diff --git a/collects/framework/gen-standard-menus.ss b/collects/framework/gen-standard-menus.ss
index 05769db3..02ec50d5 100755
--- a/collects/framework/gen-standard-menus.ss
+++ b/collects/framework/gen-standard-menus.ss
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ string=? ; exec mred -mgaqvf $0
 		      ,menu-after-string)
 	       ,(menu-name->id name-string)
 	       ,name
-	       ,key
+	       (if (preferences:get 'framework:menu-bindings) ,key #f)
 	       (,(build-id item "-help-string"))))])))
 
 (define build-between/after-menu-clause
diff --git a/collects/framework/main.ss b/collects/framework/main.ss
index 146ea472..83b30e15 100644
--- a/collects/framework/main.ss
+++ b/collects/framework/main.ss
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@
   
   ;; preferences
 
+  (preferences:set-default 'framework:menu-bindings #t boolean?)
+
   (preferences:set-default 'framework:verify-change-format #f boolean?)
   
   (preferences:set-default 'framework:auto-set-wrap? #f boolean?)
@@ -133,14 +135,14 @@
 	       (lambda (string symbol keywords)
 		 (let* ([vert (make-object vertical-panel% main-panel)]
 			[_ (make-object message% (string-append string "-like Keywords") vert)]
-			[box (make-object list-box% #f keywords vert #f 'multiple void)]
+			[box (make-object list-box% #f keywords vert void '(multiple))]
 			[button-panel (make-object horizontal-panel% vert)]
-			[add-button (make-object button% "Add" (add-callback string symbol box) button-panel)]
-			[delete-button (make-object button% "Remove" (delete-callback box) button-panel)])
+			[add-button (make-object button% "Add" button-panel (add-callback string symbol box))]
+			[delete-button (make-object button% "Remove" button-panel (delete-callback box))])
 		   (send* button-panel 
-		     (major-align-center)
-		     (stretchable-in-y #f))
-		   (send add-button user-min-width (send delete-button get-width))
+		     (set-alignment 'center 'center)
+		     (stretchable-height #f))
+		   (send add-button min-width (send delete-button get-width))
 		   box))]
 	      [begin-list-box (make-column "Begin" 'begin begin-keywords)]
 	      [define-list-box (make-column "Define" 'define define-keywords)]
diff --git a/collects/framework/prefs.ss b/collects/framework/prefs.ss
index f0cd983b..1e413a2e 100644
--- a/collects/framework/prefs.ss
+++ b/collects/framework/prefs.ss
@@ -344,13 +344,13 @@
 			     (set pref (bool->pref (send command checked?))))]
 			  [pref-value (get pref)]
 			  [initial-value (pref->bool pref-value)]
-			  [c (make-object check-box% main callback title)])
+			  [c (make-object check-box% title main callback)])
 		    (send c set-value initial-value)
 		    (add-callback pref
 				  (lambda (p v)
 				    (send c set-value (pref->bool v))))))]
 	       [id (lambda (x) x)])
-	  (send main minor-align-left)
+	  (send main set-alignment 'right 'center)
 	  (make-check 'framework:highlight-parens "Highlight between matching parens" id id)
 	  (make-check 'framework:fixup-parens "Correct parens" id id)
 	  (make-check 'framework:paren-match "Flash paren match" id id)
@@ -403,32 +403,33 @@
 				(send edit change-style delta 0 (send edit last-position))))]
 			   
 			   [horiz (make-object horizontal-panel% main '(border))]
-			   [label (make-object message% horiz name)]
+			   [label (make-object message% name horiz)]
 			   
-			   [message (make-object message% horiz 
-						 (let ([b (box "")])
-						   (if (and (get-resource 
-							     font-section 
-							     (build-font-entry name)
-							     b)
-							    (not (string=? (unbox b) 
-									   "")))
-						       (unbox b)
-						       font-default-string)))]
+			   [message (make-object message%
+				      (let ([b (box "")])
+					(if (and (get-resource 
+						  font-section 
+						  (build-font-entry name)
+						  b)
+						 (not (string=? (unbox b) 
+								"")))
+					    (unbox b)
+					    font-default-string)) 
+				      horiz)]
 			   [button 
-			    (make-object 
-				button% horiz 
-				(lambda (button evt)
-				  (let ([new-value
-					 (get-choices-from-user
-					  "Fonts"
-					  (format "Please choose a new ~a font"
-						  name)
-					  fonts)])
-				    (when new-value
-				      (set pref-sym new-value) 
-				      (set-edit-font (get font-size-pref-sym)))))
-				"Change")]
+			    (make-object button%
+			      "Change" 
+			      horiz
+			      (lambda (button evt)
+				(let ([new-value
+				       (get-choices-from-user
+					"Fonts"
+					(format "Please choose a new ~a font"
+						name)
+					fonts)])
+				  (when new-value
+				    (set pref-sym new-value) 
+				    (set-edit-font (get font-size-pref-sym))))))]
 			   [canvas (make-object editor-canvas% horiz
 						edit
 						(list 'hide-hscroll
@@ -439,10 +440,9 @@
 		       (lambda (p new-value)
 			 (send horiz change-children
 			       (lambda (l)
-				 (let ([new-message (make-object
-							message%
-						      horiz
-						      new-value)])
+				 (let ([new-message (make-object message%
+						      new-value
+						      horiz)])
 				   (set! message new-message)
 				   (update-message-sizes font-message-get-widths 
 							 font-message-user-min-sizes)
@@ -452,9 +452,9 @@
 					 canvas))))))
 		      (vector set-edit-font
 			      (lambda () (send message get-width))
-			      (lambda (width) (send message user-min-width width))
+			      (lambda (width) (send message min-width width))
 			      (lambda () (send label get-width))
-			      (lambda (width) (send label user-min-width width)))))]
+			      (lambda (width) (send label min-width width)))))]
 		 [set-edit-fonts/messages (map make-family-panel font-families)]
 		 [collect (lambda (n) (map (lambda (x) (vector-ref x n)) set-edit-fonts/messages))]
 		 [set-edit-fonts (collect 0)]
@@ -468,17 +468,18 @@
 		      (for-each (lambda (set) (set width)) sets)))]
 		 [size-panel (make-object horizontal-panel% main '(border))]
 		 [size-slider
-		  (make-object slider% size-panel 
-			       (lambda (slider evt)
-				 (set font-size-pref-sym (send slider get-value)))
-			       "Size"
-			       (let ([b (box 0)])
-				 (if (get-resource font-section 
-						   font-size-entry
-						   b)
-				     (unbox b)
-				     font-default-size))
-			       1 127 50)]
+		  (make-object slider%
+		    "Size"
+		    1 127
+		    size-panel
+		    (lambda (slider evt)
+		      (set font-size-pref-sym (send slider get-value)))
+		    (let ([b (box 0)])
+		      (if (get-resource font-section 
+					font-size-entry
+					b)
+			  (unbox b)
+			  font-default-size)))]
 		 [guard-change-font (later-on)])
 	  (update-message-sizes font-message-get-widths font-message-user-min-sizes)
 	  (update-message-sizes category-message-get-widths category-message-user-min-sizes)
@@ -491,7 +492,7 @@
 	     (unless (= value (send size-slider get-value))
 	       (send size-slider set-value value))
 	     #t))
-	  (make-object message% main "Restart to see font changes")
+	  (make-object message% "Restart to see font changes" main)
 	  main))
       #f)))
   
@@ -551,7 +552,7 @@
 						     (send popup-menu set-selection (sub1 (length ppanels)))
 						     (send single-panel active-child 
 							   (ppanel-panel (car (list-tail ppanels (sub1 (length ppanels)))))))]))
-		  '() "Preferences")]
+		  "Preferences")]
 	       [panel (make-object vertical-panel% frame)]
 	       [popup-callback
 		(lambda (choice command-event)
@@ -562,7 +563,7 @@
 		  (let ([menu (make-object choice% "Category"
 					   (map ppanel-title ppanels)
 					   panel popup-callback)])
-		    (send menu stretchable-in-x #f)
+		    (send menu stretchable-width #f)
 		    menu))]
 	       [popup-menu (make-popup-menu)]
 	       [single-panel (make-object panel:single%
@@ -573,9 +574,10 @@
 		  (for-each (lambda (ppanel)
 			      (unless (ppanel-panel ppanel)
 				(let ([panel ((ppanel-container ppanel) single-panel)])
-				  (unless (is-a? panel panel%)
+				  (unless (and (object? panel)
+					       (implementation? (object-class panel) area-container<%>))
 				    (error 'preferences-dialog
-					   "expected the preference panel to be a panel%. Got ~a instead~n"
+					   "expected the result of the function passed to preferences:add-panel to implement the area-container% interface. Got ~a~n"
 					   panel))
 				  (set-ppanel-panel! ppanel panel))))
 			    ppanels)
@@ -593,15 +595,15 @@
 	       [ok-callback (lambda args
 			      (save)
 			      (hide-dialog))]
-	       [ok-button (make-object button% bottom-panel ok-callback "OK")]
+	       [ok-button (make-object button% "OK" bottom-panel ok-callback)]
 	       [cancel-callback (lambda args
 				  (hide-dialog)
 				  (-read))]
-	       [cancel-button (make-object button% bottom-panel cancel-callback "Cancel")])
-	(send ok-button user-min-width (send cancel-button get-width))
+	       [cancel-button (make-object button% "Cancel" bottom-panel cancel-callback)])
+	(send ok-button min-width (send cancel-button get-width))
 	(send* bottom-panel
-	  (stretchable-in-y #f)
-	  (major-align-right))
+	  (stretchable-height #f)
+	  (set-alignment 'right 'center))
 	(ensure-constructed)
 	(send popup-menu set-selection 0)
 	(send frame show #t)
diff --git a/collects/tests/framework/prefs.ss b/collects/tests/framework/prefs.ss
index 458af960..30847106 100644
--- a/collects/tests/framework/prefs.ss
+++ b/collects/tests/framework/prefs.ss
@@ -40,3 +40,16 @@
 	`(begin (preferences:set-default ',pref-sym 'passed symbol?)
 		(preferences:get ',pref-sym))))
 
+
+(test 'preference-dialog-appears
+      (lambda (x) (eq? 'passed x))
+      (lambda ()
+	(send-sexp-to-mred '(preferences:show-dialog))
+	(wait-for-frame "Preferences")
+	(send-sexp-to-mred '(begin (preferences:hide-dialog)
+				   (let ([f (get-top-level-focus-frame)])
+				     (if f
+					 (if (string=? "Preferences" (send f get-label))
+					     'failed
+					     'passed)
+					 'passed))))))