diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsLDAPPrefsService.js b/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsLDAPPrefsService.js
index 1c89ed913196..7722ab1083fa 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsLDAPPrefsService.js
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsLDAPPrefsService.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ const NS_LDAPPREFSSERVICE_IID = Components.interfaces.nsILDAPPrefsService;
 
 /* interfaces used in this file */
 const nsISupports        = Components.interfaces.nsISupports;
+const nsISupportsString  = Components.interfaces.nsISupportsString;
 const nsIPrefBranch      = Components.interfaces.nsIPrefBranch;
 const nsILDAPURL         = Components.interfaces.nsILDAPURL;
 
@@ -206,7 +207,8 @@ function () {
       }
       ldapUrl.host = host;
       try{
-        ldapUrl.dn = gPrefInt.getCharPref(pref_string + ".searchBase");
+        ldapUrl.dn = gPrefInt.getComplexValue(pref_string + ".searchBase",
+                                              nsISupportsString).data;
       }
       catch (ex) {
       }
diff --git a/mailnews/compose/resources/content/MsgComposeCommands.js b/mailnews/compose/resources/content/MsgComposeCommands.js
index b58cecdeaa6b..6ec3137106a1 100644
--- a/mailnews/compose/resources/content/MsgComposeCommands.js
+++ b/mailnews/compose/resources/content/MsgComposeCommands.js
@@ -1038,8 +1038,9 @@ function setupLdapAutocompleteSession()
             // override default search filter template?
             //
             try { 
-                LDAPSession.filterTemplate = sPrefs.getCharPref(
-                    autocompleteDirectory + ".autoComplete.filterTemplate");
+                LDAPSession.filterTemplate = sPrefs.getComplexValue(
+                    autocompleteDirectory + ".autoComplete.filterTemplate",
+                    Components.interfaces.nsISupportsString).data;
 
             } catch (ex) {
                 // if this pref isn't there, no big deal.  just let