Index: django/conf/global_settings.py
===================================================================
--- django/conf/global_settings.py	(revision 11797)
+++ django/conf/global_settings.py	(working copy)
@@ -236,6 +236,10 @@
 # Example: "http://media.lawrence.com"
 MEDIA_URL = ''
 
+# To differentiate between user uploaded and "really" static content
+STATIC_ROOT = MEDIA_ROOT
+STATIC_URL = MEDIA_URL
+
 # List of upload handler classes to be applied in order.
 FILE_UPLOAD_HANDLERS = (
     'django.core.files.uploadhandler.MemoryFileUploadHandler',
Index: django/forms/widgets.py
===================================================================
--- django/forms/widgets.py	(revision 11797)
+++ django/forms/widgets.py	(working copy)
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
     def absolute_path(self, path):
         if path.startswith(u'http://') or path.startswith(u'https://') or path.startswith(u'/'):
             return path
-        return urljoin(settings.MEDIA_URL,path)
+        return urljoin(settings.STATIC_URL,path)
 
     def __getitem__(self, name):
         "Returns a Media object that only contains media of the given type"
Index: django/core/context_processors.py
===================================================================
--- django/core/context_processors.py	(revision 11797)
+++ django/core/context_processors.py	(working copy)
@@ -64,7 +64,8 @@
     Adds media-related context variables to the context.
 
     """
-    return {'MEDIA_URL': settings.MEDIA_URL}
+    return {'MEDIA_URL': settings.MEDIA_URL,
+            'STATIC_URL': settings.STATIC_URL}
 
 def request(request):
     return {'request': request}
Index: docs/ref/settings.txt
===================================================================
--- docs/ref/settings.txt	(revision 11797)
+++ docs/ref/settings.txt	(working copy)
@@ -980,6 +980,34 @@
 
 .. _site framework docs: ../sites/
 
+.. setting:: STATIC_ROOT
+
+STATIC_ROOT
+----------
+
+Default: ``MEDIA_ROOT``
+
+Absolute path to the directory that holds media for this installation.
+Example: ``"/home/media/media.lawrence.com/"`` 
+See also ``STATIC_URL``, ``MEDIA_ROOT``, ``MEDIA_URL``.
+
+.. setting:: STATIC_URL
+
+STATIC_URL
+---------
+
+Default: ``MEDIA_URL``
+
+URL that handles the media served from ``STATIC_ROOT``.
+Example: ``"http://static.lawrence.com"``
+
+Note that this should have a trailing slash if it has a path component.
+
+Good: ``"http://www.example.com/static/"``
+Bad: ``"http://www.example.com/static"``
+
+See also ``MEDIA_URL``
+
 .. setting:: TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS
 
 TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS