diff --git a/mozilla/mailnews/mailnews.js b/mozilla/mailnews/mailnews.js
index 84c886e7e0c..ef8cf755c71 100644
--- a/mozilla/mailnews/mailnews.js
+++ b/mozilla/mailnews/mailnews.js
@@ -413,3 +413,6 @@ pref("mailnews.send_plaintext_flowed", true); // RFC 2646=======
 // these two news.cancel.* prefs are for use by QA for automated testing.  see bug #31057
 pref("news.cancel.confirm",true);
 pref("news.cancel.alert_on_success",true);
+
+// since the new subscribe dialog is incomplete and buggy, this pref turns it on or off
+pref("mailnews.use-real-subscribe-dialog",true);
diff --git a/mozilla/modules/libpref/src/init/mailnews.js b/mozilla/modules/libpref/src/init/mailnews.js
index 84c886e7e0c..ef8cf755c71 100644
--- a/mozilla/modules/libpref/src/init/mailnews.js
+++ b/mozilla/modules/libpref/src/init/mailnews.js
@@ -413,3 +413,6 @@ pref("mailnews.send_plaintext_flowed", true); // RFC 2646=======
 // these two news.cancel.* prefs are for use by QA for automated testing.  see bug #31057
 pref("news.cancel.confirm",true);
 pref("news.cancel.alert_on_success",true);
+
+// since the new subscribe dialog is incomplete and buggy, this pref turns it on or off
+pref("mailnews.use-real-subscribe-dialog",true);