diff --git a/wp-admin/admin-functions.php b/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
index 773f6381ac..e05ee2f5b9 100644
--- a/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
+++ b/wp-admin/admin-functions.php
@@ -497,20 +497,17 @@ function save_mod_rewrite_rules() {
 	global $is_apache, $wp_rewrite;
 	$home_path = get_home_path();
 
-	if ( (!file_exists($home_path.'.htaccess') && is_writable($home_path)) || is_writable($home_path.'.htaccess') )
-		$writable = true;
-	else
-		$writable = false;
+	if (! $wp_rewrite->using_mod_rewrite_permalinks())
+		return;
 
-	if ($wp_rewrite->using_index_permalinks())
-		$usingpi = true;
-	else
-		$usingpi = false;
+	if ( ! ((!file_exists($home_path.'.htaccess') && is_writable($home_path)) || is_writable($home_path.'.htaccess')) )
+		return;
 
-	if ( $writable && !$usingpi && $is_apache ) {
-		$rules = explode("\n", $wp_rewrite->mod_rewrite_rules());
-		insert_with_markers($home_path.'.htaccess', 'WordPress', $rules);
-	}
+	if (! $is_apache)
+		return;
+
+	$rules = explode("\n", $wp_rewrite->mod_rewrite_rules());
+	insert_with_markers($home_path.'.htaccess', 'WordPress', $rules);
 }
 
 function generate_page_rewrite_rules() {
diff --git a/wp-includes/classes.php b/wp-includes/classes.php
index c910eb515e..7c1e34ce8b 100644
--- a/wp-includes/classes.php
+++ b/wp-includes/classes.php
@@ -764,6 +764,13 @@ class WP_Rewrite {
 					 's='
 					 );
 
+	function using_permalinks() {
+		if (empty($this->permalink_structure))
+			return false;
+		else
+			return true;
+	}					
+
 	function using_index_permalinks() {
     if (empty($this->permalink_structure)) {
 			return false;
@@ -777,6 +784,13 @@ class WP_Rewrite {
     return false;
 	}
 
+	function using_mod_rewrite_permalinks() {
+		if ( $this->using_permalinks() && ! $this->using_index_permalinks())
+			return true;
+		else
+			return false;
+	}					
+
 	function preg_index($number) {
     $match_prefix = '$';
     $match_suffix = '';
@@ -1058,6 +1072,10 @@ class WP_Rewrite {
 	}
 
 	function mod_rewrite_rules () {
+		if ( ! $this->using_permalinks()) {
+			return '';
+		}
+
 		$site_root = str_replace('http://', '', trim(get_settings('siteurl')));
 		$site_root = preg_replace('|([^/]*)(.*)|i', '$2', $site_root);
 		if ('/' != substr($site_root, -1)) $site_root = $site_root . '/';