diff --git a/mailnews/mime/emitters/xml/nsMimeEmitter.cpp b/mailnews/mime/emitters/xml/nsMimeEmitter.cpp
index 5c032157fa5f..fed5bd0dafbd 100644
--- a/mailnews/mime/emitters/xml/nsMimeEmitter.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/mime/emitters/xml/nsMimeEmitter.cpp
@@ -79,12 +79,18 @@ nsMimeEmitter::nsMimeEmitter()
   mReallyOutput = PR_FALSE;
 #endif
 
+#ifdef NS_DEBUG
+printf("Prefs not working on multiple threads...must find a solution\n"); 
+#endif
+
+  mHeaderDisplayType = AllHeaders;
+  return;
+
   nsresult rv = nsServiceManager::GetService(kPrefCID, kIPrefIID, (nsISupports**)&(mPrefs));
   if (! (mPrefs && NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)))
     return;
   mPrefs->Startup("prefs.js");
 
-  mHeaderDisplayType = AllHeaders;
   mPrefs->GetIntPref("mail.show_headers", &mHeaderDisplayType);
 }
 
diff --git a/mailnews/mime/src/mimei.cpp b/mailnews/mime/src/mimei.cpp
index a5ab37f0ba90..2b2c695fc867 100644
--- a/mailnews/mime/src/mimei.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/mime/src/mimei.cpp
@@ -631,7 +631,8 @@ mime_create (const char *content_type, MimeHeaders *hdrs,
   {
     nsIPref *pref = GetPrefServiceManager(opts);   // Pref service manager
 
-	  pref->GetBoolPref("mailnews.autolookup_unknown_mime_types",&reverse_lookup);
+    if (pref)
+  	  pref->GetBoolPref("mailnews.autolookup_unknown_mime_types",&reverse_lookup);
 	  got_lookup_pref = PR_TRUE;
   }
 
diff --git a/mailnews/mime/src/mimemoz2.cpp b/mailnews/mime/src/mimemoz2.cpp
index e888bd308ede..cef39145d150 100644
--- a/mailnews/mime/src/mimemoz2.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/mime/src/mimemoz2.cpp
@@ -1037,14 +1037,15 @@ mime_bridge_create_stream(MimePluginInstance  *newPluginObj,
     return NULL;
   }
 
+  /***
   nsresult rv = nsServiceManager::GetService(kPrefCID, kIPrefIID, (nsISupports**)&(msd->prefs));
   if (! (msd->prefs && NS_SUCCEEDED(rv)))
 	{
     PR_FREEIF(msd);
     return NULL;
   }
-
   msd->prefs->Startup(MIME_PREFS_FILE);
+  ***/
 
   // Assign the new mime emitter - will handle output operations
   msd->output_emitter = newEmitter;
@@ -1122,16 +1123,19 @@ mime_bridge_create_stream(MimePluginInstance  *newPluginObj,
   
   // Get the libmime prefs...
   MIME_NoInlineAttachments = PR_TRUE;
-  msd->prefs->GetBoolPref("mail.inline_attachments", &MIME_NoInlineAttachments);
+  if (msd->prefs)
+    msd->prefs->GetBoolPref("mail.inline_attachments", &MIME_NoInlineAttachments);
   MIME_NoInlineAttachments = !MIME_NoInlineAttachments;
 
   /* This pref is written down in with the
   opposite sense of what we like to use... */
   MIME_WrapLongLines = PR_FALSE;
-  msd->prefs->GetBoolPref("mail.wrap_long_lines", &MIME_WrapLongLines);
+  if (msd->prefs)
+    msd->prefs->GetBoolPref("mail.wrap_long_lines", &MIME_WrapLongLines);
 
   MIME_VariableWidthPlaintext = PR_TRUE;
-  msd->prefs->GetBoolPref("mail.fixed_width_messages", &MIME_VariableWidthPlaintext);
+  if (msd->prefs)
+    msd->prefs->GetBoolPref("mail.fixed_width_messages", &MIME_VariableWidthPlaintext);
   MIME_VariableWidthPlaintext = !MIME_VariableWidthPlaintext;
 
   msd->options->no_inline_p = MIME_NoInlineAttachments;