diff --git a/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/AccountWizard.js b/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/AccountWizard.js
index e880cd6505a2..a0a5c0b2bd63 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/AccountWizard.js
+++ b/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/AccountWizard.js
@@ -206,6 +206,16 @@ function FinishAccount() {
     if (!serverIsNntp(pageData))
         EnableCheckMailAtStartUpIfNeeded(gCurrentAccount);
 
+    if (!document.getElementById("downloadMsgs").hidden) {
+      if (document.getElementById("downloadMsgs").checked) {
+        window.opener.gNewAccountToLoad = gCurrentAccount; // load messages for new POP account
+      }
+      else if (gCurrentAccount == am.defaultAccount) {
+        // stop check for msgs when this is first account created from new profile
+        window.opener.gLoadStartFolder = false;
+      }
+    }
+
     // in case we crash, force us a save of the prefs file NOW
     try {
       am.saveAccountInfo();
@@ -225,7 +235,6 @@ function FinishAccount() {
   }
 }
 
-
 // prepopulate pageData with stuff from accountData
 // use: to prepopulate the wizard with account information
 function AccountDataToPageData(accountData, pageData)
diff --git a/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/AccountWizard.xul b/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/AccountWizard.xul
index 67b2962dfd4f..7c89082dd649 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/AccountWizard.xul
+++ b/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/AccountWizard.xul
@@ -256,6 +256,10 @@ Rights Reserved.
         </rows>
       </grid>
       <separator/>
+      <hbox id="downloadMsgsBox">
+        <checkbox id="downloadMsgs" label="&downloadOnLogin.label;" checked="true"/>
+      </hbox>
+      <spacer flex="1"/>
       <description>&clickFinish.label;</description>
     </vbox>
   </wizardpage>
diff --git a/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/accountUtils.js b/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/accountUtils.js
index 4c4022640d4e..962d8c402e72 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/accountUtils.js
+++ b/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/accountUtils.js
@@ -208,6 +208,8 @@ function msgOpenAccountWizard()
       window.openDialog("chrome://messenger/content/AccountWizard.xul",
                         "AccountWizard", "chrome,modal,titlebar,resizable");
 
+  loadInboxForNewAccount();
+
   //For the first account we need to reset the default smtp server in the panel.
   var smtpService = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/messengercompose/smtp;1"].getService(Components.interfaces.nsISmtpService);
   var serverCount = smtpService.smtpServers.Count();
@@ -231,3 +233,19 @@ function MsgAccountManager(selectPage)
                       "AccountManager", "chrome,modal,titlebar,resizable",
                       { server: server, selectPage: selectPage });
 }
+
+function loadInboxForNewAccount() {
+  // gNewAccountToLoad is set in the final screen of the Account Wizard if a POP account
+  // was created, the download messages box is checked, and the wizard was opened from the 3pane
+  if (gNewAccountToLoad) {
+    var rootMsgFolder = gNewAccountToLoad.incomingServer.rootMsgFolder;
+    var outNumFolders = new Object();
+    var inboxFolder = rootMsgFolder.getFoldersWithFlag(0x1000, 1, outNumFolders);      
+    var selectedFolderResource = inboxFolder.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIRDFResource);
+    var selectedFolder = selectedFolderResource.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIFolder);
+    SelectFolder(selectedFolder.URI);
+    window.focus();
+    setTimeout(MsgGetMessage, 0);
+    gNewAccountToLoad = null;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/aw-server.js b/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/aw-server.js
index 7092deee6555..19411b763215 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/aw-server.js
+++ b/mailnews/base/prefs/resources/content/aw-server.js
@@ -124,6 +124,7 @@ function serverPageInit() {
       // Set pop3 server type as default selection
       var pop3RadioItem = document.getElementById("pop3");
       serverTypeRadioGroup.selectedItem = pop3RadioItem;
+      setServerType();
     }
   }
 
@@ -187,4 +188,14 @@ function setServerType()
   var pageData = parent.GetPageData();
   var serverType = (document.getElementById("servertype")).selectedItem.value;
   setPageData(pageData, "server", "servertype", serverType);
+
+  var ioService = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/network/io-service;1"]
+                            .getService(Components.interfaces.nsIIOService);
+
+  // only show checkbox if (1) mail window is opener (2) this is a pop account and (3) we are online  
+  var openedFromMail = (window.opener.location.href == "chrome://messenger/content/messenger.xul") || 
+                       (window.opener.location.href == "chrome://messenger/content/mail3PaneWindowVertLayout.xul");
+         
+  document.getElementById("downloadMsgs").hidden = (openedFromMail && serverType == "pop3" && !ioService.offline) ? false : true;
+  
 }
diff --git a/mailnews/base/resources/content/msgMail3PaneWindow.js b/mailnews/base/resources/content/msgMail3PaneWindow.js
index 85336db9768d..104b6dbc85b2 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/resources/content/msgMail3PaneWindow.js
+++ b/mailnews/base/resources/content/msgMail3PaneWindow.js
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ var gRightMouseButtonDown = false;
 // This is used to make sure that the row with the currentIndex has the selection
 // after a Delete or Move of a message that has a row index less than currentIndex.
 var gThreadPaneCurrentSelectedIndex = -1;
+var gLoadStartFolder = true;
+var gNewAccountToLoad = null;
 
 // Global var to keep track of if the 'Delete Message' or 'Move To' thread pane
 // context menu item was triggered.  This helps prevent the tree view from
@@ -777,14 +779,15 @@ function loadStartFolder(initialUri)
 
         var startFolder = startFolderResource.QueryInterface(Components.interfaces.nsIFolder);
         SelectFolder(startFolder.URI);
-                
+
         // only do this on startup, when we pass in null
-        if (!initialUri && isLoginAtStartUpEnabled)
+        if (!initialUri && isLoginAtStartUpEnabled && gLoadStartFolder)
         {
             // Perform biff on the server to check for new mail, except for imap
             if (defaultServer.type != "imap")
               defaultServer.PerformBiff();         
-        } 
+        }
+
 
         // because the "open" state persists, we'll call
         // PerformExpand() for all servers that are open at startup.