diff --git a/engine/lib/navigation.php b/engine/lib/navigation.php
index 118a7214c8f..70e374af298 100644
--- a/engine/lib/navigation.php
+++ b/engine/lib/navigation.php
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ function elgg_river_menu_setup($hook, $type, $return, $params) {
 					'href' => "#comments-add-$object->guid",
 					'text' => elgg_view_icon('speech-bubble'),
 					'title' => elgg_echo('comment:this'),
-					'rel' => 'toggle',
+					'class' => 'elgg-toggle',
 					'priority' => 50,
 				);
 				$return[] = ElggMenuItem::factory($options);
@@ -444,8 +444,7 @@ function elgg_widget_menu_setup($hook, $type, $return, $params) {
 		'name' => 'collapse',
 		'text' => ' ',
 		'href' => "#elgg-widget-content-$widget->guid",
-		'class' => 'elgg-widget-collapse-button',
-		'rel' => 'toggle',
+		'class' => 'elgg-widget-collapse-button elgg-toggle',
 		'priority' => 1
 	);
 	$return[] = ElggMenuItem::factory($collapse);
@@ -469,8 +468,7 @@ function elgg_widget_menu_setup($hook, $type, $return, $params) {
 				'text' => elgg_view_icon('settings-alt'),
 				'title' => elgg_echo('widget:edit'),
 				'href' => "#widget-edit-$widget->guid",
-				'class' => "elgg-widget-edit-button",
-				'rel' => 'toggle',
+				'class' => "elgg-widget-edit-button elgg-toggle",
 				'priority' => 800,
 			);
 			$return[] = ElggMenuItem::factory($edit);
diff --git a/js/lib/ui.js b/js/lib/ui.js
index f7ebcca5bf9..a7a812c28c1 100644
--- a/js/lib/ui.js
+++ b/js/lib/ui.js
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ elgg.ui.init = function () {
 	$('.elgg-system-messages li').animate({opacity: 0.9}, 6000);
 	$('.elgg-system-messages li.elgg-state-success').fadeOut('slow');
 
-	$('[rel=toggle]').live('click', elgg.ui.toggles);
+	$('.elgg-toggle').live('click', elgg.ui.toggles);
 
-	$('[rel=popup]').live('click', elgg.ui.popupOpen);
+	$('.elgg-popup').live('click', elgg.ui.popupOpen);
 
 	$('.elgg-menu-page .elgg-menu-parent').live('click', elgg.ui.toggleMenu);
 
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ elgg.ui.init = function () {
 /**
  * Toggles an element based on clicking a separate element
  *
- * Use rel="toggle" on the toggler element
- * Set the href to target the item you want to toggle (<a rel="toggle" href="#id-of-target">)
+ * Use class="elgg-toggle" on the toggler element
+ * Set the href to target the item you want to toggle (<a class="elgg-toggle" href="#id-of-target">)
  *
  * @param {Object} event
  * @return void
@@ -44,8 +44,8 @@ elgg.ui.toggles = function(event) {
 /**
  * Pops up an element based on clicking a separate element
  *
- * Set the rel="popup" on the popper and set the href to target the
- * item you want to toggle (<a rel="popup" href="#id-of-target">)
+ * Set the class="elgg-popup" on the popper and set the href to target the
+ * item you want to toggle (<a class="elgg-popup" href="#id-of-target">)
  *
  * This function emits the getOptions, ui.popup hook that plugins can register for to provide custom
  * positioning for elements.  The handler is passed the following params:
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ elgg.ui.popupOpen = function(event) {
 elgg.ui.popupClose = function(event) {
 	$eventTarget = $(event.target);
 	var inTarget = false;
-	var $popups = $('[rel=popup]');
+	var $popups = $('.elgg-popup');
 
 	// if the click event target isn't in a popup target, fade all of them out.
 	$popups.each(function(i, e) {
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ elgg.ui.initHoverMenu = function(parent) {
  * @return void
  */
 elgg.ui.requiresConfirmation = function(e) {
-	var confirmText = $(this).attr('rel') || elgg.echo('question:areyousure');
+	var confirmText = $(this).data('confirm') || elgg.echo('question:areyousure');
 	if (!confirm(confirmText)) {
 		e.preventDefault();
 	}
diff --git a/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous.php b/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous.php
index 2f4ee4acda3..45da75655c8 100644
--- a/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous.php
+++ b/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous.php
@@ -7,10 +7,10 @@
 echo elgg_view_module('info', 'Lightbox (.elgg-lightbox)', $body);
 
 $body = elgg_view('theme_preview/miscellaneous/popup');
-echo elgg_view_module('info', 'Popup (rel=popup)', $body);
+echo elgg_view_module('info', 'Popup (.elgg-popup)', $body);
 
 $body = elgg_view('theme_preview/miscellaneous/toggle');
-echo elgg_view_module('info', 'Toggle (rel=toggle)', $body);
+echo elgg_view_module('info', 'Toggle (.elgg-toggle)', $body);
 
 $body = elgg_view('theme_preview/miscellaneous/system_messages');
 echo elgg_view_module('info', 'System Messages and Errors', $body);
diff --git a/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous/popup.php b/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous/popup.php
index b711bb7cca6..304cdf624dd 100644
--- a/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous/popup.php
+++ b/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous/popup.php
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 $link = elgg_view('output/url', array(
 	'text' => 'Popup content',
 	'href' => "#elgg-popup-test",
-	'rel' => 'popup'
+	'class' => 'elgg-popup'
 ));
 
 echo $link;
diff --git a/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous/toggle.php b/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous/toggle.php
index abe39ddd865..eaedfab96d4 100644
--- a/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous/toggle.php
+++ b/mod/developers/views/default/theme_preview/miscellaneous/toggle.php
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 $link = elgg_view('output/url', array(
 	'text' => 'Toggle content',
 	'href' => "#elgg-toggle-test",
-	'rel' => 'toggle'
+	'class' => '.elgg-toggle'
 ));
 
 echo $link;
diff --git a/mod/embed/start.php b/mod/embed/start.php
index e8a3f8c1482..3cece701125 100644
--- a/mod/embed/start.php
+++ b/mod/embed/start.php
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@ function embed_longtext_menu($hook, $type, $items, $vars) {
 		'name' => 'embed',
 		'href' => $url,
 		'text' => elgg_echo('embed:media'),
-		'rel' => "embed-lightbox-{$vars['id']}",
 		'link_class' => "elgg-longtext-control elgg-lightbox embed-control embed-control-{$vars['id']}",
 		'priority' => 10,
 	));
diff --git a/mod/groups/start.php b/mod/groups/start.php
index 50bd63f6c03..8b1be93c5b5 100644
--- a/mod/groups/start.php
+++ b/mod/groups/start.php
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ function groups_annotation_menu_setup($hook, $type, $return, $params) {
 			'href' => "#edit-annotation-$annotation->id",
 			'text' => elgg_echo('edit'),
 			'encode_text' => false,
-			'rel' => 'toggle',
+			'class' => 'elgg-toggle',
 		);
 		$return[] = ElggMenuItem::factory($options);
 	}
@@ -903,7 +903,7 @@ function discussion_add_to_river_menu($hook, $type, $return, $params) {
 						'href' => "#groups-reply-$object->guid",
 						'text' => elgg_view_icon('speech-bubble'),
 						'title' => elgg_echo('reply:this'),
-						'rel' => 'toggle',
+						'class' => 'elgg-toggle',
 						'priority' => 50,
 					);
 					$return[] = ElggMenuItem::factory($options);
diff --git a/mod/likes/views/default/likes/count.php b/mod/likes/views/default/likes/count.php
index 071a069bde7..b6a4181bdea 100644
--- a/mod/likes/views/default/likes/count.php
+++ b/mod/likes/views/default/likes/count.php
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 	$params = array(
 		'text' => $likes_string,
 		'title' => elgg_echo('likes:see'),
-		'rel' => 'popup',
+		'class' => 'elgg-popup',
 		'href' => "#likes-$guid"
 	);
 	$list = elgg_view('output/url', $params);
diff --git a/mod/logbrowser/views/default/logbrowser/refine.php b/mod/logbrowser/views/default/logbrowser/refine.php
index 86460c79e05..51ed3d2eac3 100644
--- a/mod/logbrowser/views/default/logbrowser/refine.php
+++ b/mod/logbrowser/views/default/logbrowser/refine.php
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 $toggle_link = elgg_view('output/url', array(
 	'href' => '#log-browser-search-form',
 	'text' => elgg_echo('logbrowser:search'),
-	'rel' => 'toggle',
+	'class' => 'elgg-toggle',
 ));
 
 $form_class = 'elgg-module elgg-module-inline';
diff --git a/mod/messages/pages/messages/read.php b/mod/messages/pages/messages/read.php
index 4223c6baca9..c1b51f5312b 100644
--- a/mod/messages/pages/messages/read.php
+++ b/mod/messages/pages/messages/read.php
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 			'href' => '#messages-reply-form',
 			'text' => elgg_echo('messages:answer'),
 			'link_class' => 'elgg-button elgg-button-action',
-			'rel' => 'toggle',
+			'class' => 'elgg-toggle',
 		));
 	}
 }
diff --git a/mod/reportedcontent/views/default/object/reported_content.php b/mod/reportedcontent/views/default/object/reported_content.php
index 0e733e154b4..fa6d88283a4 100644
--- a/mod/reportedcontent/views/default/object/reported_content.php
+++ b/mod/reportedcontent/views/default/object/reported_content.php
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
 			<?php echo elgg_view('output/url', array(
 				'href' => "#report-$report->guid",
 				'text' => elgg_echo('reportedcontent:moreinfo'),
-				'rel' => "toggle",
+				'class' => "elgg-toggle",
 			));
 			?>
 		</p>
diff --git a/views/default/core/account/login_dropdown.php b/views/default/core/account/login_dropdown.php
index e90cbf10686..7a67ef3badd 100644
--- a/views/default/core/account/login_dropdown.php
+++ b/views/default/core/account/login_dropdown.php
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@
 	<?php 
 		echo elgg_view('output/url', array(
 			'href' => 'login#login-dropdown-box',
-			'rel' => 'popup',
-			'class' => 'elgg-button elgg-button-dropdown',
+			'class' => 'elgg-button elgg-button-dropdown elgg-popup',
 			'text' => elgg_echo('login'),
 		)); 
 		echo elgg_view_module('dropdown', '', $body, array('id' => 'login-dropdown-box')); 
diff --git a/views/default/object/plugin/full.php b/views/default/object/plugin/full.php
index 68472ca922f..8aeb970d1e8 100644
--- a/views/default/object/plugin/full.php
+++ b/views/default/object/plugin/full.php
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@
 				echo elgg_view('output/url', array(
 					'href' => "#elgg-plugin-manifest-$css_id",
 					'text' => elgg_echo("admin:plugins:label:moreinfo"),
-					'rel' => 'toggle',
+					'class' => 'elgg-toggle',
 				));
 			?>
 			</div>
diff --git a/views/default/object/plugin/invalid.php b/views/default/object/plugin/invalid.php
index a13ee721b7d..f20cbf37052 100644
--- a/views/default/object/plugin/invalid.php
+++ b/views/default/object/plugin/invalid.php
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 				echo elgg_view('output/url', array(
 					'href' => "#elgg-plugin-manifest-$css_id",
 					'text' => elgg_echo("admin:plugins:label:moreinfo"),
-					'rel' => 'toggle',
+					'class' => 'elgg-toggle',
 				));
 			?>
 		</div>
diff --git a/views/default/output/confirmlink.php b/views/default/output/confirmlink.php
index 532790a3887..1555fff7856 100644
--- a/views/default/output/confirmlink.php
+++ b/views/default/output/confirmlink.php
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@
  * @uses $vars['encode_text'] Run $vars['text'] through htmlspecialchars() (false)
  */
 
-$vars['rel'] = elgg_extract('confirm', $vars, elgg_echo('question:areyousure'));
-$vars['rel'] = addslashes($vars['rel']);
+$vars['data-confirm'] = elgg_extract('confirm', $vars, elgg_echo('question:areyousure'));
+$vars['data-confirm'] = addslashes($vars['data-confirm']);
 $encode = elgg_extract('encode_text', $vars, false);
 
 // always generate missing action tokens
@@ -26,18 +26,27 @@
 }
 
 if (!isset($vars['title']) && isset($vars['confirm'])) {
-	$vars['title'] = $vars['rel'];
+	$vars['title'] = $vars['data-confirm'];
 }
 
 if (isset($vars['class'])) {
-	if (!is_array($vars['class'])) {
-		$vars['class'] = array($vars['class']);
+	if (is_array($vars['class'])) {
+		$vars['class'] = implode(" ", $vars['class']);
 	}
-	$vars['class'][] = 'elgg-requires-confirmation';
+	$vars['class'] .= ' elgg-requires-confirmation';
 } else {
 	$vars['class'] = 'elgg-requires-confirmation';
 }
 
+// Deprecate rel="toggle" and rel="popup"
+foreach (array('toggle', 'popup') as $rel) {
+	if (preg_match("/$rel/i", $vars['rel'])) {
+		$vars['rel'] = preg_replace("/$rel/i", '', $vars['rel']);
+		$vars['class'] .= " elgg-$rel";
+		elgg_deprecated_notice("Use class=\"elgg-$rel\" instead of rel=\"$rel\"", 1.9);
+	}
+}
+
 unset($vars['encode_text']);
 unset($vars['text']);
 unset($vars['confirm']);
diff --git a/views/default/output/url.php b/views/default/output/url.php
index 81b02087d2a..421dfc1a26e 100644
--- a/views/default/output/url.php
+++ b/views/default/output/url.php
@@ -49,6 +49,19 @@
 	$vars['href'] = $url;
 }
 
+if (isset($vars['class']) && is_array($vars['class'])) {
+	$vars['class'] = implode(" ", $vars['class']);
+}
+
+// Deprecate rel="toggle" and rel="popup"
+foreach (array('toggle', 'popup') as $rel) {
+	if (preg_match("/$rel/i", $vars['rel'])) {
+		$vars['rel'] = preg_replace("/$rel/i", '', $vars['rel']);
+		$vars['class'] .= " elgg-$rel";
+		elgg_deprecated_notice("Use class=\"elgg-$rel\" instead of rel=\"$rel\"", 1.9);
+	}
+}
+
 unset($vars['is_action']);
 unset($vars['is_trusted']);
 
diff --git a/views/default/page/layouts/widgets/add_button.php b/views/default/page/layouts/widgets/add_button.php
index c33a45f99b8..79fd240fa6e 100644
--- a/views/default/page/layouts/widgets/add_button.php
+++ b/views/default/page/layouts/widgets/add_button.php
@@ -8,8 +8,7 @@
 	echo elgg_view('output/url', array(
 		'href' => '#widgets-add-panel',
 		'text' => elgg_echo('widgets:add'),
-		'class' => 'elgg-button elgg-button-action',
-		'rel' => 'toggle',
+		'class' => 'elgg-button elgg-button-action elgg-toggle',
 		'is_trusted' => true,
 	));
 ?>