diff --git a/includes/menu.inc b/includes/menu.inc
index 4f610f39dba5b9097376a04a56902cc0051aa0f0..6df95f11c0446d0b91bcf2136c539dcee9b14548 100644
--- a/includes/menu.inc
+++ b/includes/menu.inc
@@ -315,12 +315,16 @@ function menu_get_ancestors($parts) {
     }
     $current = '';
     for ($j = $length; $j >= 0; $j--) {
+      // Check the bit on the $j offset.
       if ($i & (1 << $j)) {
+        // Bit one means the original value.
         $current .= $parts[$length - $j];
       }
       else {
+        // Bit zero means means wildcard.
         $current .= '%';
       }
+      // Unless we are at offset 0, add a slash.
       if ($j) {
         $current .= '/';
       }
@@ -1735,7 +1739,7 @@ function menu_local_tasks($level = 0) {
       return $empty;
     }
 
-    // Get all tabs and the root page.
+    // Get all tabs (also known as local tasks) and the root page.
     $result = db_select('menu_router', NULL, array('fetch' => PDO::FETCH_ASSOC))
       ->fields('menu_router')
       ->condition('tab_root', $router_item['tab_root'])
@@ -1772,12 +1776,19 @@ function menu_local_tasks($level = 0) {
       $tab_count = 0;
       $action_count = 0;
       foreach ($children[$path] as $item) {
+        // Local tasks can be normal items too, so bitmask with
+        // MENU_IS_LOCAL_TASK before checking.
+        if (!($item['type'] & MENU_IS_LOCAL_TASK)) {
+          // This item is not a tab, skip it.
+          continue;
+        }
         if ($item['access']) {
           $link = $item;
-          // The default task is always active.
-          if ($item['type'] == MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK) {
+          // The default task is always active. As tabs can be normal items
+          // too, so bitmask with MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT before checking.
+          if (($item['type'] & MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT) == MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT) {
             // Find the first parent which is not a default local task or action.
-            for ($p = $item['tab_parent']; $tasks[$p]['type'] == MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK; $p = $tasks[$p]['tab_parent']);
+            for ($p = $item['tab_parent']; ($tasks[$p]['type'] & MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT) == MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT; $p = $tasks[$p]['tab_parent']);
             // Use the path of the parent instead.
             $link['href'] = $tasks[$p]['href'];
             $tabs_current[] = array(
@@ -1789,19 +1800,23 @@ function menu_local_tasks($level = 0) {
             $tab_count++;
           }
           else {
-            if ($item['type'] == MENU_LOCAL_TASK) {
-              $tabs_current[] = array(
-                '#theme' => 'menu_local_task',
+            // Actions can be normal items too, so bitmask with
+            // MENU_IS_LOCAL_ACTION before checking.
+            if (($item['type'] & MENU_IS_LOCAL_ACTION) == MENU_IS_LOCAL_ACTION) {
+              // The item is an action, display it as such.
+              $actions_current[] = array(
+                '#theme' => 'menu_local_action',
                 '#link' => $link,
               );
-              $tab_count++;
+              $action_count++;
             }
             else {
-              $actions_current[] = array(
-                '#theme' => 'menu_local_action',
+              // Otherwise, it's a normal tab.
+              $tabs_current[] = array(
+                '#theme' => 'menu_local_task',
                 '#link' => $link,
               );
-              $action_count++;
+              $tab_count++;
             }
           }
         }
@@ -1825,15 +1840,18 @@ function menu_local_tasks($level = 0) {
       $next_parent = '';
       $count = 0;
       foreach ($children[$parent] as $item) {
+        // Skip local actions.
         if ($item['type'] & MENU_IS_LOCAL_ACTION) {
           continue;
         }
         if ($item['access']) {
           $count++;
           $link = $item;
-          if ($item['type'] == MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK) {
+          // Local tasks can be normal items too, so bitmask with
+          // MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT before checking.
+          if (($item['type'] & MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT) == MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT) {
             // Find the first parent which is not a default local task.
-            for ($p = $item['tab_parent']; $tasks[$p]['type'] == MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK; $p = $tasks[$p]['tab_parent']);
+            for ($p = $item['tab_parent']; ($tasks[$p]['type'] & MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT) == MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT; $p = $tasks[$p]['tab_parent']);
             // Use the path of the parent instead.
             $link['href'] = $tasks[$p]['href'];
             if ($item['path'] == $router_item['path']) {
@@ -2215,7 +2233,7 @@ function menu_get_active_breadcrumb() {
     $end = end($active_trail);
 
     // Don't show a link to the current page in the breadcrumb trail.
-    if ($item['href'] == $end['href'] || ($item['type'] == MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK && $end['href'] != '<front>')) {
+    if ($item['href'] == $end['href'] || (($item['type'] & MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT) == MENU_LINKS_TO_PARENT && $end['href'] != '<front>')) {
       array_pop($breadcrumb);
     }
   }
diff --git a/modules/dashboard/dashboard.module b/modules/dashboard/dashboard.module
index 0ac52f2b623698c7f75c72fd4daa0e878c376b7c..02f4177070990c4c10f5cd7bc58ffee9c03a3d88 100644
--- a/modules/dashboard/dashboard.module
+++ b/modules/dashboard/dashboard.module
@@ -29,17 +29,18 @@ function dashboard_menu() {
     'title' => 'Dashboard',
     'description' => 'View and customize your dashboard',
     'page callback' => 'dashboard_admin',
-    'access arguments' => array('access administration pages'),
+    'access arguments' => array('access dashboard'),
+    'type' => MENU_LOCAL_TASK | MENU_NORMAL_ITEM,
     // Make this appear first, so for example, in admin menus, it shows up on
     // the top corner of the window as a convinient "home link".
-    'weight' => -100,
+    'weight' => -15,
   );
   $items['admin/dashboard/customize'] = array(
     'title' => 'Dashboard',
     'description' => 'View and customize your dashboard',
     'page callback' => 'dashboard_admin',
     'page arguments' => array(TRUE),
-    'access arguments' => array('access administration pages'),
+    'access arguments' => array('access dashboard'),
     'type' => MENU_CALLBACK,
   );
   $items['admin/dashboard/drawer'] = array(
@@ -62,14 +63,17 @@ function dashboard_menu() {
 }
 
 /**
- * Implements hook_menu_alter().
+ * Implements hook_permission().
  */
-function dashboard_menu_alter(&$items) {
-  // Make the dashboard the default local task on /admin.
-  $items['admin']['title'] = 'Dashboard';
-  $items['admin']['page callback'] = 'dashboard_admin';
-  $items['admin/dashboard']['type'] = MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK;
-  $items['admin/by-task']['type'] = MENU_LOCAL_TASK;
+function dashboard_permission() {
+  return array(
+    'access dashboard' => array(
+      'title' => t('View the administrative dashboard'),
+      'description' => t('Customizing the dashboard requires the !permission-name permission.', array(
+        '!permission-name' => l(t('Administer blocks'), 'admin/people/permissions', array('fragment' => 'module-block')),
+      )),
+    ),
+  );
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/modules/dashboard/dashboard.test b/modules/dashboard/dashboard.test
index 6d9a21e4f2f7dced79664f3f41be21b101c67740..8d7f222960338fea313eb1e867dacbd53a9c53aa 100644
--- a/modules/dashboard/dashboard.test
+++ b/modules/dashboard/dashboard.test
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ class DashboardAccessTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     parent::setUp();
 
     // Create and log in an administrative user having access to the dashboard.
-    $admin_user = $this->drupalCreateUser(array('access administration pages', 'administer blocks'));
+    $admin_user = $this->drupalCreateUser(array('access dashboard', 'administer blocks'));
     $this->drupalLogin($admin_user);
 
     // Make sure that the dashboard is using the same theme as the rest of the
@@ -46,14 +46,14 @@ class DashboardAccessTestCase extends DrupalWebTestCase {
     $this->drupalPost('admin/structure/block/add', $custom_block, t('Save block'));
 
     // Ensure admin access.
-    $this->drupalGet('admin');
+    $this->drupalGet('admin/dashboard');
     $this->assertResponse(200, t('Admin has access to the dashboard.'));
     $this->assertRaw($custom_block['title'], t('Admin has access to a dashboard block.'));
 
     // Ensure non-admin access is denied.
     $normal_user = $this->drupalCreateUser();
     $this->drupalLogin($normal_user);
-    $this->drupalGet('admin');
+    $this->drupalGet('admin/dashboard');
     $this->assertResponse(403, t('Non-admin has no access to the dashboard.'));
     $this->assertNoText($custom_block['title'], t('Non-admin has no access to a dashboard block.'));
   }
diff --git a/modules/system/system.module b/modules/system/system.module
index 364feb0e0493e09f22c90429ecd06355f69053c7..d19c02912f2a531cff271c735ba3b9aad82e604d 100644
--- a/modules/system/system.module
+++ b/modules/system/system.module
@@ -543,13 +543,14 @@ function system_menu() {
     'access arguments' => array('access administration pages'),
     'type' => MENU_DEFAULT_LOCAL_TASK,
     'file' => 'system.admin.inc',
+    'weight' => -20,
   );
   $items['admin/by-module'] = array(
     'title' => 'By module',
     'page callback' => 'system_admin_by_module',
     'access arguments' => array('access administration pages'),
     'type' => MENU_LOCAL_TASK,
-    'weight' => 2,
+    'weight' => -18,
     'file' => 'system.admin.inc',
   );