diff --git a/tracks/app/views/layouts/login.rhtml b/tracks/app/views/layouts/login.rhtml
index e124c2bc..3e30e8f0 100644
--- a/tracks/app/views/layouts/login.rhtml
+++ b/tracks/app/views/layouts/login.rhtml
@@ -4,14 +4,7 @@
   <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
   <%= stylesheet_link_tag "scaffold" %>
   <%= javascript_include_tag :defaults %>
-  <script type="text/javascript">
-  function setfocus() {
-    var f = $('user_login');
-    if (!f) { f = $('openid_url'); }
-    if (f) { f.focus() };
-  }
-  Event.observe(window, 'load', setfocus);
-  </script>
+  
 <title><%= @page_title -%></title>
 
 </head>
diff --git a/tracks/app/views/login/login.rhtml b/tracks/app/views/login/login.rhtml
index f10bc677..317b7d69 100644
--- a/tracks/app/views/login/login.rhtml
+++ b/tracks/app/views/login/login.rhtml
@@ -1,52 +1,78 @@
-<% auth_schemes = Tracks::Config.auth_schemes -%>
+<% auth_schemes = Tracks::Config.auth_schemes
+   show_database_form = auth_schemes.include?('database')
+   show_openid_form = auth_schemes.include?('open_id')
+-%>
+
 <div title="Account login" id="loginform" class="form">
 
   <%= render_flash %>
 
   <h3>Please log in to use Tracks:</h3>
 
-  <% if auth_schemes.include?('database') || auth_schemes.include?('open_id') %>
-	  <% form_tag :action=> 'login' do %>
-	    <table>
-	      <tr>
-	        <td width="100px"><label for="user_login">Login:</label></td>
-	        <td width="100px"><input type="text" name="user_login" id="user_login" value="" class="login_text" /></td>
-	      </tr>
-	      <tr> 
-	        <td width="100px"><label for="user_password">Password:</label></td>
-	        <td width="100px"><input type="password" name="user_password" id="user_password" class="login_text" /></td>
-	      </tr>
-	     <tr> 
-	        <td width="100px"><label for="user_noexpiry">Stay logged in:</label></td>
-	        <td width="100px"><input type="checkbox" name="user_noexpiry" id="user_noexpiry" checked  /></td>
-	      </tr>
-	      <tr> 
-	        <td width="100px"></td>
-	        <td><input type="submit" name="login" value="Login &#187;" class="primary" /></td>
-	      </tr>
-	    </table>
-	  <% end %>
-  <% end %>
+<% if show_database_form %>
+  <div id="database_auth_form" style="display:block">
+      <% form_tag :action=> 'login' do %>
+        <table>
+          <tr>
+            <td width="100px"><label for="user_login">Login:</label></td>
+            <td width="100px"><input type="text" name="user_login" id="user_login" value="" class="login_text" /></td>
+          </tr>
+          <tr> 
+            <td width="100px"><label for="user_password">Password:</label></td>
+            <td width="100px"><input type="password" name="user_password" id="user_password" class="login_text" /></td>
+          </tr>
+         <tr> 
+            <td width="100px"><label for="user_noexpiry">Stay logged in:</label></td>
+            <td width="100px"><input type="checkbox" name="user_noexpiry" id="user_noexpiry" checked  /></td>
+          </tr>
+          <tr> 
+            <td width="100px"></td>
+            <td><input type="submit" name="login" value="Sign In &#187;" class="primary" /></td>
+          </tr>
+        </table>
+      <% end %>
+  </div>
+<% end %>
 
-  <% if auth_schemes.include?('open_id') %>
-	  <% form_tag :action=> 'login', :action => 'begin' do %>
-	    <table>
-	      <tr>
-	        <td width="100px"><label for="openid_url">Identity URL:</label></td>
-	        <td width="100px"><input type="text" name="openid_url" id="openid_url" value="<%= @openid_url %>" class="login_text open_id" /></td>
-	      </tr>
-	     <tr> 
-	        <td width="100px"><label for="user_noexpiry">Stay logged in:</label></td>
-	        <td width="100px"><input type="checkbox" name="user_noexpiry" id="user_noexpiry" checked  /></td>
-	      </tr>
-	      <tr> 
-	        <td width="100px"></td>
-	        <td><input type="submit" name="login" value="Verify &#187;" class="primary" /></td>
-	      </tr>
-	    </table>
-	  <% end %>
-  <% end %>
-    
+<% if show_openid_form %>
+  <div id="openid_auth_form" style="display:none">
+    <% form_tag :action=> 'login', :action => 'begin' do %>
+      <table>
+        <tr>
+          <td width="100px"><label for="openid_url">Identity URL:</label></td>
+          <td width="100px"><input type="text" name="openid_url" id="openid_url" value="<%= @openid_url %>" class="login_text open_id" /></td>
+        </tr>
+       <tr> 
+          <td width="100px"><label for="user_noexpiry">Stay logged in:</label></td>
+          <td width="100px"><input type="checkbox" name="user_noexpiry" id="user_noexpiry" checked  /></td>
+        </tr>
+        <tr> 
+          <td width="100px"></td>
+          <td><input type="submit" name="login" value="Sign In &#187;" class="primary" /></td>
+        </tr>
+      </table>
+    <% end %>
+  </div>
+ <% end %>
+ 
 </div>
+<% if show_openid_form %><p id="alternate_auth_openid" class="alternate_auth">or, <a href="#" onclick="Login.showOpenid();return false;">login with an OpenId</a></p><% end %>
+<% if show_database_form %><p id="alternate_auth_database" class="alternate_auth">or, <a href="#" onclick="Login.showDatabase();return false;">go back to the standard login</a></p><% end %>
 
-
+<script type="text/javascript">
+function showPreferredAuth() {
+  var preferredAuth = new CookieManager().getCookie('preferred_auth');
+  var databaseEnabled = <%= show_database_form ? 'true' : 'false' %>;
+  var openidEnabled = <%= show_openid_form ? 'true' : 'false' %>;
+	if (preferredAuth && preferredAuth == 'openid' && openidEnabled) {
+	  Login.showOpenid();
+	}
+	else if (databaseEnabled)  {
+	  Login.showDatabase();
+	}
+	else if (openidEnabled)  {
+	  Login.showOpenid();
+	}
+}
+Event.observe(window, 'load', showPreferredAuth);
+</script>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tracks/public/javascripts/application.js b/tracks/public/javascripts/application.js
index 7ade0bde..e194cd8d 100644
--- a/tracks/public/javascripts/application.js
+++ b/tracks/public/javascripts/application.js
@@ -1,3 +1,25 @@
+var Login = {
+  showOpenid: function() {
+    if ($('database_auth_form')) $('database_auth_form').hide();
+    if ($('openid_auth_form')) $('openid_auth_form').show();
+    if ($('alternate_auth_openid')) $('alternate_auth_openid').hide();
+    if ($('alternate_auth_database')) $('alternate_auth_database').show();
+    if ($('openid_url')) $('openid_url').focus();
+    if ($('openid_url')) $('openid_url').select();
+	new CookieManager().setCookie('preferred_auth', 'openid');
+  },
+
+  showDatabase: function(container) {
+    if ($('openid_auth_form')) $('openid_auth_form').hide();
+    if ($('database_auth_form')) $('database_auth_form').show();
+    if ($('alternate_auth_database')) $('alternate_auth_database').hide();
+    if ($('alternate_auth_openid')) $('alternate_auth_openid').show();
+    if ($('user_login')) $('user_login').focus();
+    if ($('user_login')) $('user_login').select();
+	new CookieManager().setCookie('preferred_auth', 'database');
+  }
+}
+
 Ajax.Responders.register({
   onCreate: function() {
     if($('busy') && Ajax.activeRequestCount>0)
diff --git a/tracks/public/stylesheets/scaffold.css b/tracks/public/stylesheets/scaffold.css
index eca0c9dc..060a372a 100644
--- a/tracks/public/stylesheets/scaffold.css
+++ b/tracks/public/stylesheets/scaffold.css
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ td {background-color: #ff9;}
 
 div.form {
   width: 350px;
-  margin: 100px auto;
+  margin: 100px auto 10px auto;
   padding: 10px;
   border: 1px solid #999;
   background: #ff9;
@@ -153,4 +153,10 @@ input.open_id {
    color: #000;
    padding-left: 18px;
    width:182px;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+p.alternate_auth {
+   text-align:center;
+}
+p.alternate_auth a {
+	text-decoration:underline;
+}