diff --git a/wp-admin/admin-functions.php b/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
index 78b3f9bc5b..0b8e7cb0ec 100644
--- a/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
+++ b/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
@@ -975,6 +975,29 @@ function extract_from_markers($filename, $marker) {
 	return $result;
 }
 
+function got_mod_rewrite() {
+	global $is_apache;
+
+	// take 3 educated guesses as to whether or not mod_rewrite is available
+	if ( !$is_apache )
+		return false;
+
+	if ( function_exists('apache_get_modules') ) {
+		if ( !in_array('mod_rewrite', apache_get_modules()) )
+			return false;
+	}
+
+	if ( function_exists('ob_get_clean') ) {
+	  ob_start();
+	  phpinfo(INFO_MODULES);
+	  $php_modules = ob_get_clean();
+	  if ( strpos($php_modules, 'mod_rewrite') === false)
+	    return false;
+	}
+
+	return true;
+}
+
 function save_mod_rewrite_rules() {
 	global $is_apache, $wp_rewrite;
 	$home_path = get_home_path();
@@ -985,7 +1008,7 @@ function save_mod_rewrite_rules() {
 	if (!((!file_exists($home_path.'.htaccess') && is_writable($home_path)) || is_writable($home_path.'.htaccess')))
 		return;
 
-	if (!$is_apache)
+	if (! got_mod_rewrite())
 		return;
 
 	$rules = explode("\n", $wp_rewrite->mod_rewrite_rules());
diff --git a/wp-admin/options-permalink.php b/wp-admin/options-permalink.php
index 229a61d5b0..5d1a84fcab 100644
--- a/wp-admin/options-permalink.php
+++ b/wp-admin/options-permalink.php
@@ -103,27 +103,40 @@ else
 
 <?php
 $prefix = '';
-if ( !$is_apache )
+
+if ( ! got_mod_rewrite() )
 	$prefix = '/index.php';
+
+$structures = array(
+	'',
+	$prefix . '/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/',
+	$prefix . '/archives/%post_id%'
+	);
 ?>
 <form name="form" action="options-permalink.php" method="post"> 
 <h3><?php _e('Common options:'); ?></h3>
 <p>
 	<label>
-<input name="selection" type="radio" value="<?php echo $prefix; ?>/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/" class="tog" <?php checked( $prefix . '/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/', $permalink_structure); ?> /> 
-<?php _e('Date and name based, example:'); ?> <code><?php echo get_settings('home') . $prefix . '/' . date('Y') . '/' . date('m') . '/' . date('d') . '/sample-post/'; ?></code>
+<input name="selection" type="radio" value="" class="tog" <?php checked('', $permalink_structure); ?> /> 
+<?php _e('Default'); ?><br /> <span> &raquo; <code><?php echo get_settings('home'); ?>/?p=123</code></span>
    </label>
 </p>
 <p>
 	<label>
-<input name="selection" type="radio" value="<?php echo $prefix; ?>/archives/%post_id%" class="tog" <?php checked( $prefix . '/archives/%post_id%', $permalink_structure); ?> /> 
-<?php _e('Numeric, example:'); ?> <code><?php echo get_settings('home') . $prefix  ; ?>/archives/123</code>
+<input name="selection" type="radio" value="<?php echo $structures[1]; ?>" class="tog" <?php checked($structures[1], $permalink_structure); ?> /> 
+<?php _e('Date and name based'); ?><br /> <span> &raquo; <code><?php echo get_settings('home') . $prefix . '/' . date('Y') . '/' . date('m') . '/' . date('d') . '/sample-post/'; ?></code></span>
+   </label>
+</p>
+<p>
+	<label>
+<input name="selection" type="radio" value="<?php echo $structures[2]; ?>" class="tog" <?php checked($structures[2], $permalink_structure); ?> /> 
+<?php _e('Numeric'); ?><br /> <span> &raquo; <code><?php echo get_settings('home') . $prefix  ; ?>/archives/123</code></span>
    </label>
 </p>
 <p>
 <label>
 <input name="selection" type="radio" value="custom" class="tog"
-<?php if ( $permalink_structure != $prefix . '/archives/%post_id%' && $permalink_structure != $prefix . '/%year%/%monthnum%/%day%/%postname%/' ) { ?>
+<?php if ( !in_array($permalink_structure, $structures) ) { ?>
 checked="checked"
 <?php } ?>
  />