diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index b54adf91..3cc5c854 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+    - added html_image to distribution (Monte)
     - added cat modifier (Monte)
     - added << >> <> support to if statments (SMK, Monte)
     - fix _assign_smarty_interface to not overwrite keys
diff --git a/libs/Smarty.class.php b/libs/Smarty.class.php
index a6e98f02..c29dedf7 100644
--- a/libs/Smarty.class.php
+++ b/libs/Smarty.class.php
@@ -1367,11 +1367,11 @@ class Smarty
      * @param string $name
      */    
 	function &get_registered_object($name) {
-		if (!isset($this->_reg_objects[$object]))
-		$this->_trigger_fatal_error("'$object' is not a registered object");
+		if (!isset($this->_reg_objects[$name]))
+		$this->_trigger_fatal_error("'$name' is not a registered object");
 
-		if (!is_object($this->_reg_objects[$object][0]))
-		$this->_trigger_fatal_error("registered '$object' is not an object");
+		if (!is_object($this->_reg_objects[$name][0]))
+		$this->_trigger_fatal_error("registered '$name' is not an object");
 
 		return $this->_reg_objects[$name][0];		
 	}	
diff --git a/libs/plugins/function.html_image.php b/libs/plugins/function.html_image.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d9d69dbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/plugins/function.html_image.php
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+<?php
+
+/*
+ * Smarty plugin
+ * -------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Type:     function
+ * Name:     html_image
+ * Version:  1.0
+ * Date:     Feb 24, 2003
+ * Author:	 Monte Ohrt <monte@ispi.net>
+ * Purpose:  format HTML tags for the image
+ * Input:    name = name of image (required)
+ *           border = border width (optional, default 0)
+ *           height = image height (optional, default actual height)
+ *           image =image width (optional, default actual width)
+ *           basedir= base directory for absolute paths, default
+ *           is environment variable DOCUMENT_ROOT
+ * 
+ * Examples: {image name="images/masthead.gif"}
+ * Output:   <img src="images/masthead.gif" border=0 width=400 height=23>
+ * -------------------------------------------------------------
+ */
+function smarty_function_html_image($params, &$smarty)
+{	
+	$name = '';
+	$border = 0;
+	$height = null;
+	$width = null;
+	$basedir = isset($GLOBALS['HTTP_SERVER_VARS']['DOCUMENT_ROOT'])
+			? $GLOBALS['HTTP_SERVER_VARS']['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] : null;
+	
+    extract($params);
+
+    if (empty($name)) {
+        $smarty->trigger_error("html_image: missing 'name' parameter", E_USER_ERROR);
+    }
+
+	if(substr($name,0,1) == DIR_SEP) {
+		$_image_path = $basedir . DIR_SEP . $name;
+	} else {
+		$_image_path = $name;
+	}
+	
+	if(!file_exists($_image_path)) {
+        $smarty->trigger_error("html_image: unable to find '$_image_path'", E_USER_ERROR);		
+	}
+
+	if(!is_readable($_image_path)) {
+        $smarty->trigger_error("html_image: unable to read '$_image_path'", E_USER_ERROR);		
+	}
+	
+	if(!$_image_data = getimagesize($_image_path)) {
+        $smarty->trigger_error("html_image: '$_image_path' is not a valid image file", E_USER_ERROR);
+	}
+			
+	return "<img src=\"$name\" border=\"$border\" ".$_image_data[3].'>';
+}
+
+/* vim: set expandtab: */
+
+?>