diff --git a/gfx/layers/d3d9/LayerManagerD3D9.cpp b/gfx/layers/d3d9/LayerManagerD3D9.cpp
index 761c991e0737..f21b2a440c46 100644
--- a/gfx/layers/d3d9/LayerManagerD3D9.cpp
+++ b/gfx/layers/d3d9/LayerManagerD3D9.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ LayerManagerD3D9::Initialize()
 {
   nsCOMPtr<nsIPrefBranch2> prefs = do_GetService(NS_PREFSERVICE_CONTRACTID);
 
+  /* XXX: this preference and blacklist code should move out of the layer manager */
   PRBool forceAccelerate = PR_FALSE;
   if (prefs) {
     // we should use AddBoolPrefVarCache
diff --git a/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.cpp b/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.cpp
index 8cd42d1ed54b..3f0166c07849 100644
--- a/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.cpp
+++ b/gfx/layers/opengl/LayerManagerOGL.cpp
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@
 #include "nsIPrefService.h"
 #include "nsIPrefBranch2.h"
 
-#include "nsIGfxInfo.h"
-
 namespace mozilla {
 namespace layers {
 
@@ -154,25 +152,6 @@ already_AddRefed<mozilla::gl::GLContext>
 LayerManagerOGL::CreateContext()
 {
   nsRefPtr<GLContext> context;
-  nsCOMPtr<nsIPrefBranch2> prefs = do_GetService(NS_PREFSERVICE_CONTRACTID);
-
-  PRBool forceAccelerate = PR_FALSE;
-  if (prefs) {
-    // we should use AddBoolPrefVarCache
-    prefs->GetBoolPref("layers.acceleration.force-enabled",
-                       &forceAccelerate);
-  }
-
-  nsCOMPtr<nsIGfxInfo> gfxInfo = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/gfx/info;1");
-  if (gfxInfo) {
-    PRInt32 status;
-    if (NS_SUCCEEDED(gfxInfo->GetFeatureStatus(nsIGfxInfo::FEATURE_OPENGL_LAYERS, &status))) {
-      if (status != nsIGfxInfo::FEATURE_NO_INFO && !forceAccelerate) {
-        NS_WARNING("OpenGL-accelerated layers are not supported on this system.");
-        return nsnull;
-      }
-    }
-  }
 
 #ifdef XP_WIN
   if (PR_GetEnv("MOZ_LAYERS_PREFER_EGL")) {
diff --git a/widget/src/windows/nsWindow.cpp b/widget/src/windows/nsWindow.cpp
index bdfaf14afb9a..04eac0698a38 100644
--- a/widget/src/windows/nsWindow.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/windows/nsWindow.cpp
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@
 #include "LayerManagerD3D10.h"
 #endif
 #include "LayerManagerOGL.h"
+#include "nsIGfxInfo.h"
 #endif
 #include "BasicLayers.h"
 
@@ -3284,6 +3285,7 @@ struct LayerManagerPrefs {
   {}
   PRBool mAccelerateByDefault;
   PRBool mDisableAcceleration;
+  PRBool mForceAcceleration;
   PRBool mPreferOpenGL;
   PRBool mPreferD3D9;
 };
@@ -3295,6 +3297,8 @@ GetLayerManagerPrefs(LayerManagerPrefs* aManagerPrefs)
   if (prefs) {
     prefs->GetBoolPref("layers.acceleration.disabled",
                        &aManagerPrefs->mDisableAcceleration);
+    prefs->GetBoolPref("layers.acceleration.force-enabled",
+                       &aManagerPrefs->mForceAcceleration);
     prefs->GetBoolPref("layers.prefer-opengl",
                        &aManagerPrefs->mPreferOpenGL);
     prefs->GetBoolPref("layers.prefer-d3d9",
@@ -3383,10 +3387,22 @@ nsWindow::GetLayerManager(LayerManagerPersistence aPersistence, bool* aAllowReta
       }
 #endif
       if (!mLayerManager && prefs.mPreferOpenGL) {
-        nsRefPtr<mozilla::layers::LayerManagerOGL> layerManager =
-          new mozilla::layers::LayerManagerOGL(this);
-        if (layerManager->Initialize()) {
-          mLayerManager = layerManager;
+        nsCOMPtr<nsIGfxInfo> gfxInfo = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/gfx/info;1");
+        PRInt32 status = nsIGfxInfo::FEATURE_NO_INFO;
+
+        if (gfxInfo && !prefs.mForceAcceleration) {
+          gfxInfo->GetFeatureStatus(nsIGfxInfo::FEATURE_OPENGL_LAYERS, &status);
+        }
+
+        if (status == nsIGfxInfo::FEATURE_NO_INFO) {
+          nsRefPtr<mozilla::layers::LayerManagerOGL> layerManager =
+            new mozilla::layers::LayerManagerOGL(this);
+          if (layerManager->Initialize()) {
+            mLayerManager = layerManager;
+          }
+
+        } else {
+          NS_WARNING("OpenGL accelerated layers are not supported on this system.");
         }
       }
     }
diff --git a/widget/src/xpwidgets/nsBaseWidget.cpp b/widget/src/xpwidgets/nsBaseWidget.cpp
index 0952f25dbc10..cdfcdf79ac2e 100644
--- a/widget/src/xpwidgets/nsBaseWidget.cpp
+++ b/widget/src/xpwidgets/nsBaseWidget.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include "BasicLayers.h"
 #include "LayerManagerOGL.h"
 #include "nsIXULRuntime.h"
+#include "nsIGfxInfo.h"
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
 #include "nsIObserver.h"
@@ -812,7 +813,21 @@ nsBaseWidget::GetShouldAccelerate()
   if (disableAcceleration || safeMode)
     return PR_FALSE;
 
-  if (accelerateByDefault || forceAcceleration)
+  if (forceAcceleration)
+    return PR_TRUE;
+
+  nsCOMPtr<nsIGfxInfo> gfxInfo = do_GetService("@mozilla.org/gfx/info;1");
+  if (gfxInfo) {
+    PRInt32 status;
+    if (NS_SUCCEEDED(gfxInfo->GetFeatureStatus(nsIGfxInfo::FEATURE_OPENGL_LAYERS, &status))) {
+      if (status != nsIGfxInfo::FEATURE_NO_INFO) {
+        NS_WARNING("OpenGL-accelerated layers are not supported on this system.");
+        return PR_FALSE;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (accelerateByDefault)
     return PR_TRUE;
 
   /* use the window acceleration flag */
@@ -828,7 +843,6 @@ LayerManager* nsBaseWidget::GetLayerManager(LayerManagerPersistence,
                                             bool* aAllowRetaining)
 {
   if (!mLayerManager) {
-    nsCOMPtr<nsIPrefBranch2> prefs = do_GetService(NS_PREFSERVICE_CONTRACTID);
 
     mUseAcceleratedRendering = GetShouldAccelerate();