diff --git a/CHANGELOG.txt b/CHANGELOG.txt
index 60d86a7c22e..fe3cb56783b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.txt
+++ b/CHANGELOG.txt
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ Drupal x.x.x, xxxx-xx-xx (development version)
 - poll module:
     * optionally allow people to inspect all votes.
     * optionally allow people to cancel their vote.
+- user module:
+    * made it possible to instantly assign roles to newly created user accounts.
 - distributed authentication:
     * added default server option.
 - fixed critical SQL issue, see SA-2006-005
diff --git a/modules/user.module b/modules/user.module
index ee69debd9bf..94a473495a4 100644
--- a/modules/user.module
+++ b/modules/user.module
@@ -190,12 +190,6 @@ function user_save($account, $array = array(), $category = 'account') {
     }
     db_query('INSERT INTO {users} ('. implode(', ', $fields) .') VALUES ('. implode(', ', $s) .')', $values);
 
-    // Reload user roles (delete just to be safe).
-    db_query('DELETE FROM {users_roles} WHERE uid = %d', $array['uid']);
-    foreach ((array)$array['roles'] as $rid) {
-      db_query('INSERT INTO {users_roles} (uid, rid) VALUES (%d, %d)', $array['uid'], $rid);
-    }
-
     // Build the initial user object.
     $user = user_load(array('uid' => $array['uid']));
 
@@ -210,6 +204,14 @@ function user_save($account, $array = array(), $category = 'account') {
     }
     db_query("UPDATE {users} SET data = '%s' WHERE uid = %d", serialize($data), $user->uid);
 
+    // Save user roles (delete just to be safe).
+    db_query('DELETE FROM {users_roles} WHERE uid = %d', $array['uid']);
+    foreach (array_keys($array['roles']) as $rid) {
+      if (!in_array($rid, array(DRUPAL_ANONYMOUS_RID, DRUPAL_AUTHENTICATED_RID))) {
+        db_query('INSERT INTO {users_roles} (uid, rid) VALUES (%d, %d)', $array['uid'], $rid);
+      }
+    }
+
     // Build the finished user object.
     $user = user_load(array('uid' => $array['uid']));
   }
@@ -1187,6 +1189,16 @@ function user_register() {
       '#description' => t('Provide a password for the new account.'),
       '#required' => TRUE,
     );
+    $roles = user_roles(1);
+    unset($roles[DRUPAL_AUTHENTICATED_RID]);
+    if ($roles) {
+      $form['roles'] = array('#type' => 'checkboxes',
+        '#title' => t('Roles'),
+        '#default_value' => array_keys((array)$edit['roles']),
+        '#options' => $roles,
+        '#description' => t('The user receives the combined permissions of the authenticated user role and all roles selected here.')
+      );
+    }
     $form['notify'] = array(
      '#type' => 'checkbox',
      '#title' => t('Notify user of new account')
@@ -1202,8 +1214,9 @@ function user_register() {
     $form['account']['name'] = $form['name'];
     $form['account']['mail'] = $form['mail'];
     $form['account']['pass'] = $form['pass'];
+    $form['account']['roles'] = $form['roles'];
     $form['account']['notify'] = $form['notify'];
-    unset($form['name'], $form['mail'], $form['pass'], $form['notify']);
+    unset($form['name'], $form['mail'], $form['pass'], $form['roles'], $form['notify']);
     $form = array_merge($form, $extra);
   }
   $form['submit'] = array('#type' => 'submit', '#value' => t('Create new account'), '#weight' => 30);
@@ -1223,6 +1236,7 @@ function user_register_submit($form_id, $form_values) {
   $mail = $form_values['mail'];
   $name = $form_values['name'];
   $pass = $admin ? $form_values['pass'] : user_password();
+  $roles = array_filter($form_values['roles']);  // Remove unset roles
   $notify = $form_values['notify'];
   $from = variable_get('site_mail', ini_get('sendmail_from'));
 
@@ -1231,7 +1245,7 @@ function user_register_submit($form_id, $form_values) {
     return 'user/register';
   }
 
-  $account = user_save('', array_merge($form_values, array('pass' => $pass, 'init' => $mail, 'status' => ($admin || variable_get('user_register', 1) == 1))));
+  $account = user_save('', array_merge($form_values, array('pass' => $pass, 'init' => $mail, 'roles' => $roles, 'status' => ($admin || variable_get('user_register', 1) == 1))));
   watchdog('user', t('New user: %name %email.', array('%name' => theme('placeholder', $name), '%email' => theme('placeholder', '<'. $mail .'>'))), WATCHDOG_NOTICE, l(t('edit'), 'user/'. $account->uid .'/edit'));
 
   $variables = array('%username' => $name, '%site' => variable_get('site_name', 'drupal'), '%password' => $pass, '%uri' => $base_url, '%uri_brief' => substr($base_url, strlen('http://')), '%mailto' => $mail, '%date' => format_date(time()), '%login_uri' => url('user', NULL, NULL, TRUE), '%edit_uri' => url('user/'. $account->uid .'/edit', NULL, NULL, TRUE), '%login_url' => user_pass_reset_url($account));
diff --git a/modules/user/user.module b/modules/user/user.module
index ee69debd9bf..94a473495a4 100644
--- a/modules/user/user.module
+++ b/modules/user/user.module
@@ -190,12 +190,6 @@ function user_save($account, $array = array(), $category = 'account') {
     }
     db_query('INSERT INTO {users} ('. implode(', ', $fields) .') VALUES ('. implode(', ', $s) .')', $values);
 
-    // Reload user roles (delete just to be safe).
-    db_query('DELETE FROM {users_roles} WHERE uid = %d', $array['uid']);
-    foreach ((array)$array['roles'] as $rid) {
-      db_query('INSERT INTO {users_roles} (uid, rid) VALUES (%d, %d)', $array['uid'], $rid);
-    }
-
     // Build the initial user object.
     $user = user_load(array('uid' => $array['uid']));
 
@@ -210,6 +204,14 @@ function user_save($account, $array = array(), $category = 'account') {
     }
     db_query("UPDATE {users} SET data = '%s' WHERE uid = %d", serialize($data), $user->uid);
 
+    // Save user roles (delete just to be safe).
+    db_query('DELETE FROM {users_roles} WHERE uid = %d', $array['uid']);
+    foreach (array_keys($array['roles']) as $rid) {
+      if (!in_array($rid, array(DRUPAL_ANONYMOUS_RID, DRUPAL_AUTHENTICATED_RID))) {
+        db_query('INSERT INTO {users_roles} (uid, rid) VALUES (%d, %d)', $array['uid'], $rid);
+      }
+    }
+
     // Build the finished user object.
     $user = user_load(array('uid' => $array['uid']));
   }
@@ -1187,6 +1189,16 @@ function user_register() {
       '#description' => t('Provide a password for the new account.'),
       '#required' => TRUE,
     );
+    $roles = user_roles(1);
+    unset($roles[DRUPAL_AUTHENTICATED_RID]);
+    if ($roles) {
+      $form['roles'] = array('#type' => 'checkboxes',
+        '#title' => t('Roles'),
+        '#default_value' => array_keys((array)$edit['roles']),
+        '#options' => $roles,
+        '#description' => t('The user receives the combined permissions of the authenticated user role and all roles selected here.')
+      );
+    }
     $form['notify'] = array(
      '#type' => 'checkbox',
      '#title' => t('Notify user of new account')
@@ -1202,8 +1214,9 @@ function user_register() {
     $form['account']['name'] = $form['name'];
     $form['account']['mail'] = $form['mail'];
     $form['account']['pass'] = $form['pass'];
+    $form['account']['roles'] = $form['roles'];
     $form['account']['notify'] = $form['notify'];
-    unset($form['name'], $form['mail'], $form['pass'], $form['notify']);
+    unset($form['name'], $form['mail'], $form['pass'], $form['roles'], $form['notify']);
     $form = array_merge($form, $extra);
   }
   $form['submit'] = array('#type' => 'submit', '#value' => t('Create new account'), '#weight' => 30);
@@ -1223,6 +1236,7 @@ function user_register_submit($form_id, $form_values) {
   $mail = $form_values['mail'];
   $name = $form_values['name'];
   $pass = $admin ? $form_values['pass'] : user_password();
+  $roles = array_filter($form_values['roles']);  // Remove unset roles
   $notify = $form_values['notify'];
   $from = variable_get('site_mail', ini_get('sendmail_from'));
 
@@ -1231,7 +1245,7 @@ function user_register_submit($form_id, $form_values) {
     return 'user/register';
   }
 
-  $account = user_save('', array_merge($form_values, array('pass' => $pass, 'init' => $mail, 'status' => ($admin || variable_get('user_register', 1) == 1))));
+  $account = user_save('', array_merge($form_values, array('pass' => $pass, 'init' => $mail, 'roles' => $roles, 'status' => ($admin || variable_get('user_register', 1) == 1))));
   watchdog('user', t('New user: %name %email.', array('%name' => theme('placeholder', $name), '%email' => theme('placeholder', '<'. $mail .'>'))), WATCHDOG_NOTICE, l(t('edit'), 'user/'. $account->uid .'/edit'));
 
   $variables = array('%username' => $name, '%site' => variable_get('site_name', 'drupal'), '%password' => $pass, '%uri' => $base_url, '%uri_brief' => substr($base_url, strlen('http://')), '%mailto' => $mail, '%date' => format_date(time()), '%login_uri' => url('user', NULL, NULL, TRUE), '%edit_uri' => url('user/'. $account->uid .'/edit', NULL, NULL, TRUE), '%login_url' => user_pass_reset_url($account));