diff -Naur orangefs-2.8.6.p1/src/client/sysint/sys-create.sm orangefs-2.8.6/src/client/sysint/sys-create.sm
--- orangefs-2.8.6.p1/src/client/sysint/sys-create.sm	2012-04-14 00:23:05.000000000 +0400
+++ orangefs-2.8.6/src/client/sysint/sys-create.sm	2012-08-30 14:34:24.129659209 +0400
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@
     PVFS_error ret = -PVFS_EINVAL;
     PINT_smcb *smcb = NULL;
     PINT_client_sm *sm_p = NULL;
+    struct server_configuration_s *server_config = NULL;
+    enum PVFS_sys_layout_algorithm layout_algo = PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_ROUND_ROBIN;
 
     gossip_debug(GOSSIP_CLIENT_DEBUG, "PVFS_isys_create entered\n");
 
@@ -244,7 +246,17 @@
     }
     else
     {
-        sm_p->u.create.layout.algorithm = PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_ROUND_ROBIN;
+        sm_p->object_ref = parent_ref;
+        /* get default filesystem layout */
+        server_config = PINT_get_server_config_struct(sm_p->parent_ref.fs_id);
+        if (server_config)
+        {
+            layout_algo = server_config->default_layout_algo;
+            /* Release the server config mutex */
+            PINT_put_server_config_struct(server_config);
+        }
+
+        sm_p->u.create.layout.algorithm = layout_algo;
     }
 
     sm_p->object_ref = parent_ref;
diff -Naur orangefs-2.8.6.p1/src/common/misc/server-config.c orangefs-2.8.6/src/common/misc/server-config.c
--- orangefs-2.8.6.p1/src/common/misc/server-config.c	2012-06-12 13:08:33.000000000 +0400
+++ orangefs-2.8.6/src/common/misc/server-config.c	2012-08-30 14:47:21.951009424 +0400
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@
 static DOTCONF_CB(directio_thread_num);
 static DOTCONF_CB(directio_ops_per_queue);
 static DOTCONF_CB(directio_timeout);
+static DOTCONF_CB(get_default_layout_algo);
 static DOTCONF_CB(tree_width);
 static DOTCONF_CB(tree_threshhold);
 
@@ -1028,6 +1029,29 @@
     {"TreeThreshhold", ARG_INT, tree_threshhold, NULL,
         CTX_FILESYSTEM, "2"},
 
+    /* Specifies the default data layout for a filesystem.
+     * Supported values are:
+     *
+     * none - PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_NONE:
+     * servers are selected in the order listed  in the configuration
+     * starting with the first one;
+     *
+     * random - PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_RANDOM:
+     * servers are selected in random order but no server is used twice;
+     *
+     * round-robin - PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_ROUND_ROBIN (default):
+     * servers are selected in the order listed in the configuration
+     * starting with a random one;
+     *
+     * local - PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_LOCAL:
+     * puts a file on the server on the same node as the client, if there
+     * is one. Otherwise defaults to round_robin;
+     *
+     * PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_LIST is currently not supported as a default value;
+     * */
+    {"LayoutAlgo", ARG_STR, get_default_layout_algo, NULL,
+        CTX_DEFAULTS, "round-robin"},
+
     LAST_OPTION
 };
 
@@ -3072,6 +3096,37 @@
     return NULL;
 }
 
+DOTCONF_CB(get_default_layout_algo)
+{
+    struct server_configuration_s *config_s =
+        (struct server_configuration_s *)cmd->context;
+
+    enum PVFS_sys_layout_algorithm *algo = &config_s->default_layout_algo;
+
+    if(!strcmp(cmd->data.str, "round-robin"))
+    {
+        *algo = PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_ROUND_ROBIN;
+    }
+    else if(!strcmp(cmd->data.str, "random"))
+    {
+        *algo = PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_RANDOM;
+    }
+    else if(!strcmp(cmd->data.str, "local"))
+    {
+        *algo = PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_LOCAL;
+    }
+    else if(!strcmp(cmd->data.str, "none"))
+    {
+        *algo = PVFS_SYS_LAYOUT_NONE;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        return "Error unknown LayoutAlgo option, valid values are:\n"
+               "local, none, random, round-robin\n";
+    }
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 /*
  * Function: PINT_config_release
  *
diff -Naur orangefs-2.8.6.p1/src/common/misc/server-config.h orangefs-2.8.6/src/common/misc/server-config.h
--- orangefs-2.8.6.p1/src/common/misc/server-config.h	2012-04-19 18:01:24.000000000 +0400
+++ orangefs-2.8.6/src/common/misc/server-config.h	2012-08-30 14:47:40.867360874 +0400
@@ -201,6 +201,9 @@
                                      * be configurable.
                                      */
     int trove_method;
+
+    enum PVFS_sys_layout_algorithm default_layout_algo; /* Default data layout algorithm:
+                                                           local, none, random, round-robin (default) */
     void *private_data;
     int32_t tree_width;
     int32_t tree_threshhold;