diff --git a/src/apps/mail/MailWindow.cpp b/src/apps/mail/MailWindow.cpp
index 645472b4cc..c1af1f87cf 100644
--- a/src/apps/mail/MailWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/mail/MailWindow.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ of their respective holders. All rights reserved.
 #include <AppFileInfo.h>
 #include <Autolock.h>
 #include <Bitmap.h>
+#include <Button.h>
 #include <CharacterSet.h>
 #include <CharacterSetRoster.h>
 #include <Clipboard.h>
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@ of their respective holders. All rights reserved.
 #include "Prefs.h"
 #include "QueryMenu.h"
 #include "Signature.h"
+#include "Settings.h"
 #include "Status.h"
 #include "String.h"
 #include "Utilities.h"
@@ -720,6 +722,22 @@ TMailWindow::UpdateViews()
 	if (showToolBar) {
 		if (fToolBar->IsHidden())
 			fToolBar->Show();
+
+		bool showLabel = showToolBar == kShowToolBar;
+		_UpdateLabel(M_NEW, B_TRANSLATE("New"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_SEND_NOW, B_TRANSLATE("Send"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_SIG_MENU, B_TRANSLATE("Signature"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_SAVE_AS_DRAFT, B_TRANSLATE("Save"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_PRINT, B_TRANSLATE("Print"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_DELETE, B_TRANSLATE("Trash"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_REPLY, B_TRANSLATE("Reply"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_FORWARD, B_TRANSLATE("Forward"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_DELETE_NEXT, B_TRANSLATE("Trash"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_SPAM_BUTTON, B_TRANSLATE("Spam"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_NEXTMSG, B_TRANSLATE("Next"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_UNREAD, B_TRANSLATE("Unread"), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_READ, B_TRANSLATE(" Read "), showLabel);
+		_UpdateLabel(M_PREVMSG, B_TRANSLATE("Previous"), showLabel);
 	} else if (!fToolBar->IsHidden())
 		fToolBar->Hide();
 }
@@ -3187,6 +3205,17 @@ TMailWindow::_UpdateReadButton()
 }
 
 
+void
+TMailWindow::_UpdateLabel(uint32 command, const char* label, bool show)
+{
+	BButton* button = fToolBar->FindButton(command);
+	if (button != NULL) {
+		button->SetLabel(show ? label : NULL);
+		button->SetToolTip(show ? NULL : label);
+	}
+}
+
+
 void
 TMailWindow::_SetDownloading(bool downloading)
 {
diff --git a/src/apps/mail/MailWindow.h b/src/apps/mail/MailWindow.h
index 5f34fa847d..fc3ca0e13a 100644
--- a/src/apps/mail/MailWindow.h
+++ b/src/apps/mail/MailWindow.h
@@ -130,6 +130,8 @@ private:
 
 			void				_AddReadButton();
 			void				_UpdateReadButton();
+			void				_UpdateLabel(uint32 command, const char* label,
+									bool show);
 
 			void				_SetDownloading(bool downloading);
 			uint32				_CurrentCharacterSet() const;
diff --git a/src/apps/mail/Prefs.cpp b/src/apps/mail/Prefs.cpp
index 66bedbf28a..806dd00387 100644
--- a/src/apps/mail/Prefs.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/mail/Prefs.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ using namespace BPrivate;
 #include "MailSupport.h"
 #include "MailWindow.h"
 #include "Messages.h"
+#include "Settings.h"
 #include "Signature.h"
 
 
@@ -902,20 +903,20 @@ TPrefsWindow::_BuildButtonBarMenu(uint8 show)
 	BPopUpMenu* menu = new BPopUpMenu("");
 
 	msg = new BMessage(P_BUTTON_BAR);
-	msg->AddInt8("bar", 1);
+	msg->AddInt8("bar", kShowToolBar);
 	menu->AddItem(item = new BMenuItem(
 		B_TRANSLATE("Show icons & labels"), msg));
 	if (show & 1)
 		item->SetMarked(true);
 
 	msg = new BMessage(P_BUTTON_BAR);
-	msg->AddInt8("bar", 2);
+	msg->AddInt8("bar", kShowToolBarIconsOnly);
 	menu->AddItem(item = new BMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Show icons only"), msg));
 	if (show & 2)
 		item->SetMarked(true);
 
 	msg = new BMessage(P_BUTTON_BAR);
-	msg->AddInt8("bar", 0);
+	msg->AddInt8("bar", kHideToolBar);
 	menu->AddItem(item = new BMenuItem(B_TRANSLATE("Hide"), msg));
 	if (!show)
 		item->SetMarked(true);
diff --git a/src/apps/mail/Settings.cpp b/src/apps/mail/Settings.cpp
index 77ffeb97c5..323286fca5 100644
--- a/src/apps/mail/Settings.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/mail/Settings.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ Settings::Settings()
 	fWrapMode(true),
 	fAttachAttributes(true),
 	fColoredQuotes(true),
-	fShowButtonBar(true),
+	fShowButtonBar(kShowToolBar),
 	fWarnAboutUnencodableCharacters(true),
 	fStartWithSpellCheckOn(false),
 	fShowSpamGUI(true),
@@ -279,17 +279,12 @@ Settings::LoadSettings()
 		}
 	}
 
-	bool boolValue;
-	if (settings.FindBool("WordWrapMode", &boolValue) == B_OK)
-		fWrapMode = boolValue;
-
-	if (settings.FindBool("AutoMarkRead", &boolValue) == B_OK)
-		fAutoMarkRead = boolValue;
+	fWrapMode = settings.GetBool("WordWrapMode", fWrapMode);
+	fAutoMarkRead = settings.GetBool("AutoMarkRead", fAutoMarkRead);
 
 	BString string;
-	if (settings.FindString("SignatureText", &string) == B_OK) {
+	if (settings.FindString("SignatureText", &string) == B_OK)
 		fSignature = string;
-	}
 
 	if (settings.FindInt32("CharacterSet", &int32Value) == B_OK)
 		fMailCharacterSet = int32Value;
@@ -300,9 +295,7 @@ Settings::LoadSettings()
 		fMailCharacterSet = B_MS_WINDOWS_CONVERSION;
 	}
 
-	int8 int8Value;
-	if (settings.FindInt8("ShowButtonBar", &int8Value) == B_OK)
-		fShowButtonBar = int8Value;
+	fShowButtonBar = settings.GetInt8("ShowButtonBar", fShowButtonBar);
 
 	if (settings.FindInt32("UseAccountFrom", &int32Value) == B_OK)
 		fUseAccountFrom = int32Value;
@@ -310,21 +303,16 @@ Settings::LoadSettings()
 		|| fUseAccountFrom > ACCOUNT_FROM_MAIL)
 		fUseAccountFrom = ACCOUNT_USE_DEFAULT;
 
-	if (settings.FindBool("ColoredQuotes", &boolValue) == B_OK)
-		fColoredQuotes = boolValue;
+	fColoredQuotes = settings.GetBool("ColoredQuotes", fColoredQuotes);
 
-	if (settings.FindString("ReplyPreamble", &string) == B_OK) {
+	if (settings.FindString("ReplyPreamble", &string) == B_OK)
 		fReplyPreamble = string;
-	}
 
-	if (settings.FindBool("AttachAttributes", &boolValue) == B_OK)
-		fAttachAttributes = boolValue;
-
-	if (settings.FindBool("WarnAboutUnencodableCharacters", &boolValue) == B_OK)
-		fWarnAboutUnencodableCharacters = boolValue;
-
-	if (settings.FindBool("StartWithSpellCheck", &boolValue) == B_OK)
-		fStartWithSpellCheckOn = boolValue;
+	fAttachAttributes = settings.GetBool("AttachAttributes", fAttachAttributes);
+	fWarnAboutUnencodableCharacters = settings.GetBool(
+		"WarnAboutUnencodableCharacters", fWarnAboutUnencodableCharacters);
+	fStartWithSpellCheckOn = settings.GetBool("StartWithSpellCheck",
+		fStartWithSpellCheckOn);
 
 	return B_OK;
 }
diff --git a/src/apps/mail/Settings.h b/src/apps/mail/Settings.h
index da9d18c892..75cc5fbb12 100644
--- a/src/apps/mail/Settings.h
+++ b/src/apps/mail/Settings.h
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@ All rights reserved.
 #define ACCOUNT_USE_DEFAULT	0
 #define ACCOUNT_FROM_MAIL	1
 
+static const uint8 kHideToolBar = 0;
+static const uint8 kShowToolBar = 1;
+static const uint8 kShowToolBarIconsOnly = 2;
+
 
 class BMessage;