpserver.default.auth_method", 1); // auth any
+pref("mail.smtpserver.default.trySecAuth", true);
 pref("mail.smtpserver.default.try_ssl", 0);
 
 // For the next 3 prefs, see <http://www.bucksch.org/1/projects/mozilla/16507>