diff --git a/themes/modern/communicator/button.css b/themes/modern/communicator/button.css
index 86e11779f1f6..7ff72d60633a 100644
--- a/themes/modern/communicator/button.css
+++ b/themes/modern/communicator/button.css
@@ -242,3 +242,43 @@
       color               : #FF0000;
     }
 
+/** 
+ * button styles for taskbar, sidebar headers, etc.
+ **/
+.button-toolbar-4
+  {
+    color                 : #99CCCC;
+    background            : inherit;
+    font                  : inherit;
+    border                : none;
+    padding               : 1px !important;
+    margin                : 0px;
+  }
+
+.button-toolbar-4:hover 
+  {
+    text-decoration       : none;
+    background-color      : #336699;
+    color                 : #CCFFFF;
+  }
+
+.button-toolbar-4:hover:active 
+  {
+    text-decoration       : none;
+    color                 : #CCFFFF;
+    padding               : 2px 0px 0px 2px !important;
+  }
+  
+menubutton.button-toolbar-4
+  {
+    behavior              : url("resource:/chrome/menulistBindings.xml#menubutton-single-right");
+  }
+  
+.button-toolbar-4 > .button-internal-box,
+.button-toolbar-4 > .menubutton-internal-box
+  {
+    border                : none !important;
+    padding               : 0px !important;
+  }  
+
+  
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/themes/modern/communicator/communicator.css b/themes/modern/communicator/communicator.css
index fd5feed3f217..8a314e5c7dd5 100644
--- a/themes/modern/communicator/communicator.css
+++ b/themes/modern/communicator/communicator.css
@@ -21,7 +21,56 @@
 @namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); /* set default namespace to XUL */
 @namespace html url("http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"); /* namespace for HTML elements */
 
-#status-bar 
-  {
-    border-top            : #003366;
-  }
\ No newline at end of file
+/**
+ * texttab folder lookalike e.g. for sidebar panel headers
+ */
+
+  .box-texttab
+    {
+      behavior            : url("chrome://global/content/globalBindings.xml#texttab");
+      padding-top         : 2px;
+      min-height          : 10px;
+      min-width           : 10px;
+    }
+  
+  .box-texttab[selected="true"] 
+    {
+      border-bottom       : 1px solid white;
+    }
+  
+  .box-texttab > .remain-space
+    {
+      border-bottom       : 1px solid black;
+    }
+  
+  .box-texttab > .tab-leftedge 
+    {
+      list-style-image    : url("chrome://global/skin/tab-leftedge.gif");
+    }
+  
+  .box-texttab > .tab-rightedge 
+    {
+      list-style-image    : url("chrome://global/skin/tab-rightedge.gif");
+    }
+  
+  .box-texttab[selected="true"] > .tab-leftedge 
+    {
+      list-style-image    : url("chrome://global/skin/seltab-leftedge.gif");
+    }
+  
+  .box-texttab[selected="true"]  > .tab-rightedge 
+    {
+      list-style-image    : url("chrome://global/skin/seltab-rightedge.gif");
+    }
+  
+  .box-texttab > .textholder 
+    {
+      border-top          : 1px solid black;  
+      background-color    : #CCCCCC;
+    }
+  
+  .box-texttab[selected="true"] > .textholder 
+    {
+      background-color    : white;
+      font-weight         : bold;
+    }
diff --git a/themes/modern/global/button.css b/themes/modern/global/button.css
index d84cecca21d6..311e64673e23 100644
--- a/themes/modern/global/button.css
+++ b/themes/modern/global/button.css
@@ -148,6 +148,14 @@
       padding             : 0px;
     }
     
+
+/** 
+ * utility class for buttons with associated popup
+ **/
+.button-popup 
+  {
+	  list-style-image      : url(chrome://global/skin/taskbar-popup-arrow.gif);
+  }
     
     
     
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/themes/modern/global/global.css b/themes/modern/global/global.css
index 8639a50d8964..aaf18252a1e3 100644
--- a/themes/modern/global/global.css
+++ b/themes/modern/global/global.css
@@ -28,215 +28,114 @@
 @namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); 
 @namespace html url("http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"); 
 
-html|* {
-  border: 1px solid green !important;
-}
+/**
+ * XXX-DEBUG: HTML namespace/titledbutton striping. 
+ **/ 
+  html|* 
+    {
+      border              : 1px solid green !important;
+    }
+  
+  html|form 
+    {
+      border              : none !important;
+    }
+  
+  titledbutton 
+    {
+      border              : 1px solid purple !important;
+    }
 
-html|form {
-  border: none !important;
-}
-
-titledbutton {
-  border: 1px solid purple !important;
-}
-
-/**********************************
- * Window
- **********************************/
+/**  
+ * XUL <window> element
+ **/
+  window 
+    { 
+      background-color    : #FFFFFF;
+      padding             : 0px;
+    }
+  
+  window[wait-cursor] 
+    { 
+      cursor              : wait !important; 
+    }
+  
+  window.dialog 
+    { 
+      background-color    : #CCCCCC;
+      padding             : 7px 5px 5px 5px;
+    }
 
 /**
- * The is the outer most tag in a xul document all xul
- * content will be inside it.
- *
- * -  font: 3mm tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif; moved to intl.css
- */
-window { 
-  background-color: white;
-  padding: 0px;
-}
-
-window[wait-cursor] { cursor: wait !important; }
+ * XUL <box> debugging
+ **/
+  :-moz-horizontal-box-debug 
+    {
+      border              : 2px solid blue;
+      border-top-width    : 10px;
+      padding             : 2px;
+      margin              : 2px;
+      color               : white;
+    }
+  
+  :-moz-vertical-box-debug 
+    {
+      border              : 2px solid red;
+      border-left-width   : 10px;
+      padding             : 2px;
+      margin              : 2px;
+      color               : white;
+    }
 
 /**
- * This is a special class of window used for dialogs
- */
-window.dialog 
-  { 
-    background-color      : #CCCCCC;
-    padding               : 7px 5px 5px 5px;
-  }
+ * Utility icons (used for alert dialogs, etc)
+ **/
+  .message-icon 
+    {
+      list-style-image    : url("chrome://global/skin/message-icon.gif");
+    }
 
-/**********************************
- * XUL widgets
- **********************************/
-
-/******** Box *********/
-
-:-moz-horizontal-box-debug {
-  border: 2px solid blue;
-  border-top-width: 10px;
-  padding: 2px;
-  margin: 2px;
-  color: white;
-}
-
-:-moz-vertical-box-debug {
-  border: 2px solid red;
-  border-left-width: 10px;
-  padding: 2px;
-  margin: 2px;
-  color: white;
-}
-
-/**
- * Throbber
- */
-/* FIX ME - move these gifs to global */
-titledbutton#Throbber {
-	border: none;
-	margin-top: 8px;
-	margin-left: 9px;
-	list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/animthrob_single.gif");
-	background-image: none;
-}
-
-titledbutton#Throbber:hover:active {
-	margin-top: 9px;
-	margin-left: 10px;
-}
-
-titledbutton#Throbber[busy="true"] {
-	list-style-image:url("chrome://global/skin/animthrob.gif");
-}
-
-/* icons titledbuttons */
-.message-icon {
-  list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/message-icon.gif");
-}
-.alert-icon {
-  list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/alert-icon.gif");
-}
-.error-icon {
-  list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/error-icon.gif");
-}
-.question-icon {
-  list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/question-icon.gif");
-}
+  .alert-icon 
+    {
+      list-style-image    : url("chrome://global/skin/alert-icon.gif");
+    }
+  
+  .error-icon 
+    {
+      list-style-image    : url("chrome://global/skin/error-icon.gif");
+    }
+  
+  .question-icon 
+    {
+      list-style-image    : url("chrome://global/skin/question-icon.gif");
+    }
 
 /**
  * status-bar
  */
-#status-bar 
-  {
-	  background-color      : #CCCCCC;
-	  user-focus            : ignore;
-    overflow              : hidden
-  }
-
-/******** Titled buttons **********/
-titledbutton.toolbar-flat {
-   color: #99CCCC;
-   font: inherit;
-   border: none;
-   padding: 1px;
-   margin: 0px;
-}
-
-titledbutton.toolbar-flat:hover {
-  text-decoration: none;
-  background-color: #336699;
-  color: #CCFFFF;
-}
-
-titledbutton.toolbar-flat:hover:active {
-  text-decoration: none;
-  color: #CCFFFF;
-  padding: 2px 0px 0px 2px;
-}
-
-titledbutton.push[toggled="1"] {
-  border-top: 1px solid #666666;
-  border-bottom: 1px solid white;
-  border-left: 1px solid #666666;
-  border-right: 1px solid white;
-  padding: 3px 1px 1px 3px;
-  margin: 2px;
-}
-
-titledbutton.push[toggled="2"] {
-   background-color: lightgray;
-   border: 1px solid #999999;
-	margin: 2px;
-}
-
-titledbutton.popup {
-	list-style-image:url(chrome://global/skin/taskbar-popup-arrow.gif);
-}
-
-/**********************************
- * custom XBL widgets
- **********************************/
+  #status-bar 
+    {
+      border-top          : 1px solid #003366;
+  	  background-color    : #CCCCCC;
+  	  user-focus          : ignore;
+      overflow            : hidden
+    }
 
 /**
- * texttab folder lookalike e.g. for sidebar panel headers
- */
-
-box.texttab{
-  behavior: url("chrome://global/content/globalBindings.xml#texttab");
-  padding-top: 2px;
-  min-height: 10px;
-  min-width: 10px;
-}
-
-
-box.texttab[selected="true"] {
-  border-bottom: 1px solid white;
-}
-
-box.texttab > .remain-space{
-  border-bottom:1px solid black;
-}
-
-box.texttab > .tab-leftedge {
-  list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/tab-leftedge.gif");
-}
-
-box.texttab > .tab-rightedge {
-  list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/tab-rightedge.gif");
-}
-
-box.texttab[selected="true"] > .tab-leftedge {
-  list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/seltab-leftedge.gif");
-}
-
-box.texttab[selected="true"]  > .tab-rightedge {
-  list-style-image: url("chrome://global/skin/seltab-rightedge.gif");
-}
-
-box.texttab > .textholder {
-  border-top: 1px solid black;
-  background-color: #CCCCCC;
-}
-
-box.texttab[selected="true"] > .textholder {
-  background-color: white;
-  font-weight: bold;
-}
-
-/**********************************
- * HTML components in the window tag
- **********************************/
-html|iframe {
- min-width: 10px;
- min-height: 10px;
- width: 100px;
- height: 100px;
- border: none;
-}
-
-
-/** XUL <progressmeter> **/
+ * html|iframe default sizing 
+ **/
+  html|iframe 
+    {
+      min-width           : 10px;
+      min-height          : 10px;
+      width               : 100px;
+      height              : 100px;
+      border              : none;
+    }
 
+/** 
+ * XUL <progressmeter> 
+ **/
   progressmeter[mode="undetermined"] > .progressmeter-internal-box
     {
       background-image    : url(chrome://global/skin/progressmeter-busy.gif);
diff --git a/themes/modern/global/tasksOverlay.css b/themes/modern/global/tasksOverlay.css
index b2e4dc324fa2..8983b6cfba4c 100644
--- a/themes/modern/global/tasksOverlay.css
+++ b/themes/modern/global/tasksOverlay.css
@@ -1,45 +1,42 @@
-titledbutton#mini-nav {
-	list-style-image:url("chrome://global/skin/taskbar-navigator.gif");
-}
+#mini-nav 
+  {
+	  list-style-image      : url("chrome://global/skin/taskbar-navigator.gif");
+  }
 
-titledbutton#mini-mail {
-	list-style-image:url("chrome://global/skin/taskbar-mail.gif");
-}
+#mini-mail 
+  {
+	  list-style-image      : url("chrome://global/skin/taskbar-mail.gif");
+  }
 
-titledbutton#mini-addr {
-	list-style-image:url("chrome://global/skin/taskbar-addressbook.gif");
-}
+#mini-addr 
+  {
+	  list-style-image      : url("chrome://global/skin/taskbar-addressbook.gif");
+  }
 
-titledbutton#mini-comp {
-	list-style-image:url("chrome://global/skin/taskbar-composer.gif");
-}
+#mini-comp 
+  {
+	  list-style-image      : url("chrome://global/skin/taskbar-composer.gif");
+  }
 
+#taskbar 
+  {
+	  margin-top            : 2px;
+	  min-height            : 1em;
+  	user-focus            : ignore;
+  }
 
-toolbar#taskbar {
-	color: white;
-	background-color: #003366;
-	padding: 0px;
-	border: none;
-	margin: 0px;
-	margin-top: 2px;
-	min-height: 1em;
-	user-focus: ignore;
-}
+.taskbutton 
+  {
+	  margin-right          : 1em !important;
+  }
 
-titledbutton.taskbutton {
-	margin-right: 1em !important;
-	padding-left: 3px !important;
-}
+.taskbarspacer 
+  {
+    min-width             : 0.3em;
+    width                 : 1em;
+  }
 
-titledbutton.taskbutton:hover {
-	padding-left: 3px !important;
-}
-
-titledbutton.taskbutton:active {
-  padding: 2px 0px 0px 4px !important;
-}
-
-spring.taskbarspacer {
-   min-width: 0.3em;
-   width: 1em;
-}
+#taskbar > toolbargrippy
+  {
+    display               : none;
+  }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/xpfe/global/resources/content/taskbarOverlay.xul b/xpfe/global/resources/content/taskbarOverlay.xul
index 6914d74f8c23..b6ae4556c33b 100644
--- a/xpfe/global/resources/content/taskbarOverlay.xul
+++ b/xpfe/global/resources/content/taskbarOverlay.xul
@@ -1,88 +1,75 @@
 <?xml version="1.0"?> 
+
 <!DOCTYPE  window SYSTEM "chrome://global/locale/taskbarOverlay.dtd">
 
 <overlay id="taskbarOverlay"
-                 xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
-<box id="taskbarMenuBox" align="horizontal" flex="10"
-	 datasources="chrome://global/locale/taskbar.rdf"
-     ref="chrome://global/locale/taskbar.rdf#root" 
-	 rdf:containment="http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#entry 
-					  http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#child">
-  <spring flex="1"/>
-  <template>
-	<!-- Rules for content hanging _directly_ off the toolbar -->
-	<rule parent="box" iscontainer="true">
-	  <menu uri="...">
-	    <titledbutton align="right" class="bookmarkFolder toolbar-flat"
-					  value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title" crop="right" />
-		<menupopup 
-			class="standard" popupalign="bottomleft" popupanchor="topleft"/>
-	  </menu>
-	  <spring uri="rdf:*" class="taskbarspacer" flex="1"/>
-	</rule>
+         xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
 
-	<rule parent="box">
-      <titledbutton class="bookmarkbutton toolbar-flat" uri="rdf:*" align="left" 
-					value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title" crop="right"/>
-	  <spring uri="rdf:*" class="personaltoolbarspacer" flex="0"/>
-	</rule>
+  <box id="taskbarMenuBox" flex="10" datasources="chrome://global/locale/taskbar.rdf"
+       ref="chrome://global/locale/taskbar.rdf#root" 
+       rdf:containment="http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#entry http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#child">
+       
+   <spring flex="1"/>
+   
+   <template>
+      <!-- Rules for content hanging _directly_ off the toolbar -->
+      <rule parent="box" iscontainer="true">
+        <menubutton uri="..." class="button-toolbar-4 plain" value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title">
+          <menupopup popupalign="bottomleft" popupanchor="topleft"/>
+        </menubutton>
+        <spring uri="rdf:*" class="taskbarspacer" flex="1"/>
+      </rule>
+      
+      <rule parent="box">
+        <button class="button-toolbar-4 plain" uri="rdf:*" value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title"
+                crop="right"/>
+     </rule>
 
-	<!-- Recursive rules for nested folders -->
-	<rule iscontainer="true">
-		<menupopup class="standard">
-	    	<menu class="standard" uri="rdf:*" 
-	        	  value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title" >
-	  			<menupopup class="standard"/>
-			</menu>
-		</menupopup>
-	</rule>
+      <!-- Recursive rules for nested folders -->
+      <rule iscontainer="true">
+        <menupopup>
+          <menu uri="rdf:*" value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title" >
+            <menupopup/>
+          </menu>
+        </menupopup>
+      </rule>
 
-	<!-- second level folders -->
-    <rule iscontainer="true">
- 		<menupopup class="standard" popupalign="bottomleft" popupanchor="topleft">
-        	<menu class="standard" uri="..." 
-				  value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title">
-				<menupopup class="standard"/>
-			</menu>
-	  	</menupopup>
-	</rule>
+      <!-- second level folders -->
+      <rule iscontainer="true">
+        <menupopup popupalign="bottomleft" popupanchor="topleft">
+          <menu uri="..." value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title">
+            <menupopup/>
+          </menu>
+        </menupopup>
+      </rule>
+      
+      <rule>
+        <menupopup>
+          <menuitem uri="..." value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title"
+                    oncommand="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#content"/>
+        </menupopup>
+      </rule>
 
-    <rule>
-		<menupopup>
-            	<menuitem class="standard" 
-						  uri="..." 
-						  value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#title"
-						  oncommand="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#content"/>
-		</menupopup>
-	</rule>
     </template>
-  	<spring class="taskbarspacer" flex="9"/>
-</box>
-<!--  end -->
-
-<box id="taskbarGotoMenuBox" align="right"
-        flex="1">
-  	<!-- The "Open Windows" menu uses the window mediator
-       	 to display all of the open windows -->
-  	<menu align="right"
-        oncommand="ShowWindowFromResource(event.target)"
-        datasources="rdf:window-mediator"
-        ref="NC:WindowMediatorRoot" >
-
-    <titledbutton align="right" class="bookmarkFolder toolbar-flat"
-                  value="&openWinButton.label;" crop="right" />
-
-    <template>
-      <menupopup>
-        <menuitem class="standard" uri="rdf:*"
-                  value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#Name"/>
-      </menupopup>
-    </template>
-    <menupopup class="standard" popupalign="bottomleft" popupanchor="topleft" />
-  </menu>
-
-  <!-- spacer to accommodate mac resize box -->
-  <spring style="width: 20px;"/>
-</box>
+    <spring class="taskbarspacer" flex="9"/>
+  </box>
+    
+  <box id="taskbarGotoMenuBox" align="right" flex="1">
+    <!-- The "Open Windows" menu uses the window mediator
+         to display all of the open windows -->
+    <menubutton oncommand="ShowWindowFromResource(event.target)"
+                datasources="rdf:window-mediator" ref="NC:WindowMediatorRoot"
+                value="&openWinButton.label;" class="button-toolbar-4 plain">
+      <template>
+        <menupopup>
+          <menuitem uri="rdf:*" value="rdf:http://home.netscape.com/NC-rdf#Name"/>
+        </menupopup>
+      </template>
+      <menupopup popupalign="bottomleft" popupanchor="topleft" />
+    </menubutton>
+  
+    <!-- spacer to accommodate mac resize box -->
+    <spring style="width: 20px;"/>
+  </box>
 
 </overlay>
diff --git a/xpfe/global/resources/content/tasksOverlay.xul b/xpfe/global/resources/content/tasksOverlay.xul
index 2ff046237840..ccc6eb0815a6 100644
--- a/xpfe/global/resources/content/tasksOverlay.xul
+++ b/xpfe/global/resources/content/tasksOverlay.xul
@@ -82,23 +82,16 @@
 
         </menupopup>
       </menu>
-
-      <toolbar id="taskbar" class="chromeclass-status" persist="collapsed">
-        <box id="taskButtons" align="horizontal">
-          <titledbutton class="toolbar-flat taskbutton" align="left" id="mini-nav" value="" onclick="toNavigator();"/>
-          <titledbutton class="toolbar-flat taskbutton" align="left" id="mini-mail" value="" onclick="toMessengerWindow()"/>
-          <titledbutton class="toolbar-flat taskbutton" align="left" id="mini-comp" value="" onclick="toEditor();" />
-          <!-- toolbarseparator align="horizontal" class="line"/ -->
-          <titledbutton class="toolbar-flat taskbutton" align="left" id="mini-addr" value="" onclick="toAddressBook()"/>
-        </box>
-        <box id="taskbarMenuBox" align="horizontal">
-          <!-- taskbarOverlay.xul inserts here. -->
-        </box>
-
-	 	<box id="taskbarGotoMenuBox" align="right">
-		  <!-- taskbarOverlay.xul inserts here. -->
-    	</box>
-
-      </toolbar>
-
+    
+  <toolbar id="taskbar" class="toolbar-standard chromeclass-status" persist="collapsed">
+    <box id="taskButtons">
+      <button class="button-toolbar-4 plain taskbutton" id="mini-nav" onclick="toNavigator();"/>
+      <button class="button-toolbar-4 plain taskbutton" id="mini-mail" onclick="toMessengerWindow()"/>
+      <button class="button-toolbar-4 plain taskbutton" id="mini-comp" onclick="toEditor();" />
+      <button class="button-toolbar-4 plain taskbutton" id="mini-addr" onclick="toAddressBook()"/>
+    </box>
+    <box id="taskbarMenuBox"/>
+    <box id="taskbarGotoMenuBox" align="right"/>
+  </toolbar>
+      
 </overlay>