diff --git a/core/includes/ajax.inc b/core/includes/ajax.inc
index 8817356..ac8ae1a 100644
--- a/core/includes/ajax.inc
+++ b/core/includes/ajax.inc
@@ -289,9 +289,9 @@ function ajax_render($commands = array()) {
   }
 
   // Now add a command to merge changes and additions to Drupal.settings.
-  $scripts = drupal_add_js();
-  if (!empty($scripts['settings'])) {
-    $settings = $scripts['settings'];
+  $javascript_settings = drupal_add_js_settings();
+  if (!empty($javascript_settings['settings'])) {
+    $settings = $javascript_settings['settings'];
     array_unshift($commands, ajax_command_settings(call_user_func_array('array_merge_recursive', $settings['data']), TRUE));
   }
 
diff --git a/core/includes/common.inc b/core/includes/common.inc
index 17c626b..273daa1 100644
--- a/core/includes/common.inc
+++ b/core/includes/common.inc
@@ -4072,69 +4072,115 @@ function drupal_add_js($data = NULL, $options = NULL) {
   $options['weight'] += count($javascript) / 1000;
 
   if (isset($data)) {
-    // Add jquery.js and drupal.js, as well as the basePath setting, the
-    // first time a JavaScript file is added.
-    if (empty($javascript)) {
-      // url() generates the script and prefix using hook_url_outbound_alter().
-      // Instead of running the hook_url_outbound_alter() again here, extract
-      // them from url().
-      // @todo Make this less hacky: http://drupal.org/node/1547376.
-      $scriptPath = $GLOBALS['script_path'];
-      $pathPrefix = '';
-      url('', array('script' => &$scriptPath, 'prefix' => &$pathPrefix));
-      $javascript = array(
-        'settings' => array(
-          'data' => array(
-            array('basePath' => base_path()),
-            array('scriptPath' => $scriptPath),
-            array('pathPrefix' => $pathPrefix),
+    if ($options['type'] == 'setting') {
+      drupal_add_js_settings($data);
+    }
+    else {
+      // Add jquery.js and drupal.js the first time a JavaScript file is added.
+      if (empty($javascript)) {
+        $javascript = array(
+          'core/misc/drupal.js' => array(
+            'data' => 'core/misc/drupal.js',
+            'type' => 'file',
+            'scope' => 'header',
+            'group' => JS_LIBRARY,
+            'every_page' => TRUE,
+            'weight' => -1,
+            'preprocess' => TRUE,
+            'cache' => TRUE,
+            'defer' => FALSE,
+            'browsers' => array(),
           ),
-          'type' => 'setting',
-          'scope' => 'header',
-          'group' => JS_SETTING,
-          'every_page' => TRUE,
-          'weight' => 0,
-          'browsers' => array(),
-        ),
-        'core/misc/drupal.js' => array(
-          'data' => 'core/misc/drupal.js',
-          'type' => 'file',
-          'scope' => 'header',
-          'group' => JS_LIBRARY,
-          'every_page' => TRUE,
-          'weight' => -1,
-          'preprocess' => TRUE,
-          'cache' => TRUE,
-          'defer' => FALSE,
-          'browsers' => array(),
-        ),
-      );
-      // Register all required libraries.
-      drupal_add_library('system', 'jquery', TRUE);
-      drupal_add_library('system', 'jquery.once', TRUE);
-      drupal_add_library('system', 'html5shiv', TRUE);
+        );
+        // Register all required libraries.
+        drupal_add_library('system', 'jquery', TRUE);
+        drupal_add_library('system', 'jquery.once', TRUE);
+        drupal_add_library('system', 'html5shiv', TRUE);
+      }
+      switch ($options['type']) {
+        case 'inline':
+          $javascript[] = $options;
+          break;
+        default: // 'file' and 'external'
+          // Local and external files must keep their name as the associative key
+          // so the same JavaScript file is not added twice.
+          $javascript[$options['data']] = $options;
+      }
     }
+  }
 
-    switch ($options['type']) {
-      case 'setting':
-        // All JavaScript settings are placed in the header of the page with
-        // the library weight so that inline scripts appear afterwards.
-        $javascript['settings']['data'][] = $data;
-        break;
+  // If any JavaScript file has been added to the page, then lets
+  // add our JavaScript settings.
+  if (!empty($javascript)) {
+    $js_settings = drupal_add_js_settings();
+    $javascript['settings'] =  $js_settings['settings'];
+  }
 
-      case 'inline':
-        $javascript[] = $options;
-        break;
+  return $javascript;
+}
 
-      default: // 'file' and 'external'
-        // Local and external files must keep their name as the associative key
-        // so the same JavaScript file is not added twice.
-        $javascript[$options['data']] = $options;
-    }
+/**
+ * Adds a JavaScript setting to the page.
+ *
+ * This function is the global storage of JavaScript settings. It is called
+ * from drupal_add_js when settings are added to the page. All settings will
+ * be accessible at Drupal.settings.
+ *
+ * Calling drupal_static_reset('drupal_add_js_settings') will clear all JavaScript
+ * settings added so far.
+ *
+ * @param $data
+ *   (optional) If given, An associative array with configuration options. The array is
+ *     merged directly into Drupal.settings. All modules should wrap their
+ *     actual configuration settings in another variable to prevent conflicts in
+ *     the Drupal.settings namespace. Items added with a string key will replace
+ *     existing settings with that key; items with numeric array keys will be
+ *     added to the existing settings array.
+ *
+ * @return
+ *   The current array of JavaScript settings including Drupal defaults and
+ *   anything previously added with calls to drupal_add_js().
+ *
+ * @see drupal_add_js()
+ */
+
+function drupal_add_js_settings($data = NULL) {
+  $js_settings = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__, array());
+
+  // All JavaScript settings are placed in the header of the page with
+  // the library weight so that inline scripts appear afterwards.
+  if (empty($js_settings)) {
+    // url() generates the script and prefix using hook_url_outbound_alter().
+    // Instead of running the hook_url_outbound_alter() again here, extract
+    // them from url().
+    // @todo Make this less hacky: http://drupal.org/node/1547376.
+    $scriptPath = $GLOBALS['script_path'];
+    $pathPrefix = '';
+    url('', array('script' => &$scriptPath, 'prefix' => &$pathPrefix));
+    $js_settings['settings'] = array(
+      'data' => array(
+        array('basePath' => base_path()),
+        array('scriptPath' => $scriptPath),
+        array('pathPrefix' => empty($prefix) ? '' : $prefix),
+      ),
+      'type' => 'setting',
+      'scope' => 'header',
+      'group' => JS_SETTING,
+      'every_page' => TRUE,
+      'weight' => 0,
+      'browsers' => array(),
+    );
   }
-  return $javascript;
+
+  if (isset($data)) {
+    $js_settings['settings']['data'][] = $data;
+  }
+
+  return $js_settings;
 }
 
+
+
 /**
  * Constructs an array of the defaults that are used for JavaScript items.
  *
diff --git a/core/modules/system/tests/common.test b/core/modules/system/tests/common.test
index 46b379e..4b64918 100644
--- a/core/modules/system/tests/common.test
+++ b/core/modules/system/tests/common.test
@@ -1163,7 +1163,8 @@ class CommonJavaScriptTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
    * Test adding settings.
    */
   function testAddSetting() {
-    $javascript = drupal_add_js(array('drupal' => 'rocks', 'dries' => 280342800), 'setting');
+    drupal_add_js(array('drupal' => 'rocks', 'dries' => 280342800), 'setting');
+    $javascript = drupal_add_js_settings();
     $this->assertEqual(280342800, $javascript['settings']['data'][3]['dries'], t('JavaScript setting is set correctly.'));
     $this->assertEqual('rocks', $javascript['settings']['data'][3]['drupal'], t('The other JavaScript setting is set correctly.'));
   }
@@ -1191,6 +1192,7 @@ class CommonJavaScriptTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     // Only the second of these two entries should appear in Drupal.settings.
     drupal_add_js(array('commonTestArray' => array('key' => 'commonTestOldValue')), 'setting');
     drupal_add_js(array('commonTestArray' => array('key' => 'commonTestNewValue')), 'setting');
+    drupal_add_js('core/misc/jquery.js');
 
     $javascript = drupal_get_js('header');
     $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'basePath') > 0, t('Rendered JavaScript header returns basePath setting.'));
@@ -1553,6 +1555,16 @@ class CommonJavaScriptTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $query_string = variable_get('css_js_query_string', '0');
     $this->assertRaw(drupal_get_path('module', 'node') . '/node.js?' . $query_string, t('Query string was appended correctly to js.'));
   }
+
+  /**
+  * Tests that Drupal.settings aren't added when not needed.
+  */
+  function testPageWithoutJavascript() {
+    $this->drupalGet('');
+    $content = $this->drupalGetContent();
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($content, 'Drupal.settings') === FALSE, t('Drupal.settings is not added to the page.'));
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($content, '.js') === FALSE, t('No javascript is added to the page.'));
+  }
 }
 
 /**