diff --git a/blocks/dock.js b/blocks/dock.js
index 4f7578cb2a7..19e4573fddf 100644
--- a/blocks/dock.js
+++ b/blocks/dock.js
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ M.core_dock = {
 
             if (!this.skipsetposition) {
                 // save the users preference
-                set_user_preference('docked_block_instance_'+this.id, 1);
+                M.util.set_user_preference('docked_block_instance_'+this.id, 1);
             } else {
                 this.skipsetposition = false;
             }
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@ M.core_dock = {
             }
 
             this.cachedcontentnode = null;
-            set_user_preference('docked_block_instance_'+this.id, 0);
+            M.util.set_user_preference('docked_block_instance_'+this.id, 0);
             return true;
         }
     },
diff --git a/lib/javascript-static.js b/lib/javascript-static.js
index b6a007f5bec..2144e7f237f 100644
--- a/lib/javascript-static.js
+++ b/lib/javascript-static.js
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ M.util.CollapsibleRegion = function(Y, id, userpref, strtooltip) {
         animation.set('reverse', this.div.hasClass('collapsed'));
         // Update the user preference.
         if (this.userpref) {
-            set_user_preference(this.userpref, !this.div.hasClass('collapsed'));
+            M.util.set_user_preference(this.userpref, !this.div.hasClass('collapsed'));
         }
         animation.run();
     }, this, animation);
@@ -215,6 +215,39 @@ M.util.init_help_icons = function(Y) {
     });
 };
 
+
+/**
+ * Makes a best effort to connect back to Moodle to update a user preference,
+ * however, there is no mechanism for finding out if the update succeeded.
+ *
+ * Before you can use this function in your JavsScript, you must have called
+ * user_preference_allow_ajax_update from moodlelib.php to tell Moodle that
+ * the udpate is allowed, and how to safely clean and submitted values.
+ *
+ * @param String name the name of the setting to udpate.
+ * @param String the value to set it to.
+ */
+M.util.set_user_preference = function(name, value) {
+	YUI(M.yui.loader).use('io', function(Y) {
+        var url = M.cfg.wwwroot + '/lib/ajax/setuserpref.php?sesskey=' +
+                M.cfg.sesskey + '&pref=' + encodeURI(name) + '&value=' + encodeURI(value);
+
+        // If we are a developer, ensure that failures are reported.
+        var cfg = {
+            	method: 'get',
+            	on: {},
+            };
+        if (M.cfg.developerdebug) {
+            cfg.on.failure = function(id, o, args) {
+            	alert("Error updating user preference '" + name + "' using ajax. Clicking this link will repeat the Ajax call that failed so you can see the error: ");
+            }
+        }
+
+        // Make the request.
+        Y.io(url, cfg);
+    });
+};
+
 //=== old legacy JS code, hopefully to be replaced soon by M.xx.yy and YUI3 code ===
 
 function popupchecker(msg) {
@@ -1086,42 +1119,6 @@ emoticons_help = {
     }
 }
 
-/**
- * Makes a best effort to connect back to Moodle to update a user preference,
- * however, there is no mechanism for finding out if the update succeeded.
- *
- * Before you can use this function in your JavsScript, you must have called
- * user_preference_allow_ajax_update from moodlelib.php to tell Moodle that
- * the udpate is allowed, and how to safely clean and submitted values.
- *
- * @param String name the name of the setting to udpate.
- * @param String the value to set it to.
- */
-function set_user_preference(name, value) {
-    // Don't generate a script error if the library has not been loaded,
-    // unless we are a Developer, in which case we want the error.
-    if (YAHOO && YAHOO.util && YAHOO.util.Connect || M.cfg.developerdebug) {
-        var url = M.cfg.wwwroot + '/lib/ajax/setuserpref.php?sesskey=' +
-                M.cfg.sesskey + '&pref=' + encodeURI(name) + '&value=' + encodeURI(value);
-
-        // If we are a developer, ensure that failures are reported.
-        var callback = {};
-        if (M.cfg.developerdebug) {
-            callback.failure = function() {
-                var a = document.createElement('a');
-                a.href = url;
-                a.classname = 'error';
-                a.appendChild(document.createTextNode("Error updating user preference '" + name + "' using ajax. Clicking this link will repeat the Ajax call that failed so you can see the error."));
-                document.body.insertBefore(a, document.body.firstChild);
-            }
-        }
-
-        // Make the request.
-        YAHOO.util.Connect.asyncRequest('GET', url, callback);
-    }
-}
-
-
 /**
  * Oject to handle expanding and collapsing blocks when an icon is clicked on.
  * @constructor
@@ -1165,7 +1162,7 @@ block_hider.prototype.handle_click = function(e) {
     YAHOO.util.Event.stopEvent(e);
     this.ishidden = !this.ishidden;
     this.update_state();
-    set_user_preference(this.userpref, this.ishidden);
+    M.util.set_user_preference(this.userpref, this.ishidden);
 }
 
 /** Set the state of the block show/hide icon to this.ishidden. */
diff --git a/user/selector/script.js b/user/selector/script.js
index 0058ea010b7..c890b7ad94b 100644
--- a/user/selector/script.js
+++ b/user/selector/script.js
@@ -516,5 +516,5 @@ function user_selector_options_tracker() {
 }
 
 user_selector_options_tracker.prototype.handle_option_change = function(option) {
-    set_user_preference(option, document.getElementById(option + 'id').checked);
+    M.util.set_user_preference(option, document.getElementById(option + 'id').checked);
 }
\ No newline at end of file