diff --git a/lib/db/upgrade.php b/lib/db/upgrade.php
index 287977431e6..8eb24e19e1b 100644
--- a/lib/db/upgrade.php
+++ b/lib/db/upgrade.php
@@ -6119,6 +6119,16 @@ FROM
         upgrade_main_savepoint(true, 2011033003.09);
     }
 
+    if ($oldversion < 2011033004.04) {
+        //preference not required since 2.0
+        $DB->delete_records('user_preferences', array('name'=>'message_showmessagewindow'));
+
+        //re-introducing emailstop. check that its turned off so people dont suddenly stop getting notifications
+        $DB->set_field('user', 'emailstop', 0);
+
+        upgrade_main_savepoint(true, 2011033004.04);
+    }
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -6126,4 +6136,3 @@ FROM
 // 1/ drop block_pinned_old table here and in install.xml
 // 2/ drop block_instance_old table here and in install.xml
 
-//TODO: AFTER 2.0 remove the column user->emailstop and the user preference "message_showmessagewindow"
diff --git a/message/edit.php b/message/edit.php
index a032dd9f4f3..06ddac76654 100644
--- a/message/edit.php
+++ b/message/edit.php
@@ -100,12 +100,7 @@ if (($form = data_submitted()) && confirm_sesskey()) {
     //only update the user's "emailstop" if its actually changed
     if ( $user->emailstop != $disableall ) {
         $user->emailstop = $disableall;
-        //create a new user object just in case any other changes have been
-        //made to the user object that we don't want to save
-        $usertoupdate = new stdClass();
-        $usertoupdate->id = $user->id;
-        $usertoupdate->emailstop = $user->emailstop;
-        $DB->update_record('user', $usertoupdate);
+        $DB->set_field('user', 'emailstop', $user->emailstop, array("id"=>$user->id));
     }
 
     $preferences = array();
diff --git a/version.php b/version.php
index 8d2673ab9a5..42a86464765 100644
--- a/version.php
+++ b/version.php
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
 
 
-$version  = 2011033004.03;              // 20110330      = branching date YYYYMMDD - do not modify!
+$version  = 2011033004.04;              // 20110330      = branching date YYYYMMDD - do not modify!
                                         //         RR    = release version - do not change in weeklies
                                         //           .XX = incremental changes