diff --git modules/comment/comment.module modules/comment/comment.module
index 8fc5ba2..de662f1 100644
--- modules/comment/comment.module
+++ modules/comment/comment.module
@@ -2248,7 +2248,7 @@ function theme_comment_post_forbidden($variables) {
         $destination = array('destination' => "node/$node->nid#comment-form");
       }
 
-      if (variable_get('user_register', 1)) {
+      if (variable_get('user_register', 0)) {
         // Users can register themselves.
         return t('<a href="@login">Log in</a> or <a href="@register">register</a> to post comments', array('@login' => url('user/login', array('query' => $destination)), '@register' => url('user/register', array('query' => $destination))));
       }
diff --git modules/comment/comment.test modules/comment/comment.test
index 5e036e7..4dab28d 100644
--- modules/comment/comment.test
+++ modules/comment/comment.test
@@ -481,10 +481,16 @@ class CommentAnonymous extends CommentHelperCase {
     );
   }
 
+  function setUp() {
+    parent::setUp();
+    variable_set('user_register', 1);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Test anonymous comment functionality.
    */
   function testAnonymous() {
+    $this->verbose(t("Entering testAnonymous() with user_register set to %user_register", array('%user_register', variable_get('user_register', 0))));
     $this->drupalLogin($this->admin_user);
     // Enabled anonymous user comments.
     user_role_change_permissions(DRUPAL_ANONYMOUS_RID, array(
diff --git modules/locale/locale.test modules/locale/locale.test
index 5ef82f8..7735adf 100644
--- modules/locale/locale.test
+++ modules/locale/locale.test
@@ -1321,6 +1321,7 @@ class LocaleUserCreationTest extends DrupalWebTestCase {
 
   function setUp() {
     parent::setUp('locale');
+    variable_set('user_register', 1);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git modules/openid/openid.module modules/openid/openid.module
index 063265c..ee2ac93 100644
--- modules/openid/openid.module
+++ modules/openid/openid.module
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ function openid_authentication($response) {
       drupal_set_message(t('You must validate your email address for this account before logging in via OpenID.'));
     }
   }
-  elseif (variable_get('user_register', 1)) {
+  elseif (variable_get('user_register', 0)) {
     // Register new user.
 
     // Save response for use in openid_form_user_register_form_alter().
diff --git modules/openid/openid.test modules/openid/openid.test
index 3a2ebec..bae10c6 100644
--- modules/openid/openid.test
+++ modules/openid/openid.test
@@ -240,6 +240,7 @@ class OpenIDRegistrationTestCase extends OpenIDWebTestCase {
 
   function setUp() {
     parent::setUp('openid', 'openid_test');
+    variable_set('user_register', 1);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git modules/simpletest/simpletest.test modules/simpletest/simpletest.test
index 6525ae3..2e794cf 100644
--- modules/simpletest/simpletest.test
+++ modules/simpletest/simpletest.test
@@ -292,6 +292,11 @@ class SimpleTestBrowserTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     );
   }
 
+  function setUp() {
+    parent::setUp();
+    variable_set('user_register', 1);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Test DrupalWebTestCase::getAbsoluteUrl().
    */
diff --git modules/simpletest/tests/form.test modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
index b413f19..14d26f6 100644
--- modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
+++ modules/simpletest/tests/form.test
@@ -1088,6 +1088,7 @@ class FormsArbitraryRebuildTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
       ),
     );
     field_create_instance($instance);
+    variable_set('user_register', 1);
   }
 
   /**
diff --git modules/user/user.admin.inc modules/user/user.admin.inc
index dedfd1d..57f4a1e 100644
--- modules/user/user.admin.inc
+++ modules/user/user.admin.inc
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ function user_admin_settings() {
   $form['registration_cancellation']['user_register'] = array(
     '#type' => 'radios',
     '#title' => t('Who can register accounts?'),
-    '#default_value' => variable_get('user_register', 1),
+    '#default_value' => variable_get('user_register', 0),
     '#options' => array(
       t('Administrators only'),
       t('Visitors'),
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@ function user_admin_settings() {
     '#type' => 'fieldset',
     '#title' => t('Welcome (new user created by administrator)'),
     '#collapsible' => TRUE,
-    '#collapsed' => (variable_get('user_register', 1) != 0),
+    '#collapsed' => (variable_get('user_register', 0) != 0),
     '#description' => t('Edit the welcome e-mail messages sent to new member accounts created by an administrator.') . ' ' . $email_token_help,
     '#group' => 'email',
   );
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ function user_admin_settings() {
     '#type' => 'fieldset',
     '#title' => t('Welcome (awaiting approval)'),
     '#collapsible' => TRUE,
-    '#collapsed' => (variable_get('user_register', 1) != 2),
+    '#collapsed' => (variable_get('user_register', 0) != 2),
     '#description' => t('Edit the welcome e-mail messages sent to new members upon registering, when administrative approval is required.') . ' ' . $email_token_help,
     '#group' => 'email',
   );
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@ function user_admin_settings() {
     '#type' => 'fieldset',
     '#title' => t('Welcome (no approval required)'),
     '#collapsible' => TRUE,
-    '#collapsed' => (variable_get('user_register', 1) != 1),
+    '#collapsed' => (variable_get('user_register', 0) != 1),
     '#description' => t('Edit the welcome e-mail messages sent to new members upon registering, when no administrator approval is required.') . ' ' . $email_token_help,
     '#group' => 'email',
   );
diff --git modules/user/user.module modules/user/user.module
index 010e1b6..68dba40 100644
--- modules/user/user.module
+++ modules/user/user.module
@@ -1005,7 +1005,7 @@ function user_account_form(&$form, &$form_state) {
     $status = isset($account->status) ? $account->status : 1;
   }
   else {
-    $status = $register ? variable_get('user_register', 1) == 1 : $account->status;
+    $status = $register ? variable_get('user_register', 0) == 1 : $account->status;
   }
   $form['account']['status'] = array(
     '#type' => 'radios',
@@ -1210,7 +1210,7 @@ function user_login_block($form) {
     '#value' => t('Log in'),
   );
   $items = array();
-  if (variable_get('user_register', 1)) {
+  if (variable_get('user_register', 0)) {
     $items[] = l(t('Create new account'), 'user/register', array('attributes' => array('title' => t('Create a new user account.'))));
   }
   $items[] = l(t('Request new password'), 'user/password', array('attributes' => array('title' => t('Request new password via e-mail.'))));
@@ -1412,7 +1412,7 @@ function user_is_logged_in() {
 }
 
 function user_register_access() {
-  return user_is_anonymous() && variable_get('user_register', 1);
+  return user_is_anonymous() && variable_get('user_register', 0);
 }
 
 
diff --git modules/user/user.test modules/user/user.test
index 560ca7a..af1235c 100644
--- modules/user/user.test
+++ modules/user/user.test
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ class UserRegistrationTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->assertEqual($new_user->theme, '', t('Correct theme field.'));
     $this->assertEqual($new_user->signature, '', t('Correct signature field.'));
     $this->assertTrue(($new_user->created > REQUEST_TIME - 20 ), t('Correct creation time.'));
-    $this->assertEqual($new_user->status, variable_get('user_register', 1) == 1 ? 1 : 0, t('Correct status field.'));
+    $this->assertEqual($new_user->status, variable_get('user_register', 0) == 1 ? 1 : 0, t('Correct status field.'));
     $this->assertEqual($new_user->timezone, variable_get('date_default_timezone'), t('Correct time zone field.'));
     $this->assertEqual($new_user->language, '', t('Correct language field.'));
     $this->assertEqual($new_user->picture, '', t('Correct picture field.'));