diff --git a/includes/common.inc b/includes/common.inc
index a38d13b..d8a3cca 100644
--- a/includes/common.inc
+++ b/includes/common.inc
@@ -4136,6 +4136,13 @@ function drupal_region_class($region) {
  *       else being the same, JavaScript added by a call to drupal_add_js() that
  *       happened later in the page request gets added to the page after one for
  *       which drupal_add_js() happened earlier in the page request.
+ *   - requires_jquery: Set this to FALSE if the JavaScript you are adding does
+ *     not have a dependency on jQuery. Defaults to TRUE, except for JavaScript
+ *     settings where it defaults to FALSE. This is used on sites that have the
+ *     'javascript_always_use_jquery' variable set to FALSE; on those sites, if
+ *     all the JavaScript added to the page by drupal_add_js() does not have a
+ *     dependency on jQuery, then for improved front-end performance Drupal
+ *     will not add jQuery and related libraries and settings to the page.
  *   - defer: If set to TRUE, the defer attribute is set on the <script>
  *     tag. Defaults to FALSE.
  *   - cache: If set to FALSE, the JavaScript file is loaded anew on every page
@@ -4153,6 +4160,14 @@ function drupal_region_class($region) {
  */
 function drupal_add_js($data = NULL, $options = NULL) {
   $javascript = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__, array());
+  $jquery_added = &drupal_static(__FUNCTION__ . ':jquery_added', FALSE);
+
+  // If the $javascript variable has been reset with drupal_static_reset(),
+  // jQuery and related files will have been removed from the list, so set the
+  // variable back to FALSE to indicate they have not yet been added.
+  if (empty($javascript)) {
+    $jquery_added = FALSE;
+  }
 
   // Construct the options, taking the defaults into consideration.
   if (isset($options)) {
@@ -4163,6 +4178,9 @@ function drupal_add_js($data = NULL, $options = NULL) {
   else {
     $options = array();
   }
+  if (isset($options['type']) && $options['type'] == 'setting') {
+    $options += array('requires_jquery' => FALSE);
+  }
   $options += drupal_js_defaults($data);
 
   // Preprocess can only be set if caching is enabled.
@@ -4173,14 +4191,18 @@ 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)) {
+    // Add jquery.js, drupal.js, and related files and settings if they have
+    // not been added yet. However, if the 'javascript_always_use_jquery'
+    // variable is set to FALSE (indicating that the site does not want jQuery
+    // automatically added on all pages) then only add it if a file or setting
+    // that requires jQuery is being added also.
+    if (!$jquery_added && (variable_get('javascript_always_use_jquery', TRUE) || $options['requires_jquery'])) {
+      $jquery_added = TRUE;
       // url() generates the prefix using hook_url_outbound_alter(). Instead of
       // running the hook_url_outbound_alter() again here, extract the prefix
       // from url().
       url('', array('prefix' => &$prefix));
-      $javascript = array(
+      $default_javascript = array(
         'settings' => array(
           'data' => array(
             array('basePath' => base_path()),
@@ -4199,11 +4221,13 @@ function drupal_add_js($data = NULL, $options = NULL) {
           'group' => JS_LIBRARY,
           'every_page' => TRUE,
           'weight' => -1,
+          'requires_jquery' => TRUE,
           'preprocess' => TRUE,
           'cache' => TRUE,
           'defer' => FALSE,
         ),
       );
+      $javascript = drupal_array_merge_deep($javascript, $default_javascript);
       // Register all required libraries.
       drupal_add_library('system', 'jquery', TRUE);
       drupal_add_library('system', 'jquery.once', TRUE);
@@ -4244,6 +4268,7 @@ function drupal_js_defaults($data = NULL) {
     'group' => JS_DEFAULT,
     'every_page' => FALSE,
     'weight' => 0,
+    'requires_jquery' => TRUE,
     'scope' => 'header',
     'cache' => TRUE,
     'defer' => FALSE,
@@ -4290,7 +4315,12 @@ function drupal_get_js($scope = 'header', $javascript = NULL, $skip_alter = FALS
   if (!isset($javascript)) {
     $javascript = drupal_add_js();
   }
-  if (empty($javascript)) {
+
+  // If no JavaScript items have been added, or if the only JavaScript items
+  // that have been added are JavaScript settings (which don't do anything
+  // without any JavaScript code to use them), then no JavaScript code should
+  // be added to the page.
+  if (empty($javascript) || (isset($javascript['settings']) && count($javascript) == 1)) {
     return '';
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/simpletest/tests/common.test b/modules/simpletest/tests/common.test
index 6e03253..baba859 100644
--- a/modules/simpletest/tests/common.test
+++ b/modules/simpletest/tests/common.test
@@ -1416,6 +1416,127 @@ class JavaScriptTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
   }
 
   /**
+   * Test the 'javascript_always_use_jquery' variable.
+   */
+  function testJavaScriptAlwaysUseJQuery() {
+    // The default front page of the site should use jQuery and other standard
+    // scripts and settings.
+    $this->drupalGet('');
+    $this->assertRaw('misc/jquery.js', 'Default behavior: The front page of the site includes jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertRaw('misc/drupal.js', 'Default behavior: The front page of the site includes drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertRaw('Drupal.settings', 'Default behavior: The front page of the site includes Drupal settings.');
+    $this->assertRaw('basePath', 'Default behavior: The front page of the site includes the basePath Drupal setting.');
+
+    // The default front page should not use jQuery and other standard scripts
+    // and settings when the 'javascript_always_use_jquery' variable is set to
+    // FALSE.
+    variable_set('javascript_always_use_jquery', FALSE);
+    $this->drupalGet('');
+    $this->assertNoRaw('misc/jquery.js', 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The front page of the site does not include jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertNoRaw('misc/drupal.js', 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The front page of the site does not include drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertNoRaw('Drupal.settings', 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The front page of the site does not include Drupal settings.');
+    $this->assertNoRaw('basePath', 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The front page of the site does not include the basePath Drupal setting.');
+    variable_del('javascript_always_use_jquery');
+
+    // When only settings have been added via drupal_add_js(), drupal_get_js()
+    // should still return jQuery and other standard scripts and settings.
+    $this->resetStaticVariables();
+    drupal_add_js(array('testJavaScriptSetting' => 'test'), 'setting');
+    $javascript = drupal_get_js();
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/jquery.js') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added includes jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/drupal.js') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added includes drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'Drupal.settings') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added includes Drupal.settings.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'basePath') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added includes the basePath Drupal setting.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'testJavaScriptSetting') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added includes the added Drupal settings.');
+
+    // When only settings have been added via drupal_add_js() and the
+    // 'javascript_always_use_jquery' variable is set to FALSE, drupal_get_js()
+    // should not return jQuery and other standard scripts and settings, nor
+    // should it return the requested settings (since they cannot actually be
+    // addded to the page without jQuery).
+    $this->resetStaticVariables();
+    variable_set('javascript_always_use_jquery', FALSE);
+    drupal_add_js(array('testJavaScriptSetting' => 'test'), 'setting');
+    $javascript = drupal_get_js();
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/jquery.js') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added does not include jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/drupal.js') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added does not include drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'Drupal.settings') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added does not include Drupal.settings.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'basePath') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added does not include the basePath Drupal setting.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'testJavaScriptSetting') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when only settings have been added does not include the added Drupal settings.');
+    variable_del('javascript_always_use_jquery');
+
+    // When a regular file has been added via drupal_add_js(), drupal_get_js()
+    // should return jQuery and other standard scripts and settings.
+    $this->resetStaticVariables();
+    drupal_add_js('misc/collapse.js');
+    $javascript = drupal_get_js();
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/jquery.js') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/drupal.js') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'Drupal.settings') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes Drupal.settings.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'basePath') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes the basePath Drupal setting.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/collapse.js') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes the custom file.');
+
+    // When a regular file has been added via drupal_add_js() and the
+    // 'javascript_always_use_jquery' variable is set to FALSE, drupal_get_js()
+    // should still return jQuery and other standard scripts and settings
+    // (since the file is assumed to require jQuery by default).
+    $this->resetStaticVariables();
+    variable_set('javascript_always_use_jquery', FALSE);
+    drupal_add_js('misc/collapse.js');
+    $javascript = drupal_get_js();
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/jquery.js') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/drupal.js') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'Drupal.settings') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes Drupal.settings.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'basePath') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes the basePath Drupal setting.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/collapse.js') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file has been added includes the custom file.');
+    variable_del('javascript_always_use_jquery');
+
+    // When a file that does not require jQuery has been added via
+    // drupal_add_js(), drupal_get_js() should still return jQuery and other
+    // standard scripts and settings by default.
+    $this->resetStaticVariables();
+    drupal_add_js('misc/collapse.js', array('requires_jquery' => FALSE));
+    $javascript = drupal_get_js();
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/jquery.js') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added includes jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/drupal.js') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added includes drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'Drupal.settings') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added includes Drupal.settings.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'basePath') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added includes the basePath Drupal setting.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/collapse.js') !== FALSE, 'Default behavior: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added includes the custom file.');
+
+    // When a file that does not require jQuery has been added via
+    // drupal_add_js() and the 'javascript_always_use_jquery' variable is set
+    // to FALSE, drupal_get_js() should not return jQuery and other standard
+    // scripts and setting, but it should still return the requested file.
+    $this->resetStaticVariables();
+    variable_set('javascript_always_use_jquery', FALSE);
+    drupal_add_js('misc/collapse.js', array('requires_jquery' => FALSE));
+    $javascript = drupal_get_js();
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/jquery.js') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added does not include jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/drupal.js') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added does not include drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'Drupal.settings') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added does not include Drupal.settings.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'basePath') === FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added does not include the basePath Drupal setting.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/collapse.js') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when a custom JavaScript file that does not require jQuery has been added includes the custom file.');
+    variable_del('javascript_always_use_jquery');
+
+    // When 'javascript_always_use_jquery' is set to FALSE and a file that does
+    // not require jQuery is added, followed by one that does, drupal_get_js()
+    // should return jQuery and other standard scripts and settings, in
+    // addition to both of the requested files.
+    $this->resetStaticVariables();
+    variable_set('javascript_always_use_jquery', FALSE);
+    drupal_add_js('misc/collapse.js', array('requires_jquery' => FALSE));
+    drupal_add_js('misc/ajax.js');
+    $javascript = drupal_get_js();
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/jquery.js') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when at least one custom JavaScript file that requires jQuery has been added includes jquery.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/drupal.js') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when at least one custom JavaScript file that requires jQuery has been added includes drupal.js.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'Drupal.settings') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when at least one custom JavaScript file that requires jQuery has been added includes Drupal.settings.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'basePath') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when at least one custom JavaScript file that requires jQuery has been added includes the basePath Drupal setting.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/collapse.js') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when at least one custom JavaScript file that requires jQuery has been added includes the first custom file.');
+    $this->assertTrue(strpos($javascript, 'misc/ajax.js') !== FALSE, 'When "javascript_always_use_jquery" is FALSE: The JavaScript returned by drupal_get_js() when at least one custom JavaScript file that requires jQuery has been added includes the second custom file.');
+    variable_del('javascript_always_use_jquery');
+  }
+
+  /**
    * Test drupal_add_js() sets preproccess to false when cache is set to false.
    */
   function testNoCache() {
@@ -1643,6 +1764,15 @@ class JavaScriptTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $query_string = variable_get('css_js_query_string', '0');
     $this->assertRaw(drupal_get_path('module', 'node') . '/node.js?' . $query_string, 'Query string was appended correctly to js.');
   }
+
+  /**
+   * Resets static variables related to adding JavaScript to a page.
+   */
+  function resetStaticVariables() {
+    drupal_static_reset('drupal_add_js');
+    drupal_static_reset('drupal_add_library');
+    drupal_static_reset('drupal_get_library');
+  }
 }
 
 /**