diff --git a/Smarty.addons.php b/Smarty.addons.php
index 82b0a8a4..ec194ff4 100644
--- a/Smarty.addons.php
+++ b/Smarty.addons.php
@@ -155,24 +155,33 @@ function smarty_func_html_options()
 
 	extract(func_get_arg(0));
 
-	settype($output, 'array');
-	settype($values, 'array');
-	settype($selected, 'array');
-
 	$html_result = "";
 
-	for ($i = 0; $i < count($output); $i++) {
-		/* By default, check value against $selected */
-		$sel_check = $values[$i];
-		$html_result .= "<option";
-		if ($i < count($values))
-			$html_result .= " value=\"".$values[$i]."\"";
-		else
-			$sel_check = $output[$i];   	/* if more outputs than values, then
-											   check output against $selected */		
-		if (in_array($sel_check, $selected))
-			$html_result .= " selected";
-		$html_result .= ">".$output[$i]."</option>\n";
+	settype($selected, 'array');
+	if (isset($options)) {
+		settype($options, 'array');
+		foreach ($options as $key => $value) {
+			$html_result .= "<option value=\"$key\"";
+			if (in_array($key, $selected))
+				$html_result .= " selected";
+			$html_result .= ">$value</option>\n";
+		}
+	} else {
+		settype($output, 'array');
+		settype($values, 'array');
+		for ($i = 0; $i < count($output); $i++) {
+			/* By default, check value against $selected */
+			$sel_check = $values[$i];
+			$html_result .= "<option";
+			if ($i < count($values))
+				$html_result .= " value=\"".$values[$i]."\"";
+			else
+				$sel_check = $output[$i];   	/* if more outputs than values, then
+												   check output against $selected */		
+			if (in_array($sel_check, $selected))
+				$html_result .= " selected";
+			$html_result .= ">".$output[$i]."</option>\n";
+		}
 	}
 
 	if ($print_result)
diff --git a/demo/index.php b/demo/index.php
index b478f8e5..21a70831 100644
--- a/demo/index.php
+++ b/demo/index.php
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ $smarty->assign("Class",array(array("A","B","C","D"), array("E", "F", "G", "H"),
 $smarty->assign("contacts", array(array("phone" => "1", "fax" => "2", "cell" => "3"),
 								  array("phone" => "555-4444", "fax" => "555-3333", "cell" => "760-1234")));
 
-$smarty->assign("now",time());
-
 $smarty->display("index.tpl");
 
 function insert_foo($args)
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index b478f8e5..21a70831 100644
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -17,8 +17,6 @@ $smarty->assign("Class",array(array("A","B","C","D"), array("E", "F", "G", "H"),
 $smarty->assign("contacts", array(array("phone" => "1", "fax" => "2", "cell" => "3"),
 								  array("phone" => "555-4444", "fax" => "555-3333", "cell" => "760-1234")));
 
-$smarty->assign("now",time());
-
 $smarty->display("index.tpl");
 
 function insert_foo($args)