diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 2a0049de..dc411cfb 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Version 2.6.0-development+timestamp.2013.08.08.14.19.43
+Version 2.6.0-development+timestamp.2013.08.09.03.37.59
diff --git a/gluon/tools.py b/gluon/tools.py
index 1f98e6af..22338607 100644
--- a/gluon/tools.py
+++ b/gluon/tools.py
@@ -1759,7 +1759,8 @@ class Auth(object):
             description=str(description % vars),
             origin=origin, user_id=user_id)
 
-    def get_or_create_user(self, keys, update_fields=['email'], login=True):
+    def get_or_create_user(self, keys, update_fields=['email'],
+                           login=True, get=True):
         """
         Used for alternate login methods:
             If the user exists already then password is updated.
@@ -1789,6 +1790,9 @@ class Auth(object):
                 and ('registration_id' not in keys or user.registration_id != str(keys['registration_id'])):
             user = None  # THINK MORE ABOUT THIS? DO WE TRUST OPENID PROVIDER?
         if user:
+            if not get:
+                # added for register_bare to avoid overwriting users
+                return None
             update_keys = dict(registration_id=keys['registration_id'])
             for key in update_fields:
                 if key in keys:
@@ -1877,10 +1881,7 @@ class Auth(object):
         self.user = user
         self.update_groups()
 
-    def login_bare(self, username, password):
-        """
-        logins user as specified by usernname (or email) and password
-        """
+    def _get_login_settings(self):
         table_user = self.table_user()
         if self.settings.login_userfield:
             userfield = self.settings.login_userfield
@@ -1889,20 +1890,58 @@ class Auth(object):
         else:
             userfield = 'email'
         passfield = self.settings.password_field
-        user = self.db(table_user[userfield] == username).select().first()
-        if user and user.get(passfield, False):
-            password = table_user[passfield].validate(password)[0]
-            if not user.registration_key and password == user[passfield]:
+        return Storage({"table_user": table_user,
+                        "userfield": userfield,
+                        "passfield": passfield})
+
+    def login_bare(self, username, password):
+        """
+        logins user as specified by username (or email) and password
+        """
+        settings = self._get_login_settings()
+        user = self.db(settings.table_user[settings.userfield] == \
+                       username).select().first()
+        if user and user.get(settings.passfield, False):
+            password = settings.table_user[
+                settings.passfield].validate(password)[0]
+            if not user.registration_key and password == \
+                user[settings.passfield]:
                 self.login_user(user)
                 return user
         else:
             # user not in database try other login methods
             for login_method in self.settings.login_methods:
-                if login_method != self and login_method(username, password):
+                if login_method != self and \
+                    login_method(username, password):
                     self.user = username
                     return username
         return False
 
+    def register_bare(self, **fields):
+        """
+        registers a user as specified by username (or email)
+        and a raw password.
+        """
+        settings = self._get_login_settings()
+        if not fields.get(settings.passfield):
+            raise ValueError("register_bare: " +
+                             "password not provided or invalid")
+        elif not fields.get(settings.userfield):
+            raise ValueError("register_bare: " +
+                             "userfield not provided or invalid")
+        fields[settings.passfield
+            ] = settings.table_user[settings.passfield].validate(
+                    fields[settings.passfield])[0]
+        user = self.get_or_create_user(fields, login=False,
+                   get=False,
+                   update_fields=self.settings.update_fields)
+        if not user:
+            # get or create did not create a user (it ignores
+            # duplicate records)
+            return False
+        return user
+
+
     def cas_login(
         self,
         next=DEFAULT,