diff --git a/wp-includes/functions.php b/wp-includes/functions.php
index 5c5c2a5849..7149c0aeb7 100644
--- a/wp-includes/functions.php
+++ b/wp-includes/functions.php
@@ -1490,21 +1490,24 @@ function smilies_init() {
 }
 
 function wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults = '' ) {
-	if ( is_array($args) ) :
+	if ( is_array( $args ) ) {
 		$r =& $args;
-	else :
+	} else {
 		parse_str( $args, $r );
-		if ( get_magic_quotes_gpc() )
+		if ( get_magic_quotes_gpc() ) {
 			$r = stripslashes_deep( $r );
-	endif;
-
-	if ( is_array($defaults) ) :
-		extract($defaults);
-		extract($r);
-		return compact(array_keys($defaults)); // only those options defined in $defaults
-	else :
+		}
+	}
+	
+	if ( is_array( $defaults ) ) {
+		extract( $defaults );
+		extract( $r );
+		// Note: this only returns the variables that were in $defaults 
+		// to begin with. All other variables are discarded.
+		return compact( array_keys( $defaults ) );
+	} else {
 		return $r;
-	endif;
+	}
 }
 
 function wp_maybe_load_widgets() {