diff --git a/wp-includes/comment-template.php b/wp-includes/comment-template.php
index 6165f8c674..34db4330b6 100644
--- a/wp-includes/comment-template.php
+++ b/wp-includes/comment-template.php
@@ -1266,6 +1266,70 @@ class Walker_Comment extends Walker {
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * This function operates the same as Walker::display_element(), with one small change.
+	 * Instead of elements being moved to the end of the listing when their threading reaches
+	 * $max_depth, the children are displayed inline.
+	 * 
+	 * Example: max_depth = 2, with 5 levels of nested content.
+	 * 1
+	 *  1.1
+	 *    1.1.1
+	 *    1.1.1.1
+	 *    1.1.1.1.1
+	 *    1.1.2
+	 *    1.1.2.1
+	 * 2
+	 *  2.2
+	 *
+	 */
+	function display_element( $element, &$children_elements, $max_depth, $depth=0, $args, &$output ) {
+
+		if ( !$element )
+			return;
+
+		$id_field = $this->db_fields['id'];
+
+		//display this element
+		if ( is_array( $args[0] ) )
+			$args[0]['has_children'] = ! empty( $children_elements[$element->$id_field] );
+		$cb_args = array_merge( array(&$output, $element, $depth), $args);
+		call_user_func_array(array(&$this, 'start_el'), $cb_args);
+
+		$id = $element->$id_field;
+
+		// descend only when the depth is right and there are childrens for this element
+		if ( ($max_depth == 0 || $max_depth > $depth+1 ) && isset( $children_elements[$id]) ) {
+
+			foreach( $children_elements[ $id ] as $child ){
+
+				if ( !isset($newlevel) ) {
+					$newlevel = true;
+					//start the child delimiter
+					$cb_args = array_merge( array(&$output, $depth), $args);
+					call_user_func_array(array(&$this, 'start_lvl'), $cb_args);
+				}
+				$this->display_element( $child, $children_elements, $max_depth, $depth + 1, $args, $output );
+			}
+			unset( $children_elements[ $id ] );
+		} elseif ( $max_depth <= $depth + 1 && isset( $children_elements[$id]) ) {
+			// this elseif block is the only change from Walker::display_element()
+			foreach( $children_elements[ $id ] as $child )
+				$this->display_element( $child, $children_elements, $max_depth, $depth, $args, $output );
+			unset( $children_elements[ $id ] );
+		}
+
+		if ( isset($newlevel) && $newlevel ){
+			//end the child delimiter
+			$cb_args = array_merge( array(&$output, $depth), $args);
+			call_user_func_array(array(&$this, 'end_lvl'), $cb_args);
+		}
+
+		//end this element
+		$cb_args = array_merge( array(&$output, $element, $depth), $args);
+		call_user_func_array(array(&$this, 'end_el'), $cb_args);
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * @see Walker::start_el()
 	 * @since unknown