diff --git a/OpenSim/Framework/Capabilities/Caps.cs b/OpenSim/Framework/Capabilities/Caps.cs
index 6b64e120db..872de9a082 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Framework/Capabilities/Caps.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Framework/Capabilities/Caps.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Reflection;
 using log4net;
+using Nini.Config;
 using OpenMetaverse;
 using OpenSim.Framework.Servers;
 using OpenSim.Framework.Servers.HttpServer;
@@ -112,6 +113,8 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Capabilities
         private string m_regionName;
         private object m_fetchLock = new Object();
 
+        private bool m_persistBakedTextures = false;
+
         public bool SSLCaps
         {
             get { return m_httpListener.UseSSL; }
@@ -145,6 +148,15 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Capabilities
 
             m_httpListenPort = httpPort;
 
+            m_persistBakedTextures = false;
+            IConfigSource config = m_Scene.Config;
+            if (config != null)
+            {
+                IConfig sconfig = config.Configs["Startup"];
+                if (sconfig != null)
+                    m_persistBakedTextures = sconfig.GetBoolean("PersistBakedTextures",m_persistBakedTextures);
+            }
+
             if (httpServer != null && httpServer.UseSSL)
             {
                 m_httpListenPort = httpServer.SSLPort;
@@ -983,7 +995,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Framework.Capabilities
             asset = new AssetBase(assetID, "Baked Texture", (sbyte)AssetType.Texture, m_agentID.ToString());
             asset.Data = data;
             asset.Temporary = true;
-            asset.Local = true;
+            asset.Local = ! m_persistBakedTextures; // Local assets aren't persisted, non-local are
             m_assetCache.Store(asset);
         }
 
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/Avatar/AvatarFactory/AvatarFactoryModule.cs b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/Avatar/AvatarFactory/AvatarFactoryModule.cs
index 903e94b112..5f8b4f6b0c 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/Avatar/AvatarFactory/AvatarFactoryModule.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/Avatar/AvatarFactory/AvatarFactoryModule.cs
@@ -48,20 +48,30 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.Avatar.AvatarFactory
         private static readonly byte[] BAKE_INDICES = new byte[] { 8, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20 };
         private Scene m_scene = null;
 
-        private static readonly int m_savetime = 5; // seconds to wait before saving changed appearance
-        private static readonly int m_sendtime = 2; // seconds to wait before sending changed appearance
+        private int m_savetime = 5; // seconds to wait before saving changed appearance
+        private int m_sendtime = 2; // seconds to wait before sending changed appearance
 
-        private static readonly int m_checkTime = 500; // milliseconds to wait between checks for appearance updates
+        private int m_checkTime = 500; // milliseconds to wait between checks for appearance updates
         private System.Timers.Timer m_updateTimer = new System.Timers.Timer();
         private Dictionary<UUID,long> m_savequeue = new Dictionary<UUID,long>();
         private Dictionary<UUID,long> m_sendqueue = new Dictionary<UUID,long>();
 
         #region RegionModule Members
 
-        public void Initialise(Scene scene, IConfigSource source)
+        public void Initialise(Scene scene, IConfigSource config)
         {
             scene.EventManager.OnNewClient += NewClient;
 
+            if (config != null)
+            {
+                IConfig sconfig = config.Configs["Startup"];
+                if (sconfig != null)
+                {
+                    m_savetime = Convert.ToInt32(sconfig.GetString("DelayBeforeAppearanceSave",Convert.ToString(m_savetime)));
+                    m_sendtime = Convert.ToInt32(sconfig.GetString("DelayBeforeAppearanceSend",Convert.ToString(m_sendtime)));
+                }
+            }
+
             if (m_scene == null)
                 m_scene = scene;
         }
diff --git a/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini b/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
index 82267edcc9..5ced7d586a 100644
--- a/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
+++ b/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
@@ -255,6 +255,20 @@
     ; OpenJPEG if false
     ; UseCSJ2K = true
 
+    ; Persist avatar baked textures
+    ; Persisting baked textures can speed up login and region border 
+    ; crossings especially with large numbers of users, though it
+    ; will store potentially large numbers of textures in your asset
+    ; database
+    PersistBakedTextures = false
+
+    ; Control the delay before appearance is sent to other avatars and
+    ; saved in the avatar service. Attempts to limit the impact caused
+    ; by the very chatty dialog that sets appearance when an avatar
+    ; logs in or teleports into a region; values are in seconds
+    DelayBeforeAppearanceSave = 5
+    DelayBeforeAppearanceSend = 2
+
 [SMTP]
     enabled=false