=== modified file 'lisp/ChangeLog'
--- lisp/ChangeLog	2010-05-27 07:08:37 +0000
+++ lisp/ChangeLog	2010-05-27 10:48:36 +0000
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2010-05-27  Tassilo Horn  <address@hidden>
+
+	* ido.el (ido-exhibit, ido-buffer-internal)
+	(ido-toggle-virtual-buffers, ido-make-buffer-list)
+	(ido-buffer-internal): ido-use-virtual-buffers now is a choice
+	option with values 'never (default), 'always, and 'auto.  The
+	latter means, show virtual buffers if the current input doesn't
+	match any existing buffer.
+
+	Based on a patch by Leo <address@hidden>.
+
 2010-05-27  Kenichi Handa  <address@hidden>
 
 	* language/hebrew.el (hebrew-shape-gstring): Check if a glyph

=== modified file 'lisp/ido.el'
--- lisp/ido.el	2010-05-25 02:11:08 +0000
+++ lisp/ido.el	2010-05-27 10:41:37 +0000
@@ -774,8 +774,10 @@
   :type '(repeat string)
   :group 'ido)
 
-(defcustom ido-use-virtual-buffers nil
-  "If non-nil, refer to past buffers as well as existing ones.
+(defcustom ido-use-virtual-buffers 'never
+  "If `always', refer to past buffers as well as existing ones.
+If `auto', refer to past buffers only when the current input
+doesn't match an existing buffer.
 Essentially it works as follows: Say you are visiting a file and
 the buffer gets cleaned up by mignight.el.  Later, you want to
 switch to that buffer, but find it's no longer open.  With
@@ -785,11 +787,12 @@
 to think less about whether recently opened files are still open
 or not.  Most of the time you can quit Emacs, restart, and then
 switch to a file buffer that was previously open as if it still
-were.
-    This feature relies upon the `recentf' package, which will be
-enabled if this variable is configured to a non-nil value."
+were.  This feature relies upon the `recentf' package, which will
+be enabled if this variable is configured to a non-nil value."
   :version "24.1"
-  :type 'boolean
+  :type '(choice (const always)
+		 (const auto)
+		 (const never))
   :group 'ido)
 
 (defcustom ido-use-faces t
@@ -1056,7 +1059,7 @@
 (defvar ido-virtual-buffers nil
   "List of virtual buffers, that is, past visited files.
 This is a copy of `recentf-list', pared down and with faces applied.
-Only used if `ido-use-virtual-buffers' is non-nil.")
+Only used if `ido-use-virtual-buffers' is not `never'.")
 
 ;;; Variables with dynamic bindings.
 ;;; Declared here to keep the byte compiler quiet.
@@ -2182,7 +2185,7 @@
 	   (ido-directory-nonreadable nil)
 	   (ido-directory-too-big nil)
 	   (ido-use-virtual-buffers (if (eq method 'kill)
-					nil    ;; Don't consider virtual buffers for killing
+					'never ;; Don't consider virtual buffers for killing
 				      ido-use-virtual-buffers))
 	   (require-match (confirm-nonexistent-file-or-buffer))
 	   (buf (ido-read-internal 'buffer (or prompt "Buffer: ") 'ido-buffer-history default
@@ -2224,7 +2227,9 @@
 	  (ido-visit-buffer buf method t)))
 
        ;; check for a virtual buffer reference
-       ((and ido-use-virtual-buffers ido-virtual-buffers
+       ((and (or (eq ido-use-virtual-buffers 'always)
+		 (eq ido-use-virtual-buffers 'auto))
+	     ido-virtual-buffers
 	     (setq filename (assoc buf ido-virtual-buffers)))
 	(ido-visit-buffer (find-file-noselect (cdr filename)) method t))
 
@@ -2712,7 +2717,9 @@
 See `ido-use-virtual-buffers' for explanation of virtual buffer."
   (interactive)
   (when (and ido-mode (eq ido-cur-item 'buffer))
-    (setq ido-use-virtual-buffers (not ido-use-virtual-buffers))
+    (setq ido-use-virtual-buffers (if (eq ido-use-virtual-buffers 'never)
+				      'always
+				    'never))
     (setq ido-text-init ido-text)
     (setq ido-exit 'refresh)
     (exit-minibuffer)))
@@ -3403,7 +3410,9 @@
     (when (and default (buffer-live-p (get-buffer default)))
       (setq ido-temp-list
 	    (cons default (delete default ido-temp-list))))
-    (if ido-use-virtual-buffers
+    (if (or (eq ido-use-virtual-buffers 'always)
+	    (and (eq ido-use-virtual-buffers 'auto)
+		 (not ido-matches)))
 	(ido-add-virtual-buffers-to-list))
     (run-hooks 'ido-make-buffer-list-hook)
     ido-temp-list))
@@ -4465,6 +4474,13 @@
 	    (setq ido-exit 'refresh)
 	    (exit-minibuffer)))
 
+	(when (and (eq ido-use-virtual-buffers 'auto)
+                   (eq ido-cur-item 'buffer)
+                   (not ido-matches))
+          (setq ido-text-init ido-text)
+          (setq ido-exit 'refresh)
+          (exit-minibuffer))
+
 	(when (and
 	       ido-rescan
 	       (not ido-matches)