diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abCardViewOverlay.js b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abCardViewOverlay.js
index d5cdff9a927..136c874cb25 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abCardViewOverlay.js
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abCardViewOverlay.js
@@ -231,10 +231,11 @@ function DisplayCardViewPane(card)
     visible = HandleLink(data.cvEmail1, zPrimaryEmail, card.primaryEmail, data.cvEmail1Box, "mailto:" + card.primaryEmail) || visible;
   }
 
+  var onlineCheckAllowed = gPrefs.getBoolPref("mail.addr_book.im.online_check_allowed");
   var goimURL = "aim:goim?screenname=" + card.aimScreenName;
   var hasScreenName = HandleLink(data.cvScreenname, zScreenName, card.aimScreenName, data.cvScreennameBox, goimURL);
-  
-  if (!hasScreenName || gIOService.offline) {
+
+  if (!onlineCheckAllowed || !hasScreenName || gIOService.offline) {
     data.cvAimPresence.removeAttribute("src");
     data.cvAimPresence.removeAttribute("url");
     data.cvAimPresence.setAttribute("width","0");
diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.js b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.js
index e8cf502f746..e351d2323c3 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.js
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.js
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ const kLastNameFirst = 1;
 const kFirstNameFirst = 2;
 const kLDAPDirectory = 0; // defined in nsDirPrefs.h
 const kPABDirectory  = 2; // defined in nsDirPrefs.h
+const kPrefOnlineCheckAllowed = "mail.addr_book.im.online_check_allowed";
 
 // Note: We need to keep this listener as it does not just handle dir
 // pane deletes but also deletes of address books and lists from places like
@@ -273,6 +274,8 @@ function GetCurrentPrefs()
     document.getElementById("cmd_SortBy_PhoneticName")
             .setAttribute("hidden", "false");
 
+  document.getElementById("menu_allow_online_check")
+          .setAttribute("checked", gPrefs.getBoolPref(kPrefOnlineCheckAllowed));
 }
 
 
@@ -899,3 +902,14 @@ function AbIMSelected()
 
   LaunchUrl(url);
 }
+
+function onAllowOnlineCheck(target)
+{
+  // Update the pref
+  gPrefs.setBoolPref(kPrefOnlineCheckAllowed,
+                     document.getElementById("menu_allow_online_check")
+                             .getAttribute("checked") == "true");
+
+  // Now redisplay the card view pane.
+  UpdateCardView();
+}
diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.xul b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.xul
index a4937502e23..a9b75a23c58 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.xul
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.xul
@@ -372,6 +372,12 @@
             <menuitem label="&importCmd.label;" accesskey="&importCmd.accesskey;" oncommand="toImport()"/>
             <menuitem label="&exportCmd.label;" accesskey="&exportCmd.accesskey;" oncommand="AbExport()"/>
             <menuseparator/>
+            <menuitem label="&allowOnlineCheck.label;"
+                      accesskey="&allowOnlineCheck.accesskey;"
+                      id="menu_allow_online_check"
+                      oncommand="onAllowOnlineCheck(event.target);"
+                      type="checkbox"/>
+            <menuseparator/>
           </menupopup>
         </menu>
 
diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/locale/en-US/abMainWindow.dtd b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/locale/en-US/abMainWindow.dtd
index 12bb8c95a70..e69de29bb2d 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/locale/en-US/abMainWindow.dtd
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/locale/en-US/abMainWindow.dtd
@@ -1,143 +0,0 @@
-<!-- ***** BEGIN LICENSE BLOCK *****
- Version: MPL 1.1/GPL 2.0/LGPL 2.1
-
- The contents of this file are subject to the Mozilla Public License Version
- 1.1 (the "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance with
- the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at
- http://www.mozilla.org/MPL/
-
- Software distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" basis,
- WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License
- for the specific language governing rights and limitations under the
- License.
-
- The Original Code is Mozilla Communicator client code, released
- March 31, 1998.
-
- The Initial Developer of the Original Code is
- Netscape Communications Corporation.
- Portions created by the Initial Developer are Copyright (C) 1998-1999
- the Initial Developer. All Rights Reserved.
-
- Contributor(s):
-
- Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of
- either of the GNU General Public License Version 2 or later (the "GPL"),
- or the GNU Lesser General Public License Version 2.1 or later (the "LGPL"),
- in which case the provisions of the GPL or the LGPL are applicable instead
- of those above. If you wish to allow use of your version of this file only
- under the terms of either the GPL or the LGPL, and not to allow others to
- use your version of this file under the terms of the MPL, indicate your
- decision by deleting the provisions above and replace them with the notice
- and other provisions required by the GPL or the LGPL. If you do not delete
- the provisions above, a recipient may use your version of this file under
- the terms of any one of the MPL, the GPL or the LGPL.
-
- ***** END LICENSE BLOCK ***** -->
-
-<!-- Title -->
-<!ENTITY addressbookWindow.title                        "Address Book">
-
-<!-- Menus:  the . means that the menu item isn't implemented yet -->
-
-<!-- File Menu -->
-<!ENTITY newCard.label                                  "Address Book Card...">
-<!-- LOCALIZATION NOTE (newCard.accesskey) : DONT_TRANSLATE -->  
-<!ENTITY newCard.accesskey                              "C">  
-<!ENTITY newListCmd.label                               "Mailing List...">
-<!-- LOCALIZATION NOTE (newListCmd.accesskey) : DONT_TRANSLATE -->  
-<!ENTITY newListCmd.accesskey                           "L">  
-<!ENTITY newAddressBookCmd.label                        "Address Book..."> 
-<!ENTITY newAddressBookCmd.accesskey                    "B">  
-<!ENTITY renameAddressBookCmd.label                     "Rename Address Book..."> 
-<!ENTITY renameAddressBookCmd.accesskey                 "R">  
-<!ENTITY newLDAPDirectoryCmd.label                      "LDAP Directory...">
-<!-- LOCALIZATION NOTE (newLDAPDirectoryCmd.accesskey) : DONT_TRANSLATE -->
-<!ENTITY newLDAPDirectoryCmd.accesskey                  "D">
-<!ENTITY newIM.label                                    "IM">
-<!ENTITY importCmd.label                                "Import..."> 
-<!ENTITY importCmd.accesskey                            "I"> 
-<!ENTITY exportCmd.label                                "Export...">  
-<!ENTITY exportCmd.accesskey                            "E"> 
-<!ENTITY printCardViewCmd.label                         "Print Card...">
-<!ENTITY printCardViewCmd.accesskey                     "p">
-<!ENTITY printPreviewCardViewCmd.label                  "Print Preview Card">
-<!ENTITY printPreviewCardViewCmd.accesskey              "v">
-<!-- LOCALIZATION NOTE (printCardViewCmd.key) : DONT_TRANSLATE -->  
-<!ENTITY printCardViewCmd.key                           "P">
-<!ENTITY printAddressBook.label                         "Print Address Book..."> 
-<!ENTITY printAddressBook.accesskey                     "A"> 
-<!ENTITY printPreviewAddressBook.label                  "Print Preview Address Book"> 
-<!ENTITY printPreviewAddressBook.accesskey              "B">
-<!ENTITY printSetupCmd.label                            "Page Setup...">
-<!ENTITY printSetupCmd.accesskey                        "u">
-
-<!-- Edit Menu -->
-<!ENTITY deleteAbCmd.label                              "Delete Address Book">  
-<!ENTITY deleteCardCmd.label                            "Delete Card">  
-<!ENTITY deleteCardsCmd.label                           "Delete Selected Cards">  
-<!ENTITY deleteListCmd.label                            "Delete List">
-<!ENTITY deleteListsCmd.label                           "Delete Selected Lists">
-<!ENTITY deleteItemsCmd.label                           "Delete Selected Items">
-<!ENTITY swapFirstNameLastNameCmd.label                 "Swap First/Last Name">
-<!ENTITY swapFirstNameLastNameCmd.accesskey             "w">  
-<!ENTITY propertiesCmd.label                            "Properties...">
-<!-- LOCALIZATION NOTE (propertiesCmd.accesskey) : DONT_TRANSLATE -->  
-<!ENTITY propertiesCmd.accesskey                        "i">  
-<!ENTITY propertiesCmd.key                              "i">  
-
-<!-- View Menu -->
-<!ENTITY showAbToolbarCmd.label                         "Address Book Toolbar"> 
-<!ENTITY showAbToolbarCmd.accesskey                     "o">  
-
-<!ENTITY showCardPane.label                             "Card Summary Pane">
-<!ENTITY showCardPane.accesskey                         "C">
-  
-<!ENTITY menu_ShowNameAs.label                          "Show Name As"> 
-<!ENTITY menu_ShowNameAs.accesskey                      "n"> 
-<!ENTITY firstLastCmd.label                             "First Last">  
-<!ENTITY firstLastCmd.accesskey                         "f"> 
-<!ENTITY lastFirstCmd.label                             "Last, First">  
-<!ENTITY lastFirstCmd.accesskey                         "l"> 
-<!ENTITY displayNameCmd.label                           "Display Name">  
-<!ENTITY displayNameCmd.accesskey                       "d"> 
-
-<!ENTITY stopSearchingCmd.label                         ".Stop Searching"> 
-
-<!-- Toolbar and Popup items -->  
-<!ENTITY newcardButton.label                            "New Card">  
-<!ENTITY newcardButton.accesskey                        "C">  
-<!ENTITY newlistButton.label                            "New List">  
-<!ENTITY newlistButton.accesskey                        "L">  
-<!ENTITY editButton.label                               "Properties">  
-<!ENTITY editButton.accesskey                           "P">  
-<!ENTITY newmsgButton.label                             "Compose">  
-<!ENTITY newmsgButton.accesskey                         "C">  
-<!ENTITY deleteButton.label                             "Delete">  
-<!ENTITY deleteButton.accesskey                         "D">  
-<!ENTITY newimButton.label                              "Instant Message">  
-<!ENTITY newimButton.accesskey                          "I">  
-<!ENTITY stopButton.label                               ".Stop">  
-<!ENTITY searchButton.label                             ".Search">  
-<!ENTITY showNames.label                                "Show names containing:">  
-
-<!-- Tooltips -->
-<!ENTITY addressbookToolbar.tooltip                     "Address Book Toolbar">
-<!ENTITY newcardButton.tooltip                          "Create a new address book card"> 
-<!ENTITY newlistButton.tooltip                          "Create a new list"> 
-<!ENTITY editButton.tooltip                             "Edit the selected card"> 
-<!ENTITY newmsgButton.tooltip                           "Send a mail message"> 
-<!ENTITY newIM.tooltip                                  "Send an instant message or chat"> 
-<!ENTITY deleteButton.tooltip                           "Delete selected card or address book"> 
-<!ENTITY stopButton.tooltip                             "Stop the current transfer"> 
-<!ENTITY searchButton.tooltip                           "Search the selected address book"> 
-<!ENTITY throbber.tooltip                               "Go to the &vendorShortName; home page">
-<!ENTITY clearButton.tooltip                            "Clear the search criteria and show all entries">
-<!ENTITY advancedButton.tooltip                         "Advanced address search">
-
-<!-- Status Bar -->  
-<!ENTITY statusText.label                               "">
-
-<!-- LOCALIZATION NOTE (hideSwapFnLnUI) : DONT_TRANSLATE -->
-<!-- Swap FN/LN UI  Set to "false" to show swap fn/ln UI -->
-<!ENTITY  hideSwapFnLnUI                                "true">
diff --git a/mailnews/mailnews.js b/mailnews/mailnews.js
index 87781adfcdd..3c277b8c459 100644
--- a/mailnews/mailnews.js
+++ b/mailnews/mailnews.js
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ pref("mail.file_attach_binary",             false);
 pref("mail.show_headers",                   1); // some
 pref("mail.pane_config",                    0);
 pref("mail.addr_book.mapit_url.format", "chrome://messenger-region/locale/region.properties");
+pref("mail.addr_book.im.online_check_allowed", false);
 
 // the format for "mail.addr_book.quicksearchquery.format" is:
 // @V == the escaped value typed in the quick search bar in the addressbook