diff --git a/wp-admin/edit.php b/wp-admin/edit.php
index 5bfe1cb8fc..2f8f46e1e8 100644
--- a/wp-admin/edit.php
+++ b/wp-admin/edit.php
@@ -20,7 +20,11 @@ $avail_post_stati = $wpdb->get_col("SELECT DISTINCT post_status FROM $wpdb->post
 
 $post_status_q = '';
 $post_status_label = __('Posts');
-if ( isset($_GET['post_status']) && in_array( $_GET['post_status'], array_keys($post_stati) ) ) {
+
+if ( !isset($_GET['post_status']) )
+	$_GET['post_status'] = 'publish';
+
+if ( in_array( $_GET['post_status'], array_keys($post_stati) ) ) {
 	$post_status_label = $post_stati[$_GET['post_status']][1];
 	$post_status_q = '&post_status=' . $_GET['post_status'];
 }