Index: modules/block/block.api.php
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/block/block.api.php,v
retrieving revision 1.13
diff -u -p -r1.13 block.api.php
--- modules/block/block.api.php	13 Aug 2010 12:25:14 -0000	1.13
+++ modules/block/block.api.php	2 Oct 2010 21:47:37 -0000
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
  *     - DRUPAL_CACHE_GLOBAL: The block is the same for every user on every
  *       page where it is visible.
  *     - DRUPAL_NO_CACHE: The block should not get cached.
+ *   - 'properties': (optional) @todo: Document me!
  *   - 'weight': (optional) Initial value for the ordering weight of this block.
  *     Most modules do not provide an initial value, and any value provided can
  *     be modified by a user on the block configuration screen.
Index: modules/comment/comment.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/comment/comment.module,v
retrieving revision 1.901
diff -u -p -r1.901 comment.module
--- modules/comment/comment.module	1 Oct 2010 15:24:18 -0000	1.901
+++ modules/comment/comment.module	2 Oct 2010 21:47:37 -0000
@@ -402,6 +402,7 @@ function comment_permission() {
  */
 function comment_block_info() {
   $blocks['recent']['info'] = t('Recent comments');
+  $blocks['recent']['properties']['administrative'] = TRUE;
 
   return $blocks;
 }
Index: modules/dashboard/dashboard.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/dashboard/dashboard.module,v
retrieving revision 1.38
diff -u -p -r1.38 dashboard.module
--- modules/dashboard/dashboard.module	1 Oct 2010 15:24:18 -0000	1.38
+++ modules/dashboard/dashboard.module	2 Oct 2010 21:47:37 -0000
@@ -89,6 +89,22 @@ function dashboard_permission() {
 }
 
 /**
+ * Implements hook_block_info_alter().
+ */
+function dashboard_block_info_alter(&$blocks, $theme, $code_blocks) {
+  foreach ($blocks as $module => &$module_blocks) {
+    foreach ($module_blocks as $delta => &$block) {
+      // Make administrative blocks that are not already in use elsewhere
+      // available for the dashboard.
+      if (empty($block['status']) && (empty($block['region']) || $block['region'] == BLOCK_REGION_NONE) && !empty($code_blocks[$module][$delta]['properties']['administrative'])) {
+        $block['status'] = 1;
+        $block['region'] = 'dashboard_disabled';
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/**
  * Implements hook_block_list_alter().
  *
  * Skip rendering dashboard blocks when not on the dashboard page itself. This
@@ -120,6 +136,10 @@ function dashboard_page_build(&$page) {
     // region into it.
     $page['content']['dashboard'] = array('#theme_wrappers' => array('dashboard'));
     foreach (dashboard_regions() as $region) {
+      // Do not show dashboard blocks that are disabled.
+      if ($region == 'dashboard_disabled') {
+        continue;
+      }
       // Insert regions even when they are empty, so that they will be
       // displayed when the dashboard is being configured.
       $page['content']['dashboard'][$region] = !empty($page[$region]) ? $page[$region] : array();
@@ -370,6 +390,9 @@ function dashboard_form_block_add_block_
  */
 function template_preprocess_dashboard_admin_display_form(&$variables) {
   template_preprocess_block_admin_display_form($variables);
+  if (isset($variables['block_regions'][BLOCK_REGION_NONE])) {
+    $variables['block_regions'][BLOCK_REGION_NONE] = t('These are the ones that are completely disabled and not on the dashboard at all');
+  }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -433,6 +456,7 @@ function dashboard_dashboard_regions() {
   return array(
     'dashboard_main' => 'Dashboard main',
     'dashboard_sidebar' => 'Dashboard sidebar',
+    'dashboard_disabled' => 'These are the ones that are on the dashboard but hidden',
   );
 }
 
@@ -445,9 +469,9 @@ function dashboard_show_disabled() {
   // Blocks are not necessarily initialized at this point.
   $blocks = _block_rehash();
 
-  // Limit the list to disabled blocks for the current theme.
+  // Limit the list to blocks that are marked as disabled for the dashboard.
   foreach ($blocks as $key => $block) {
-    if ($block['theme'] != $theme_key || (!empty($block['status']) && !empty($block['region']))) {
+    if ($block['theme'] != $theme_key || $block['region'] != 'dashboard_disabled') {
       unset($blocks[$key]);
     }
   }
@@ -496,7 +520,7 @@ function dashboard_update() {
     parse_str($_REQUEST['regions'], $regions);
     foreach ($regions as $region_name => $blocks) {
       if ($region_name == 'disabled_blocks') {
-        $region_name = '';
+        $region_name = 'dashboard_disabled';
       }
       foreach ($blocks as $weight => $block_string) {
         // Parse the query string to determine the block's module and delta.
@@ -507,12 +531,7 @@ function dashboard_update() {
 
         $block->region = $region_name;
         $block->weight = $weight;
-        if (empty($region_name)) {
-          $block->status = 0;
-        }
-        else {
-          $block->status = 1;
-        }
+        $block->status = 1;
 
         db_merge('block')
           ->key(array(
Index: modules/node/node.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/node/node.module,v
retrieving revision 1.1303
diff -u -p -r1.1303 node.module
--- modules/node/node.module	29 Sep 2010 14:08:54 -0000	1.1303
+++ modules/node/node.module	2 Oct 2010 21:47:38 -0000
@@ -2029,6 +2029,7 @@ function node_block_info() {
   $blocks['syndicate']['cache'] = DRUPAL_NO_CACHE;
 
   $blocks['recent']['info'] = t('Recent content');
+  $blocks['recent']['properties']['administrative'] = TRUE;
 
   return $blocks;
 }
Index: modules/search/search.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/search/search.module,v
retrieving revision 1.363
diff -u -p -r1.363 search.module
--- modules/search/search.module	1 Oct 2010 15:24:18 -0000	1.363
+++ modules/search/search.module	2 Oct 2010 21:47:38 -0000
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ function search_block_info() {
   $blocks['form']['info'] = t('Search form');
   // Not worth caching.
   $blocks['form']['cache'] = DRUPAL_NO_CACHE;
+  $blocks['form']['properties']['administrative'] = TRUE;
   return $blocks;
 }
 
Index: modules/user/user.module
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvs/drupal/drupal/modules/user/user.module,v
retrieving revision 1.1204
diff -u -p -r1.1204 user.module
--- modules/user/user.module	24 Sep 2010 00:37:45 -0000	1.1204
+++ modules/user/user.module	2 Oct 2010 21:47:38 -0000
@@ -1273,10 +1273,13 @@ function user_block_info() {
   $blocks['login']['cache'] = DRUPAL_NO_CACHE;
 
   $blocks['new']['info'] = t('Who\'s new');
+  $blocks['new']['properties']['administrative'] = TRUE;
 
   // Too dynamic to cache.
   $blocks['online']['info'] = t('Who\'s online');
   $blocks['online']['cache'] = DRUPAL_NO_CACHE;
+  $blocks['online']['properties']['administrative'] = TRUE;
+
   return $blocks;
 }