diff --git a/mail/components/preferences/advanced.js b/mail/components/preferences/advanced.js
index e3ce71fb81f8..ce48c6ce08bf 100644
--- a/mail/components/preferences/advanced.js
+++ b/mail/components/preferences/advanced.js
@@ -188,31 +188,6 @@ var gAdvancedPane = {
     return !warnIncompatible.checked ? 0 : gAdvancedPane._modePreference;
   },
   
-  checkForAddonUpdates: function ()
-  {
-    var wm = 
-        Components.classes["@mozilla.org/appshell/window-mediator;1"].
-        getService(Components.interfaces.nsIWindowMediator);
-    var manager = wm.getMostRecentWindow("Extension:Manager-extensions");
-    if (!manager) {
-      const features = "chrome,dialog=no,resizable";
-      const URI_EXTENSIONS_WINDOW = 
-        "chrome://mozapps/content/extensions/extensions.xul?type=extensions";
-      openDialog(URI_EXTENSIONS_WINDOW, "", features, "updatecheck");
-    }
-    else {
-      manager.performUpdate();
-      manager.focus();
-    }
-  },
-  
-  checkForUpdates: function ()
-  {
-    var prompter = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/updates/update-prompt;1"]
-                             .createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsIUpdatePrompt);
-    prompter.checkForUpdates();
-  },
-  
   showUpdates: function ()
   {
     var prompter = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/updates/update-prompt;1"]
diff --git a/mail/components/preferences/advanced.xul b/mail/components/preferences/advanced.xul
index 6f9232e01d84..149495044f98 100644
--- a/mail/components/preferences/advanced.xul
+++ b/mail/components/preferences/advanced.xul
@@ -45,7 +45,10 @@
 <overlay id="AdvancedPaneOverlay"
          xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul">
            
-  <prefpane id="paneAdvanced" onpaneload="gAdvancedPane.init();">
+  <prefpane id="paneAdvanced" onpaneload="gAdvancedPane.init();"
+            xmlns:xhtml2="http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2"
+            xmlns:wairole="http://www.w3.org/2005/01/wai-rdf/GUIRoleTaxonomy#"
+            xmlns:aaa="http://www.w3.org/2005/07/aaa">
     <script type="application/x-javascript" src="chrome://messenger/content/preferences/advanced.js"/>
 
     <preferences>
@@ -197,21 +200,15 @@
               <checkbox id="enableAppUpdate"
                         label="&enableAppUpdate.label;"
                         accesskey="&enableAppUpdate.accesskey;"
-                        preference="app.update.enabled"/>
-              <spacer flex="1"/>
-              <button id="appCheckNowButton" 
-                      label="&checkNow.label;" accesskey="&appCheckNow.accesskey;"
-                      oncommand="gAdvancedPane.checkForUpdates();"/>
+                        preference="app.update.enabled"
+                        xhtml2:role="wairole:checkbox" aaa:describedby="updateInfo"/>
             </hbox>
             <hbox>
               <checkbox id="enableAddonUpdate"
                         label="&enableExtensionUpdate.label;"
                         accesskey="&enableExtensionUpdate.accesskey;"
-                        preference="extensions.update.enabled"/>
-              <spacer flex="1"/>
-              <button id="addonCheckNowButton" 
-                      label="&checkNow.label;" accesskey="&extensionsCheckNow.accesskey;"
-                      oncommand="gAdvancedPane.checkForAddonUpdates();"/>
+                        preference="extensions.update.enabled"
+                        xhtml2:role="wairole:checkbox" aaa:describedby="updateInfo"/>
             </hbox>
           </vbox>
           <separator/>
diff --git a/mail/components/preferences/changeaction.xul b/mail/components/preferences/changeaction.xul
index ae77a6ff273d..b622a7b84030 100644
--- a/mail/components/preferences/changeaction.xul
+++ b/mail/components/preferences/changeaction.xul
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@
         xmlns="http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"
         onload="gChangeActionDialog.init();" 
         ondialogaccept="return gChangeActionDialog.onAccept();" 
+        xmlns:xhtml2="http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml2"
+        xmlns:wairole="http://www.w3.org/2005/01/wai-rdf/GUIRoleTaxonomy#"
+        xmlns:aaa="http://www.w3.org/2005/07/aaa"         
         style="width: &window.width;;"
         persist="screenX screenY">
 
@@ -63,8 +66,9 @@
     </vbox>
   </hbox>
   <vbox id="changeActionContent" flex="1">
-    <label>&whenDownloading.label;</label>
-    <radiogroup id="handlerGroup" onselect="gChangeActionDialog.doEnabling(this.selectedItem);" flex="1">
+    <label control="handlerGroup">&whenDownloading.label;</label>
+    <radiogroup id="handlerGroup" onselect="gChangeActionDialog.doEnabling(this.selectedItem);" 
+                flex="1" xhtml2:role="wairole:radiogroup" aaa:describedby="changeActionHeader">
       <separator class="thin"/>
       <radio id="openDefault" value="system" 
              label="&openDefault.label;" accesskey="&openDefault.accesskey;"/>
diff --git a/mail/components/preferences/downloadactions.xul b/mail/components/preferences/downloadactions.xul
index 20d168ccd9e4..de301bdf6d8e 100644
--- a/mail/components/preferences/downloadactions.xul
+++ b/mail/components/preferences/downloadactions.xul
@@ -74,7 +74,9 @@
               oncommand="gDownloadActionsWindow.clearFilter();" disabled="true"/>
     </hbox>
     <separator class="thin"/>
-    <label id="actionsIntro">&fileTypesDescription.label;</label>
+    <label id="actionsIntro" control="fileHandlersList">
+      &fileTypesDescription.label;
+    </label>
     <separator class="thin"/>
     <tree id="fileHandlersList" flex="1"
           lastSelected="0" persist="lastSelected"
diff --git a/mail/components/preferences/downloads.xul b/mail/components/preferences/downloads.xul
index 58c6be1b7625..8c57895686e4 100644
--- a/mail/components/preferences/downloads.xul
+++ b/mail/components/preferences/downloads.xul
@@ -93,10 +93,11 @@
     <groupbox>
       <caption label="&fileTypes.label;"/>
       
-      <description>&fileTypesDescription.label;</description>
+      <description control="configureActions">&fileTypesDescription.label;</description>
       <separator class="thin"/>
       <hbox>
-        <button label="&configureActions.label;" accesskey="&configureActions.accesskey;"
+        <button id="configureActions" label="&configureActions.label;"
+                accesskey="&configureActions.accesskey;"
                 oncommand="gDownloadsPane.showFileTypeActions();"
                 preference="pref.downloads.disable_button.edit_actions"/>
       </hbox>
diff --git a/mail/components/preferences/general.xul b/mail/components/preferences/general.xul
index 3009eb974740..4028c338fad4 100644
--- a/mail/components/preferences/general.xul
+++ b/mail/components/preferences/general.xul
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@
     <groupbox>
       <caption label="&connectionsInfo.caption;"/>
       <hbox align="center">
-        <description flex="1">&proxiesInfo.label;</description>
+        <description flex="1" control="catProxiesButton">&proxiesInfo.label;</description>
         <button id="catProxiesButton" label="&showConnections.label;" 
                 accesskey="&showConnections.accesskey;" 
                 oncommand="gGeneralPane.showConnections();"/>