diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/schema.php b/wp-admin/includes/schema.php
index 6d361ff149..e1361c2f37 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/schema.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/schema.php
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ function populate_options() {
 	add_option('medium_size_h', 300);
 
 	// 2.6
-	add_option('avatar_default', 'default');
+	add_option('avatar_default', 'mystery');
 
 	// Delete unused options
 	$unusedoptions = array ('blodotgsping_url', 'bodyterminator', 'emailtestonly', 'phoneemail_separator', 'smilies_directory', 'subjectprefix', 'use_bbcode', 'use_blodotgsping', 'use_phoneemail', 'use_quicktags', 'use_weblogsping', 'weblogs_cache_file', 'use_preview', 'use_htmltrans', 'smilies_directory', 'fileupload_allowedusers', 'use_phoneemail', 'default_post_status', 'default_post_category', 'archive_mode', 'time_difference', 'links_minadminlevel', 'links_use_adminlevels', 'links_rating_type', 'links_rating_char', 'links_rating_ignore_zero', 'links_rating_single_image', 'links_rating_image0', 'links_rating_image1', 'links_rating_image2', 'links_rating_image3', 'links_rating_image4', 'links_rating_image5', 'links_rating_image6', 'links_rating_image7', 'links_rating_image8', 'links_rating_image9', 'weblogs_cacheminutes', 'comment_allowed_tags', 'search_engine_friendly_urls', 'default_geourl_lat', 'default_geourl_lon', 'use_default_geourl', 'weblogs_xml_url', 'new_users_can_blog', '_wpnonce', '_wp_http_referer', 'Update', 'action', 'rich_editing', 'autosave_interval');
diff --git a/wp-admin/options-discussion.php b/wp-admin/options-discussion.php
index c95bf0c988..e676dc82d6 100644
--- a/wp-admin/options-discussion.php
+++ b/wp-admin/options-discussion.php
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ include('admin-header.php');
 
 <h3><?php _e('Avatars') ?></h3>
 
-<p><?php _e('By default WordPress uses <a href="http://gravatar.com/">Gravatars</a> &#8212; short for Globally Recognized Avatars &#8212; for the pictures that show up next to comments. Plugins may override this.'); ?></p>
+<p><?php _e('An avatar is an image that follows you from weblog to weblog appearing beside your name when you comment on avatar enabled sites.  Here you can enable the display of avatars for people who comment on your blog.'); ?></p>
 
 <?php // the above would be a good place to link to codex documentation on the gravatar functions, for putting it in themes. anything like that? ?>
 
@@ -117,7 +117,8 @@ endforeach;
 
 <?php
 $avatar_defaults = array(
-	'default' => __('Default'),
+	'mystery' => __('Mystery Man'),
+	'blank' => __('Blank'),
 	'gravatar_default' => __('Gravatar Logo'),
 	'identicon' => __('Identicon (Generated)'),
 	'wavatar' => __('Wavatar (Generated)'),
@@ -126,7 +127,7 @@ $avatar_defaults = array(
 $avatar_defaults = apply_filters('avatar_defaults', $avatar_defaults);
 $default = get_option('avatar_default');
 if ( empty($default) )
-	$default = 'default';
+	$default = 'mystery';
 $size = 32;
 $avatar_list = '';
 foreach ( $avatar_defaults as $default_key => $default_name ) {
diff --git a/wp-includes/images/blank.gif b/wp-includes/images/blank.gif
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e565824aaf
Binary files /dev/null and b/wp-includes/images/blank.gif differ
diff --git a/wp-includes/pluggable.php b/wp-includes/pluggable.php
index 07ad725978..1d9ed4d513 100644
--- a/wp-includes/pluggable.php
+++ b/wp-includes/pluggable.php
@@ -1246,15 +1246,17 @@ function get_avatar( $id_or_email, $size = '96', $default = '' ) {
 	if ( empty($default) ) {
 		$avatar_default = get_option('avatar_default');
 		if ( empty($avatar_default) )
-			$default = 'default';
+			$default = 'mystery';
 		else
 			$default = $avatar_default;
 	}
 
 	if ( 'custom' == $default )
 		$default = add_query_arg( 's', $size, $defaults[$avatar_default][1] );
-	elseif ( 'default' == $default )
+	elseif ( 'mystery' == $default )
 		$default = "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536?s={$size}"; // ad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536 == md5('unknown@gravatar.com')
+	elseif ( 'blank' == $default )
+		$default = get_option('siteurl') . '/wp-includes/images/blank.gif';
 	elseif ( !empty($email) && 'gravatar_default' == $default )
 		$default = '';
 	elseif ( 'gravatar_default' == $default )