diff --git a/mozilla/mailnews/compose/tests/smtp/smtpTest.cpp b/mozilla/mailnews/compose/tests/smtp/smtpTest.cpp
index 06ac8215111..a162314a30f 100644
--- a/mozilla/mailnews/compose/tests/smtp/smtpTest.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/mailnews/compose/tests/smtp/smtpTest.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ static NS_DEFINE_CID(kNetServiceCID, NS_NETSERVICE_CID);
 static NS_DEFINE_CID(kEventQueueServiceCID, NS_EVENTQUEUESERVICE_CID);
 static NS_DEFINE_CID(kSmtpServiceCID, NS_SMTPSERVICE_CID);
 static NS_DEFINE_CID(kPrefCID, NS_PREF_CID);
+
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Define default values to be used to drive the test
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -435,6 +436,16 @@ int main()
 	nsComponentManager::RegisterComponent(kEventQueueServiceCID, NULL, NULL, XPCOM_DLL, PR_FALSE, PR_FALSE);
 	nsComponentManager::RegisterComponent(kPrefCID, nsnull, nsnull, PREF_DLL, PR_TRUE, PR_TRUE);
 
+	// make sure prefs get initialized and loaded..
+	// mscott - this is just a bad bad bad hack right now until prefs
+	// has the ability to take nsnull as a parameter. Once that happens,
+	// prefs will do the work of figuring out which prefs file to load...
+	NS_WITH_SERVICE(nsIPref, prefs, kPrefCID, &result); 
+	if (NS_SUCCEEDED(result) && prefs)
+	{
+		prefs->Startup("prefs50.js");
+	}
+
 	// Create the Event Queue for this thread...
     nsIEventQueueService* pEventQService;
     result = nsServiceManager::GetService(kEventQueueServiceCID,
diff --git a/mozilla/mailnews/local/tests/pop3/pop3Test.cpp b/mozilla/mailnews/local/tests/pop3/pop3Test.cpp
index a55e5f42f7f..59a9f8e7f74 100644
--- a/mozilla/mailnews/local/tests/pop3/pop3Test.cpp
+++ b/mozilla/mailnews/local/tests/pop3/pop3Test.cpp
@@ -464,6 +464,16 @@ int main()
 	nsComponentManager::RegisterComponent(kEventQueueServiceCID, NULL, NULL, XPCOM_DLL, PR_FALSE, PR_FALSE);
 	nsComponentManager::RegisterComponent(kPrefCID, nsnull, nsnull, PREF_DLL, PR_TRUE, PR_TRUE);
 
+	// make sure prefs get initialized and loaded..
+	// mscott - this is just a bad bad bad hack right now until prefs
+	// has the ability to take nsnull as a parameter. Once that happens,
+	// prefs will do the work of figuring out which prefs file to load...
+	NS_WITH_SERVICE(nsIPref, prefs, kPrefCID, &result); 
+	if (NS_SUCCEEDED(result) && prefs)
+	{
+		prefs->Startup("prefs50.js");
+	}
+
 	// Create the Event Queue for this thread...
     nsIEventQueueService* pEventQService;
     result = nsServiceManager::GetService(kEventQueueServiceCID,