diff --git wp-admin/admin-header.php wp-admin/admin-header.php
index fae0b8e..2c14a92 100644
--- wp-admin/admin-header.php
+++ wp-admin/admin-header.php
@@ -33,11 +33,8 @@ $admin_title = apply_filters( 'admin_title', $admin_title, $title );
 
 wp_user_settings();
 
+_wp_admin_html_begin();
 ?>
-<!DOCTYPE html>
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" <?php do_action('admin_xml_ns'); echo "$wp_htmltag_class "; language_attributes(); ?>>
-<head>
-<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="<?php bloginfo('html_type'); ?>; charset=<?php echo get_option('blog_charset'); ?>" />
 <title><?php echo $admin_title; ?></title>
 <?php
 
diff --git wp-admin/includes/media.php wp-admin/includes/media.php
index 2b433e4..c338d56 100644
--- wp-admin/includes/media.php
+++ wp-admin/includes/media.php
@@ -309,11 +309,8 @@ function media_handle_sideload($file_array, $post_id, $desc = null, $post_data =
  * @param unknown_type $content_func
  */
 function wp_iframe($content_func /* ... */) {
+	_wp_admin_html_begin();
 ?>
-<!DOCTYPE html>
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" <?php do_action('admin_xml_ns'); echo $GLOBALS['wp_htmltag_class'] . ' '; language_attributes(); ?>>
-<head>
-<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="<?php bloginfo('html_type'); ?>; charset=<?php echo get_option('blog_charset'); ?>" />
 <title><?php bloginfo('name') ?> &rsaquo; <?php _e('Uploads'); ?> &#8212; <?php _e('WordPress'); ?></title>
 <?php
 
diff --git wp-admin/includes/template.php wp-admin/includes/template.php
index eb2b6e2..b01322e 100644
--- wp-admin/includes/template.php
+++ wp-admin/includes/template.php
@@ -1352,10 +1352,8 @@ function iframe_header( $title = '', $limit_styles = false ) {
 	global $hook_suffix, $current_screen, $current_user, $admin_body_class, $wp_locale;
 	$admin_body_class = preg_replace('/[^a-z0-9_-]+/i', '-', $hook_suffix);
 
-?><!DOCTYPE html>
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" <?php do_action('admin_xml_ns'); echo $GLOBALS['wp_htmltag_class'] . ' '; language_attributes(); ?>>
-<head>
-<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="<?php bloginfo('html_type'); ?>; charset=<?php echo get_option('blog_charset'); ?>" />
+	_wp_admin_html_begin();
+?>
 <title><?php bloginfo('name') ?> &rsaquo; <?php echo $title ?> &#8212; <?php _e('WordPress'); ?></title>
 <?php
 wp_enqueue_style( 'colors' );
@@ -1629,6 +1627,28 @@ function get_submit_button( $text = NULL, $type = 'primary', $name = 'submit', $
 	return $button;
 }
 
+function _wp_admin_html_begin() {
+	$class = '';
+	if ( isset( $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'] ) && strpos( $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'], 'MSIE 8.' ) )
+		$class = ' class="ie8"';
+
+	if ( is_network_admin() || is_user_admin() )
+		$content_type_string = 'text/html; charset=utf-8';
+	else
+		$content_type_string =  get_bloginfo('html_type') . '; charset=' . get_option( 'blog_charset' );
+
+?>
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" <?php
+	do_action('admin_xml_ns');
+	echo $class . ' ';
+	language_attributes();
+?>>
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="<?php echo $content_type_string; ?>" />
+<?php
+}
+
 /**
  * Initializes the new feature pointers.
  *
diff --git wp-admin/network/sites.php wp-admin/network/sites.php
index 52778d8..5e07fb0 100644
--- wp-admin/network/sites.php
+++ wp-admin/network/sites.php
@@ -202,17 +202,14 @@ if ( isset( $_GET['action'] ) ) {
 			}
 			if ( $current_site->blog_id == $id )
 				wp_die( __( 'You are not allowed to change the current site.' ) );
-			?>
-			<!DOCTYPE html>
-			<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" <?php if ( function_exists( 'language_attributes' ) ) language_attributes(); ?>>
-				<head>
-					<title><?php _e( 'WordPress &rsaquo; Confirm your action' ); ?></title>
-
-					<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" />
-					<?php
-					wp_admin_css( 'install', true );
-					wp_admin_css( 'ie', true );
-					?>
+
+			_wp_admin_html_begin();
+?>
+			<title><?php _e( 'WordPress &rsaquo; Confirm your action' ); ?></title>
+<?php
+			wp_admin_css( 'install', true );
+			wp_admin_css( 'ie', true );
+?>
 				</head>
 				<body>
 					<h1 id="logo"><img alt="WordPress" src="<?php echo esc_attr( admin_url( 'images/wordpress-logo.png' ) ); ?>" /></h1>
diff --git wp-admin/press-this.php wp-admin/press-this.php
index 8329c24..e2cf3ca 100644
--- wp-admin/press-this.php
+++ wp-admin/press-this.php
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ define('IFRAME_REQUEST' , true);
 /** WordPress Administration Bootstrap */
 require_once('./admin.php');
 
-header('Content-Type: ' . get_option('html_type') . '; charset=' . get_option('blog_charset'));
+header('Content-Type: ' . get_bloginfo('html_type') . '; charset=' . get_option('blog_charset'));
 
 if ( ! current_user_can('edit_posts') )
 	wp_die( __( 'Cheatin&#8217; uh?' ) );
@@ -280,13 +280,9 @@ if ( !empty($_REQUEST['ajax']) ) {
 die;
 }
 
+_wp_admin_html_begin();
 ?>
-<!DOCTYPE html>
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" <?php do_action('admin_xml_ns'); echo "$wp_htmltag_class "; language_attributes(); ?>>
-<head>
-	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="<?php bloginfo('html_type'); ?>; charset=<?php echo get_option('blog_charset'); ?>" />
-	<title><?php _e('Press This') ?></title>
-
+<title><?php _e('Press This') ?></title>
 <?php
 	wp_enqueue_style( 'colors' );
 	wp_enqueue_script( 'post' );
diff --git wp-admin/upgrade.php wp-admin/upgrade.php
index 84e251b..148db29 100644
--- wp-admin/upgrade.php
+++ wp-admin/upgrade.php
@@ -40,12 +40,9 @@ $mysql_version  = $wpdb->db_version();
 $php_compat     = version_compare( $php_version, $required_php_version, '>=' );
 $mysql_compat   = version_compare( $mysql_version, $required_mysql_version, '>=' ) || file_exists( WP_CONTENT_DIR . '/db.php' );
 
-@header( 'Content-Type: ' . get_option( 'html_type' ) . '; charset=' . get_option( 'blog_charset' ) );
+header( 'Content-Type: ' . get_bloginfo( 'html_type' ) . '; charset=' . get_option( 'blog_charset' ) );
+_wp_admin_html_begin();
 ?>
-<!DOCTYPE html>
-<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" <?php language_attributes(); ?>>
-<head>
-	<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="<?php bloginfo( 'html_type' ); ?>; charset=<?php echo get_option( 'blog_charset' ); ?>" />
 	<title><?php _e( 'WordPress &rsaquo; Update' ); ?></title>
 	<?php
 	wp_admin_css( 'install', true );
diff --git wp-includes/vars.php wp-includes/vars.php
index a2b4c31..fb526b5 100644
--- wp-includes/vars.php
+++ wp-includes/vars.php
@@ -74,8 +74,6 @@ if ( $is_safari && stripos($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'], 'mobile') !== false )
 
 $is_IE = ( $is_macIE || $is_winIE );
 
-$wp_htmltag_class = strpos($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'], 'MSIE 8.') ? ' class="ie8"' : ''; // can't start with this
-
 // Server detection
 
 /**
