diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/World/Terrain/TerrainModule.cs b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/World/Terrain/TerrainModule.cs
index cf000a44dd..ef9c95c990 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/World/Terrain/TerrainModule.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/CoreModules/World/Terrain/TerrainModule.cs
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.World.Terrain
         private volatile bool m_tainted;
         private readonly Stack<LandUndoState> m_undo = new Stack<LandUndoState>(5);
 
+        private String m_InitialTerrain = "pinhead-island";
+
         /// <summary>
         /// Human readable list of terrain file extensions that are supported.
         /// </summary>
@@ -109,6 +111,9 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.World.Terrain
         /// <param name="config">Config for the region</param>
         public void Initialise(IConfigSource config)
         {
+            IConfig terrainConfig = config.Configs["Terrain"];
+            if (terrainConfig != null)
+                m_InitialTerrain = terrainConfig.GetString("InitialTerrain", m_InitialTerrain);
         }
 
         public void AddRegion(Scene scene)
@@ -120,7 +125,7 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.CoreModules.World.Terrain
             {
                 if (m_scene.Heightmap == null)
                 {
-                    m_channel = new TerrainChannel();
+                    m_channel = new TerrainChannel(m_InitialTerrain);
                     m_scene.Heightmap = m_channel;
                     m_revert = new TerrainChannel();
                     UpdateRevertMap();
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.cs
index 9bca654d12..6f2dd78a28 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/Scene.cs
@@ -1583,8 +1583,15 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                 double[,] map = SimulationDataService.LoadTerrain(RegionInfo.RegionID);
                 if (map == null)
                 {
-                    m_log.Info("[TERRAIN]: No default terrain. Generating a new terrain.");
-                    Heightmap = new TerrainChannel();
+                    // This should be in the Terrain module, but it isn't because
+                    // the heightmap is needed _way_ before the modules are initialized...
+                    IConfig terrainConfig = m_config.Configs["Terrain"];
+                    String m_InitialTerrain = "pinhead-island";
+                    if (terrainConfig != null)
+                        m_InitialTerrain = terrainConfig.GetString("InitialTerrain", m_InitialTerrain);
+
+                    m_log.InfoFormat("[TERRAIN]: No default terrain. Generating a new terrain {0}.", m_InitialTerrain);
+                    Heightmap = new TerrainChannel(m_InitialTerrain);
 
                     SimulationDataService.StoreTerrain(Heightmap.GetDoubles(), RegionInfo.RegionID);
                 }
diff --git a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/TerrainChannel.cs b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/TerrainChannel.cs
index ca6210d029..c0ca48ef39 100644
--- a/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/TerrainChannel.cs
+++ b/OpenSim/Region/Framework/Scenes/TerrainChannel.cs
@@ -46,23 +46,20 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
         public TerrainChannel()
         {
             map = new double[Constants.RegionSize, Constants.RegionSize];
-            taint = new bool[Constants.RegionSize / 16,Constants.RegionSize / 16];
+            taint = new bool[Constants.RegionSize / 16, Constants.RegionSize / 16];
 
-            int x;
-            for (x = 0; x < Constants.RegionSize; x++)
-            {
-                int y;
-                for (y = 0; y < Constants.RegionSize; y++)
-                {
-                    map[x, y] = TerrainUtil.PerlinNoise2D(x, y, 2, 0.125) * 10;
-                    double spherFacA = TerrainUtil.SphericalFactor(x, y, Constants.RegionSize / 2.0, Constants.RegionSize / 2.0, 50) * 0.01;
-                    double spherFacB = TerrainUtil.SphericalFactor(x, y, Constants.RegionSize / 2.0, Constants.RegionSize / 2.0, 100) * 0.001;
-                    if (map[x, y] < spherFacA)
-                        map[x, y] = spherFacA;
-                    if (map[x, y] < spherFacB)
-                        map[x, y] = spherFacB;
-                }
-            }
+            PinHeadIsland();
+        }
+
+        public TerrainChannel(String type)
+        {
+            map = new double[Constants.RegionSize, Constants.RegionSize];
+            taint = new bool[Constants.RegionSize / 16, Constants.RegionSize / 16];
+
+            if (type.Equals("flat"))
+                FlatLand();
+            else
+                PinHeadIsland();
         }
 
         public TerrainChannel(double[,] import)
@@ -238,5 +235,36 @@ namespace OpenSim.Region.Framework.Scenes
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        private void PinHeadIsland()
+        {
+            int x;
+            for (x = 0; x < Constants.RegionSize; x++)
+            {
+                int y;
+                for (y = 0; y < Constants.RegionSize; y++)
+                {
+                    map[x, y] = TerrainUtil.PerlinNoise2D(x, y, 2, 0.125) * 10;
+                    double spherFacA = TerrainUtil.SphericalFactor(x, y, Constants.RegionSize / 2.0, Constants.RegionSize / 2.0, 50) * 0.01;
+                    double spherFacB = TerrainUtil.SphericalFactor(x, y, Constants.RegionSize / 2.0, Constants.RegionSize / 2.0, 100) * 0.001;
+                    if (map[x, y] < spherFacA)
+                        map[x, y] = spherFacA;
+                    if (map[x, y] < spherFacB)
+                        map[x, y] = spherFacB;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void FlatLand()
+        {
+            int x;
+            for (x = 0; x < Constants.RegionSize; x++)
+            {
+                int y;
+                for (y = 0; y < Constants.RegionSize; y++)
+                    map[x, y] = 21;
+            }
+        }
+
     }
 }
diff --git a/bin/OpenSim.ini.example b/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
index a820ddf93f..7f25dfe882 100755
--- a/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
+++ b/bin/OpenSim.ini.example
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 
 
 [Startup]
-
     ;# {ConsolePrompt} {} {ConsolePrompt} {} "Region (\R) "
     ;; Console prompt
     ;; Certain special characters can be used to customize the prompt
@@ -773,6 +772,9 @@
     ;# {Enabled} {} {Enable Non Player Character (NPC) facilities} {true false} false
     ; Enabled = false
 
+[Terrain]
+    ;# {InitialTerrain} {} {Initial terrain type} {pinhead-island flat} pinhead-island
+    ; InitialTerrain = "pinhead-island"
 
 [PrimLimitsModule]
     ;# {EnforcePrimLimits} {} {Enforce parcel prim limits} {true false} false
diff --git a/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini b/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
index fab2c476be..fd31131bb5 100644
--- a/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
+++ b/bin/OpenSimDefaults.ini
@@ -1512,6 +1512,9 @@
     ;; Enable Non Player Character (NPC) facilities
     Enabled = false
 
+[Terrain]
+    InitialTerrain = "pinhead-island"
+
 ;; 
 ;; If you are using a simian grid frontend you can enable
 ;; this module to upload tile images for the mapping fn