diff --git a/internal_packages/account-sidebar/lib/account-switcher.cjsx b/internal_packages/account-sidebar/lib/account-switcher.cjsx
index cbf5fd392..8f160be3a 100644
--- a/internal_packages/account-sidebar/lib/account-switcher.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/account-sidebar/lib/account-switcher.cjsx
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ class AccountSwitcher extends React.Component
 
   _renderNewAccountOption: =>
     <div className="item secondary-item new-account-option"
-         onClick={@_onAddAccount}
+         onClick={@_onManageAccounts}
          tabIndex={999}>
       <div style={float: 'left'}>
         <RetinaImg name="icon-accounts-addnew.png"
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class AccountSwitcher extends React.Component
                    style={width: 28, height: 28, marginTop: -10} />
       </div>
       <div className="name" style={lineHeight: "110%", textTransform: 'none'}>
-        Add account&hellip;
+        Manage accounts&hellip;
       </div>
       <div style={clear: "both"}></div>
     </div>
@@ -114,8 +114,8 @@ class AccountSwitcher extends React.Component
     Actions.selectAccountId(account.id)
     @setState(showing: false)
 
-  _onAddAccount: =>
-    require('ipc').send('command', 'application:add-account')
+  _onManageAccounts: =>
+    Actions.openPreferences({tab: 'Accounts'})
     @setState(showing: false)
 
   _getStateFromStores: =>
diff --git a/internal_packages/preferences/lib/main.cjsx b/internal_packages/preferences/lib/main.cjsx
index d185e6a21..c7d2591e3 100644
--- a/internal_packages/preferences/lib/main.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/preferences/lib/main.cjsx
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
+PreferencesStore = require './preferences-store'
+
 module.exports =
   activate: (@state={}) ->
     ipc = require 'ipc'
     React = require 'react'
-    Preferences = require('./preferences')
-
-    {ReactRemote,
-     Actions} = require('nylas-exports')
+    {Actions} = require('nylas-exports')
 
     Actions.registerPreferencesTab({
       icon: 'ic-settings-general.png'
@@ -37,21 +36,30 @@ module.exports =
       name: 'Appearance'
       component: require './tabs/preferences-appearance'
     })
+
     # Actions.registerPreferencesTab({
     #   icon: 'ic-settings-signatures.png'
     #   name: 'Signatures'
     #   component: require './tabs/preferences-signatures'
     # })
 
-    ipc.on 'open-preferences', (detail) ->
-      ReactRemote.openWindowForComponent(Preferences, {
-        tag: 'preferences'
-        title: "Preferences"
-        width: 520
-        resizable: false
-        autosize: true
-        stylesheetRegex: /preferences/
-      })
+    Actions.openPreferences.listen(@_openPreferences)
+    ipc.on 'open-preferences', => @_openPreferences()
+
+  _openPreferences: ({tab} = {}) ->
+    {ReactRemote} = require('nylas-exports')
+    Preferences = require('./preferences')
+    ReactRemote.openWindowForComponent(Preferences, {
+      tag: 'preferences'
+      title: "Preferences"
+      width: 520
+      resizable: false
+      autosize: true
+      stylesheetRegex: /preferences/
+      props: {
+        initialTab: tab
+      }
+    })
 
   deactivate: ->
 
diff --git a/internal_packages/preferences/lib/preferences.cjsx b/internal_packages/preferences/lib/preferences.cjsx
index 252defb1b..47f42157c 100644
--- a/internal_packages/preferences/lib/preferences.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/preferences/lib/preferences.cjsx
@@ -9,8 +9,12 @@ class Preferences extends React.Component
   @displayName: 'Preferences'
 
   constructor: (@props) ->
-    @state = _.extend @getStateFromStores(),
-      activeTab: PreferencesStore.tabs()[0]
+    tabs = PreferencesStore.tabs()
+    if @props.initialTab
+      activeTab = _.find tabs, (t) => t.name is @props.initialTab
+    activeTab ||= tabs[0]
+
+    @state = _.extend(@getStateFromStores(), {activeTab})
 
   componentDidMount: =>
     @unlisteners = []
diff --git a/src/flux/actions.coffee b/src/flux/actions.coffee
index af62da8d6..877efa1e8 100644
--- a/src/flux/actions.coffee
+++ b/src/flux/actions.coffee
@@ -125,6 +125,14 @@ class Actions
   ###
   @retryInitialSync: ActionScopeWorkWindow
 
+  ###
+  Public: Open the preferences window. Pass an object with a tab name
+  (ie: `{tab: 'Accounts'}`) to open a specific panel.
+
+  *Scope: Window*
+  ###
+  @openPreferences: ActionScopeWindow
+
   ###
   Public: Register a preferences tab, usually applied in Preferences window
 
diff --git a/src/react-remote/react-remote-parent.js b/src/react-remote/react-remote-parent.js
index b28a15c8a..42626a216 100644
--- a/src/react-remote/react-remote-parent.js
+++ b/src/react-remote/react-remote-parent.js
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ var openWindowForComponent = function(Component, options) {
   // the browser window. When both of these things finish, we send the html
   // css, and any observed method invocations that occurred during the first
   // React cycle (componentDidMount).
-  React.render(React.createElement(Component), container, function() {
+  React.render(React.createElement(Component, options.props), container, function() {
     target.reactid = container.firstChild.dataset.reactid,
     target.containerReady = true;
     target.sendHTMLIfReady();