diff -ur pathauto.orig/pathauto.admin.inc pathauto/pathauto.admin.inc
--- pathauto.orig/pathauto.admin.inc	2010-02-20 20:27:45.000000000 +0200
+++ pathauto/pathauto.admin.inc	2010-02-28 21:29:56.148221252 +0200
@@ -146,6 +146,21 @@
     '#wysiwyg' => FALSE,
   );
 
+  if (module_exists('locale')) {
+    $lang_alias_options = array(
+      'default_handling' => t('Default language handling. Each alias will be enabled for the language of its node.'),
+      'no_lang_pattern_all_langs' => t('Aliases for nodes <em>without language-specific patterns</em> will be enabled for <strong>all languages</strong>.'),
+      'all_aliases_all_langs' => t('Aliases for <em>all nodes</em>, including those with language-specific patterns, will be enabled for <strong>all languages</strong>.'));
+
+    $form['general']['pathauto_node_enable_alias_for_all_languages'] = array(
+      '#type' => 'radios',
+      '#title' => t('Language handling for aliases of localized nodes'),
+      '#default_value' => variable_get('pathauto_node_enable_alias_for_all_languages', 'default_handling'),
+      '#options' => $lang_alias_options,
+      '#description' => t('Enable language neutral behaviour in alias creation for localized nodes. By enabling this setting, aliases for nodes <em>without language specific patterns</em> will be enabled for <strong>all languages</strong>.'),
+    );
+  }
+
   $form['punctuation'] = array(
     '#type' => 'fieldset',
     '#weight' => $group_weight,
diff -ur pathauto.orig/pathauto.inc pathauto/pathauto.inc
--- pathauto.orig/pathauto.inc	2010-02-20 05:05:19.000000000 +0200
+++ pathauto/pathauto.inc	2010-02-28 21:31:26.155221322 +0200
@@ -283,6 +283,24 @@
     }
   }
 
+  if ($module == 'node') {
+    $alias_for_all_languages = variable_get('pathauto_node_enable_alias_for_all_languages', 'default_handling');
+
+    // FIXME: the two conditions below can be merged. In the final patch.
+
+    if ($alias_for_all_languages == 'no_lang_pattern_all_langs') {
+      // Check if there isn't a language specific pattern.
+      if ('' == variable_get('pathauto_node_' . $type . '_' . $language . '_pattern', '')) {
+        $language = '';
+      }
+    }
+    // FIXME: is all this language mangling 'node' specific or if can be
+    // useful for other modules as well?
+    else if ($alias_for_all_languages == 'all_aliases_all_langs') {
+      $language = '';
+    }
+  }
+
   // Special handling when updating an item which is already aliased.
   $pid = NULL;
   $old_alias = NULL;