diff --git a/SoObjects/Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.h b/SoObjects/Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.h
index dec1d6839..28a3e5577 100644
--- a/SoObjects/Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.h
+++ b/SoObjects/Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
 - (NSString *) color;
 
 + (NSArray *) labelsFromDefaults: (NSDictionary *) theDefaults
-                       component: (UIxComponent *) theComponent;
+                       component: (id) theComponent;
 
 @end
 
diff --git a/SoObjects/Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.m b/SoObjects/Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.m
index bdbce74b8..1c66786f6 100644
--- a/SoObjects/Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.m
+++ b/SoObjects/Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.m
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
 
 
 + (NSArray *) labelsFromDefaults: (NSDictionary *) theDefaults
-                       component: (UIxComponent *) theComponent
+                       component: (id) theComponent
 {
   NSMutableArray *allLabels, *allKeys;
   NSString *key, *name;
@@ -81,7 +81,6 @@
       key = [allKeys objectAtIndex: i];
       values = [theDefaults objectForKey: key];
       name = [theComponent commonLabelForKey: [values objectAtIndex: 0]];
-
       label = [[self alloc] initWithName: key
                                    label: name
                                    color: [values objectAtIndex: 1]];
diff --git a/UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.h b/UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.h
index a2e90cb32..e08de93c7 100644
--- a/UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.h
+++ b/UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.h
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 - (WOResponse *) responseWith204;
 - (WOResponse *) redirectToLocation: (NSString *) newLocation;
 
+- (NSString *) commonLabelForKey: (NSString *) _str;
 - (NSString *) labelForKey: (NSString *) _str;
 
 - (WOResourceManager *) pageResourceManager;
diff --git a/UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.m b/UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.m
index 805acbe8c..bd8ae3461 100644
--- a/UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.m
+++ b/UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.m
@@ -35,8 +35,20 @@
 
 #import "WODirectAction+SOGo.h"
 
+static SoProduct      *commonProduct      = nil;
+
 @implementation WODirectAction (SOGoExtension)
 
++ (void) initialize
+{
+  if (commonProduct == nil)
+    {
+      // @see commonLabelForKey:
+      commonProduct = [[SoProduct alloc] initWithBundle:
+                               [NSBundle bundleForClass: NSClassFromString(@"CommonUIProduct")]];
+    }
+}
+
 - (WOResponse *) responseWithStatus: (unsigned int) status
 {
   WOResponse *response;
@@ -91,55 +103,60 @@
   return response;
 }
 
-- (NSString *) labelForKey: (NSString *) key
+- (NSString *) labelForKey: (NSString *) _str
+       withResourceManager: (WOResourceManager *) rm
 {
-  NSString *bundleId, *userLanguage, *label;
-  NSArray *paths;
-  NSBundle *bundle;
-  NSDictionary *strings;
-  SOGoUserDefaults *ud;
-  static NSMutableDictionary *bundlesCache = nil;
-  NSMutableDictionary *languagesCache;
+  NSString *lKey, *lTable, *lVal;
+  NSRange r;
 
-  if (!bundlesCache)
-    bundlesCache = [NSMutableDictionary new];
+  if ([_str length] == 0)
+    return nil;
 
-  bundle = [NSBundle bundleForClass: [self class]];
-  if (!bundle)
-    bundle = [NSBundle mainBundle];
+  if (rm == nil)
+    [self warnWithFormat:@"missing resource manager!"];
 
-  bundleId = [bundle executablePath];
-  languagesCache = [bundlesCache objectForKey: bundleId];
-  if (!languagesCache)
-    {
-      languagesCache = [NSMutableDictionary new];
-      [bundlesCache setObject: languagesCache forKey: bundleId];
-      [languagesCache release];
-    }
+  /* get parameters */
+  r = [_str rangeOfString:@"/"];
+  if (r.length > 0) {
+    lTable = [_str substringToIndex:r.location];
+    lKey   = [_str substringFromIndex:(r.location + r.length)];
+  }
+  else {
+    lTable = nil;
+    lKey   = _str;
+  }
+  lVal = lKey;
 
-  ud = [[context activeUser] userDefaults];
-  userLanguage = [ud language];
-  strings = [languagesCache objectForKey: userLanguage];
-  if (!strings)
-    {
-      paths = [bundle pathsForResourcesOfType: @"strings"
-                                  inDirectory: [NSString stringWithFormat: @"%@.lproj",
-                                                         userLanguage]
-                              forLocalization: userLanguage];
-      if ([paths count] > 0)
-        {
-          strings = [NSDictionary
-                      dictionaryFromStringsFile: [paths objectAtIndex: 0]];
-          if (strings)
-            [languagesCache setObject: strings forKey: userLanguage];
-        }
-    }
-
-  label = [strings objectForKey: key];
-  if (!label)
-    label = key;
+  if ([lKey hasPrefix:@"$"])
+    lKey = [self valueForKeyPath:[lKey substringFromIndex:1]];
+ 
+  if ([lTable hasPrefix:@"$"])
+    lTable = [self valueForKeyPath:[lTable substringFromIndex:1]];
   
-  return label;
+  /* lookup string */
+  return [rm stringForKey: lKey
+             inTableNamed: lTable
+             withDefaultValue: lVal
+             languages: [context resourceLookupLanguages]];
+}
+
+- (NSString *) commonLabelForKey: (NSString *) _str
+{
+  WOResourceManager *rm;
+
+  rm = [commonProduct resourceManager];
+
+  return [self labelForKey: _str withResourceManager: rm];
+}
+
+- (NSString *) labelForKey: (NSString *) _str
+{
+  WOResourceManager *rm;
+  /* find resource manager */
+
+  rm = [self pageResourceManager];
+
+  return [self labelForKey: _str withResourceManager: rm];
 }
 
 - (WOResourceManager *) pageResourceManager
diff --git a/UI/PreferencesUI/UIxJSONPreferences.m b/UI/PreferencesUI/UIxJSONPreferences.m
index 75f69414d..525954124 100644
--- a/UI/PreferencesUI/UIxJSONPreferences.m
+++ b/UI/PreferencesUI/UIxJSONPreferences.m
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  * Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
  */
 
+#import <Foundation/NSDictionary.h>
+
 #import <NGObjWeb/WOContext+SoObjects.h>
 #import <NGObjWeb/WODirectAction.h>
 #import <NGObjWeb/WOResponse.h>
@@ -30,6 +32,7 @@
 #import <Mailer/SOGoMailLabel.h>
 
 #import <SOGoUI/UIxComponent.h>
+#import <UI/Common/WODirectAction+SOGo.h>
 
 #import "UIxJSONPreferences.h"
 
@@ -75,27 +78,38 @@
   if (![defaults contactsCategories])
     {
       categoryLabels = [[[self labelForKey: @"contacts_category_labels"]
-                       componentsSeparatedByString: @","]
+                          componentsSeparatedByString: @","]
                           sortedArrayUsingSelector: @selector (localizedCaseInsensitiveCompare:)];
       
       if (!categoryLabels)
         categoryLabels = [NSArray array];
-
+      
       [defaults setContactsCategories: categoryLabels];
       dirty = YES;
     }
-      
+  
   // Populate default mail lablels, based on the user's preferred language
   if (![[defaults source] objectForKey: @"SOGoMailLabelsColors"])
     {
-      NSDictionary *v;
+      SOGoMailLabel *label;
+      NSArray *labels;
+      id v;
       
-       v = [defaults mailLabelsColors];
-
-       // TODO - translate + refactor to not pass self since it's not a component
-       //[defaults setMailLabelsColors: [SOGoMailLabel labelsFromDefaults: v  component: self]];
-       [defaults setMailLabelsColors: v];
-       dirty = YES;
+      int i;
+      
+      v = [defaults mailLabelsColors];
+      
+      labels = [SOGoMailLabel labelsFromDefaults: v  component: self];
+      v = [NSMutableDictionary dictionary];
+      for (i = 0; i < [labels count]; i++)
+        {
+          label = [labels objectAtIndex: i];
+          [v setObject: [NSArray arrayWithObjects: [label label], [label color], nil]
+                forKey: [label name]];
+        }
+ 
+      [defaults setMailLabelsColors: v];
+      dirty = YES;
     }
 
   if (dirty)