diff --git a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgAccountManager.cpp b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgAccountManager.cpp
index c4d7554c800b..59e665654c19 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgAccountManager.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgAccountManager.cpp
@@ -163,7 +163,8 @@ nsMsgAccountManager::nsMsgAccountManager() :
   m_haveShutdown(PR_FALSE),
   m_shutdownInProgress(PR_FALSE),
   m_userAuthenticated(PR_FALSE),
-  m_loadingVirtualFolders(PR_FALSE)
+  m_loadingVirtualFolders(PR_FALSE),
+  m_virtualFoldersLoaded(PR_FALSE)
 {
 }
 
@@ -2973,7 +2974,7 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgAccountManager::LoadVirtualFolders()
   }
 
   m_loadingVirtualFolders = PR_FALSE;
-
+  m_virtualFoldersLoaded = PR_TRUE;
   return rv;
 }
 
@@ -2981,7 +2982,8 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgAccountManager::LoadVirtualFolders()
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsMsgAccountManager::SaveVirtualFolders()
 {
-
+  if (!m_virtualFoldersLoaded)
+    return NS_OK;
   nsCOMPtr<nsISupportsArray> allServers;
   nsresult rv = GetAllServers(getter_AddRefs(allServers));
   nsCOMPtr <nsILocalFile> file;
diff --git a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgAccountManager.h b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgAccountManager.h
index 6bae9c4ac179..88d3330586d9 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgAccountManager.h
+++ b/mailnews/base/src/nsMsgAccountManager.h
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ private:
   PRBool m_shutdownInProgress;
   PRBool m_userAuthenticated;
   PRBool m_loadingVirtualFolders;
+  PRBool m_virtualFoldersLoaded;
 
   /* we call FindServer() a lot.  so cache the last server found */
   nsCOMPtr <nsIMsgIncomingServer> m_lastFindServerResult;