diff --git a/config/alfresco/web-client-config.xml b/config/alfresco/web-client-config.xml
index 16f6207fae..b9b445a8e9 100644
--- a/config/alfresco/web-client-config.xml
+++ b/config/alfresco/web-client-config.xml
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@
    
    <config evaluator="string-compare" condition="Dashboards">
       <!-- Dashboard layouts and available dashlets for the My Alfresco pages -->
+      <!-- see http://wiki.alfresco.com/wiki/User_Configurable_Dashboards -->
       <dashboards>
          <layouts>
             <!-- the mandatory "default" layout - will be used for all users initially -->
@@ -209,17 +210,18 @@
                   label-id="layout_three_column_label" description-id="layout_three_column_desc"
                   jsp="/jsp/dashboards/layouts/three-column.jsp" />
          </layouts>
+         
          <dashlets>
             <!-- this is the default dashlet shown in the default layout initially -->
             <!-- the default dashlet must have the id of 'getting-started' -->
             <dashlet id="getting-started" label-id="dashlet_gettingstarted_label"
                   description-id="dashlet_gettingstarted_desc"
                   jsp="/jsp/dashboards/dashlets/getting-started.jsp" allow-narrow="false" />
-            <dashlet id="tasks-active" label-id="tasks_active_title" description-id="tasks_active_desc"
-                  jsp="/jsp/workflow/tasks-active-dashlet.jsp" allow-narrow="false" />
             <!-- this dashlet 'tasks-todo' is also shown by default for all users -->
             <dashlet id="tasks-todo" label-id="my_tasks_todo_title" description-id="my_tasks_todo_desc"
                   jsp="/jsp/workflow/tasks-todo-dashlet.jsp" allow-narrow="false" />
+            <dashlet id="tasks-active" label-id="tasks_active_title" description-id="tasks_active_desc"
+                  jsp="/jsp/workflow/tasks-active-dashlet.jsp" allow-narrow="false" />
             <dashlet id="pooled-tasks" label-id="pooled_tasks_title" description-id="pooled_tasks_desc"
                   jsp="/jsp/workflow/pooled-tasks-todo-dashlet.jsp" allow-narrow="false" />
             <dashlet id="tasks-completed" label-id="my_tasks_completed_title" description-id="my_tasks_completed_desc"
@@ -235,6 +237,15 @@
             <dashlet id="mywebforms-webscript" label="My Web Forms" description="My Web Forms WebScript"
                   jsp="/jsp/dashboards/dashlets/mywebforms-webscript.jsp" /> 
          </dashlets>
+         
+         <!-- configuration of the default dashlets to display when users login for the first time -->
+         <!-- if this config is removed, then no dashlets will be shown by default -->
+         <!-- overides of this config should redefine the entire list, not assume additions to it -->
+         <default-dashlets>
+            <dashlet id="getting-started" />
+            <dashlet id="tasks-todo" />
+         </default-dashlets>
+         
          <!-- set true allow the Guest user to configure the dashboard view - false by default -->
          <allow-guest-config>false</allow-guest-config>
       </dashboards>
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/dashboard/DashboardManager.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/dashboard/DashboardManager.java
index cac42d6c88..3ebc353eee 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/dashboard/DashboardManager.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/bean/dashboard/DashboardManager.java
@@ -162,16 +162,17 @@ public class DashboardManager
                Page page = new Page("default", layout);
                Column defaultColumn = new Column();
                
-               // add the default dashlet(s) to the column
-               DashletDefinition dashlet = config.getDashletDefinition(DASHLET_STARTEDDEFAULT);
-               if (dashlet != null)
+               // add the default dashlet(s) to the column as specified in the config
+               if (config.getDefaultDashlets() != null)
                {
-                  defaultColumn.addDashlet(dashlet);
-               }
-               dashlet = config.getDashletDefinition(DASHLET_TASKSDEFAULT);
-               if (dashlet != null)
-               {
-                  defaultColumn.addDashlet(dashlet);
+                  for (String id : config.getDefaultDashlets())
+                  {
+                     DashletDefinition dashlet = config.getDashletDefinition(id);
+                     if (dashlet != null)
+                     {
+                        defaultColumn.addDashlet(dashlet);
+                     }
+                  }
                }
                
                // add the column to the page and we are done
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/DashboardsConfigElement.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/DashboardsConfigElement.java
index e733e53e01..b331b22a88 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/DashboardsConfigElement.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/DashboardsConfigElement.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
  */
 package org.alfresco.web.config;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ public class DashboardsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
    
    private Map<String, LayoutDefinition> layoutDefs = new LinkedHashMap<String, LayoutDefinition>(4, 1.0f);
    private Map<String, DashletDefinition> dashletDefs = new LinkedHashMap<String, DashletDefinition>(8, 1.0f);
+   private List<String> defaultDashlets = null;
    private boolean allowGuestConfig = false;
    
    /**
@@ -91,6 +93,18 @@ public class DashboardsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
          combinedElement.allowGuestConfig = newElement.allowGuestConfig;
       }
       
+      // the default-dashlets list is completely replaced if config is overriden
+      if (newElement.defaultDashlets != null)
+      {
+         combinedElement.defaultDashlets =
+            (List<String>)((ArrayList<String>)newElement.defaultDashlets).clone();
+      }
+      else if (this.defaultDashlets != null)
+      {
+         combinedElement.defaultDashlets =
+            (List<String>)((ArrayList<String>)this.defaultDashlets).clone();
+      }
+      
       return combinedElement;
    }
    
@@ -134,6 +148,20 @@ public class DashboardsConfigElement extends ConfigElementAdapter
       return this.dashletDefs.values();
    }
    
+   /*package*/ void addDefaultDashlet(String id)
+   {
+      if (this.defaultDashlets == null)
+      {
+         this.defaultDashlets = new ArrayList<String>(2);
+      }
+      this.defaultDashlets.add(id);
+   }
+   
+   public Collection<String> getDefaultDashlets()
+   {
+      return this.defaultDashlets;
+   }
+   
    /**
     * Structure class for the definition of a dashboard page layout 
     */
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/DashboardsElementReader.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/DashboardsElementReader.java
index 1d533036cf..59f035d355 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/DashboardsElementReader.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/web/config/DashboardsElementReader.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ public class DashboardsElementReader implements ConfigElementReader
    public static final String ELEMENT_DASHLETS = "dashlets";
    public static final String ELEMENT_DASHLET = "dashlet";
    public static final String ELEMENT_GUESTCONFIG = "allow-guest-config";
+   public static final String ELEMENT_DEFAULTDASHLETS = "default-dashlets";
    public static final String ATTR_ID = "id";
    public static final String ATTR_COLUMNS = "columns";
    public static final String ATTR_COLUMNLENGTH = "column-length";
@@ -95,6 +96,17 @@ public class DashboardsElementReader implements ConfigElementReader
             }
          }
          
+         Element defaultDashletsElement = element.element(ELEMENT_DEFAULTDASHLETS);
+         if (defaultDashletsElement != null)
+         {
+            Iterator<Element> dashletsItr = defaultDashletsElement.elementIterator(ELEMENT_DASHLET);
+            while (dashletsItr.hasNext())
+            {
+               String id = getMandatoryDashletAttributeValue(dashletsItr.next(), ATTR_ID);
+               configElement.addDefaultDashlet(id);
+            }
+         }
+         
          Element guestConfigElement = element.element(ELEMENT_GUESTCONFIG);
          if (guestConfigElement != null)
          {