diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.make.ui/plugin.xml b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.make.ui/plugin.xml
index 002d57859e9..511eb8174e3 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.make.ui/plugin.xml
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.make.ui/plugin.xml
@@ -494,11 +494,11 @@
 
 		     <and>
 	`	         <instanceof value="org.eclipse.core.resources.IFile"/>
-    	         <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.isSource" value="" />
+    	         <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.isSource"/>
              </and>
              <and>
 	         	<instanceof value="org.eclipse.cdt.core.model.ITranslationUnit"/>
-    	        <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.isSource" value="" />
+    	        <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.isSource"/>
 	         </and>	
 
 		    </or>          
diff --git a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.ui/plugin.xml b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.ui/plugin.xml
index e047bf87483..3f7063be9c3 100644
--- a/build/org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.ui/plugin.xml
+++ b/build/org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.ui/plugin.xml
@@ -543,7 +543,7 @@
 	               <test property="org.eclipse.core.resources.projectNature"
 	                  value="org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.core.managedBuildNature"/>
                 </adapt>
-                <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.pageEnabled" value="export" />
+                <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.checkPreference" value="org.eclipse.cdt.ui:properties.export.page.enable=true"/>
 		    </and>          
          </enabledWhen>
       </page>
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@
 	               <test property="org.eclipse.core.resources.projectNature"
 	                  value="org.eclipse.cdt.managedbuilder.core.managedBuildNature"/>
                 </adapt>
-                <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.pageEnabled" value="toolEdit" />
+                <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.checkPreference" value="org.eclipse.cdt.ui:properties.toolchain.modification.disable=false"/>
 		    </and>          
          </enabledWhen>
       </page>
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/plugin.xml b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/plugin.xml
index 96f00a9b5b3..307d6916148 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/plugin.xml
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/plugin.xml
@@ -3375,9 +3375,12 @@
             class="org.eclipse.cdt.internal.ui.language.settings.providers.LanguageSettingsProvidersPage"
             category="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.newui.Page_head_general">
          <enabledWhen>
-           <adapt type="org.eclipse.core.resources.IResource">
-	            <test property="org.eclipse.core.resources.projectNature" value="org.eclipse.cdt.core.cnature"/>
-           </adapt>
+            <adapt type="org.eclipse.core.resources.IResource">
+               <and>
+                  <test property="org.eclipse.core.resources.projectNature" value="org.eclipse.cdt.core.cnature"/>
+                  <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.checkPreference" value="org.eclipse.cdt.ui:properties.providers.tab.disable=false"/>
+               </and>
+            </adapt>
          </enabledWhen>
       </page>
    </extension>
@@ -3940,10 +3943,10 @@
   <extension
         point="org.eclipse.core.expressions.propertyTesters">
       <propertyTester
-           id="org.eclipse.cdt.Tester3"
+           id="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.preferenceTester"
            class="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.newui.PropertyTester"
            namespace="org.eclipse.cdt.ui"
-           properties="pageEnabled"
+           properties="checkPreference"
            type="java.lang.Object"/>
       <propertyTester
            id="org.eclipse.cdt.Tester1"
diff --git a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/newui/PropertyTester.java b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/newui/PropertyTester.java
index 120caaebc72..cd2775223d5 100644
--- a/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/newui/PropertyTester.java
+++ b/core/org.eclipse.cdt.ui/src/org/eclipse/cdt/ui/newui/PropertyTester.java
@@ -10,39 +10,63 @@
  *******************************************************************************/
 package org.eclipse.cdt.ui.newui;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
 import org.eclipse.core.resources.IFile;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.IEclipsePreferences;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.InstanceScope;
+import org.osgi.service.prefs.BackingStoreException;
 
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.model.CoreModel;
 import org.eclipse.cdt.core.model.ITranslationUnit;
+import org.eclipse.cdt.ui.CUIPlugin;
 
 /**
- * Checks whether given object is a source file.
+ * Property tester to test expressions in plugin.xml. Tests following expressions:
+ * 1. Checks whether given object is a source file. Usage:
+ *   <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.isSource"/>
+ * 2. Checks value of a preference. Usage:
+ *   <test property="org.eclipse.cdt.ui.checkPreference" value="org.eclipse.cdt.ui:properties.export.page.enable=true"/>
+ *
  * @noextend This class is not intended to be subclassed by clients.
  */
 public class PropertyTester extends org.eclipse.core.expressions.PropertyTester {
-	private static final String KEY_SRC  = "isSource"; //$NON-NLS-1$
-	private static final String KEY_PAGE = "pageEnabled"; //$NON-NLS-1$
-	private static final String VAL_EXP  = "export"; //$NON-NLS-1$
-	private static final String VAL_TOOL = "toolEdit"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+	private static final String KEY_SRC = "isSource"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+	private static final String KEY_PREF = "checkPreference"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 
 	@Override
-	public boolean test(Object receiver, String property, Object[] args,
-			Object expectedValue) {
+	public boolean test(Object receiver, String property, Object[] args, Object expectedValue) {
 		if (KEY_SRC.equals(property)) {
 			if (receiver instanceof ITranslationUnit) {
-				return ((ITranslationUnit)receiver).isSourceUnit();
-			}
-			else if (receiver instanceof IFile) {
-				IFile file = (IFile)receiver;
+				return ((ITranslationUnit) receiver).isSourceUnit();
+			} else if (receiver instanceof IFile) {
+				IFile file = (IFile) receiver;
 				return CoreModel.isValidSourceUnitName(file.getProject(), file.getName());
 			}
-		} else if (KEY_PAGE.equals(property)
-				&& expectedValue instanceof String) {
-			String s = (String) expectedValue;
-			if (VAL_EXP.equalsIgnoreCase(s))
-				return CDTPrefUtil.getBool(CDTPrefUtil.KEY_EXPORT);
-			if (VAL_TOOL.equalsIgnoreCase(s))
-				return !CDTPrefUtil.getBool(CDTPrefUtil.KEY_NOTOOLM);
+		} else if (KEY_PREF.equals(property) && expectedValue instanceof String) {
+			boolean result = false;
+			final Pattern pat = Pattern.compile("(.*):(.*)=(.*)"); //$NON-NLS-1$
+			Matcher matcher = pat.matcher((String) expectedValue);
+			if (matcher.matches()) {
+				String pluginId = matcher.group(1);
+				String preference = matcher.group(2);
+				String wantedValue = matcher.group(3);
+
+				IEclipsePreferences node = InstanceScope.INSTANCE.getNode(pluginId);
+				if (wantedValue != null) {
+					String actualValue = node.get(preference, ""); //$NON-NLS-1$
+					result = wantedValue.equals(actualValue) || (wantedValue.equals("false") && actualValue.isEmpty()); //$NON-NLS-1$
+				} else {
+					try {
+						result = Arrays.asList(node.keys()).contains(preference);
+					} catch (BackingStoreException e) {
+						CUIPlugin.log(e);
+					}
+				}
+			}
+			return result;
 		}
 		return false;
 	}