diff --git a/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php b/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
index d27c2eb1dc..129c4ecd1c 100644
--- a/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
+++ b/wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php
@@ -606,10 +606,8 @@ function wp_dashboard_recent_comments() {
 	$start = 0;
 
 	$widgets = get_option( 'dashboard_widget_options' );
-	if ( isset( $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments'] ) && isset( $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'] ) )
-		$total_items = (int) $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'];
-	else
-		$total_items = 5;
+	$total_items = isset( $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments'] ) && isset( $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'] )
+		? absint( $widgets['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'] ) : 5;
 
 	while ( count( $comments ) < 5 && $possible = $wpdb->get_results( "SELECT * FROM $wpdb->comments c LEFT JOIN $wpdb->posts p ON c.comment_post_ID = p.ID WHERE p.post_status != 'trash' ORDER BY c.comment_date_gmt DESC LIMIT $start, 50" ) ) {
 
@@ -757,9 +755,7 @@ function wp_dashboard_recent_comments_control() {
 		$widget_options['dashboard_recent_comments'] = array();
 
 	if ( 'POST' == $_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] && isset($_POST['widget-recent-comments']) ) {
-		$number = (int) stripslashes($_POST['widget-recent-comments']['items']);
-		if ( $number < 1 || $number > 30 )
-			$number = 5;
+		$number = absint( stripslashes($_POST['widget-recent-comments']['items']) );
 		$widget_options['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'] = $number;
 		update_option( 'dashboard_widget_options', $widget_options );
 	}
@@ -767,7 +763,7 @@ function wp_dashboard_recent_comments_control() {
 	$number = isset( $widget_options['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'] ) ? (int) $widget_options['dashboard_recent_comments']['items'] : '';
 
 	echo '<p><label for="comments-number">' . __('Number of comments to show:') . '</label>';
-	echo '<input id="comments-number" name="widget-recent-comments[items]" type="text" value="' . $number . '" size="3" /> <small>' . __( '(at most 30)' ) . '</small></p>';
+	echo '<input id="comments-number" name="widget-recent-comments[items]" type="text" value="' . $number . '" size="3" /></p>';
 }
 
 function wp_dashboard_incoming_links() {
diff --git a/wp-includes/default-widgets.php b/wp-includes/default-widgets.php
index 047728bff4..7a75983766 100644
--- a/wp-includes/default-widgets.php
+++ b/wp-includes/default-widgets.php
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 <?php
-
 /**
  * Default Widgets
  *
@@ -535,12 +534,8 @@ class WP_Widget_Recent_Posts extends WP_Widget {
 		extract($args);
 
 		$title = apply_filters('widget_title', empty($instance['title']) ? __('Recent Posts') : $instance['title'], $instance, $this->id_base);
-		if ( !$number = (int) $instance['number'] )
-			$number = 10;
-		else if ( $number < 1 )
-			$number = 1;
-		else if ( $number > 15 )
-			$number = 15;
+		if ( ! $number = absint( $instance['number'] ) )
+ 			$number = 10;
 
 		$r = new WP_Query(array('posts_per_page' => $number, 'nopaging' => 0, 'post_status' => 'publish', 'ignore_sticky_posts' => true));
 		if ($r->have_posts()) :
@@ -582,15 +577,13 @@ class WP_Widget_Recent_Posts extends WP_Widget {
 
 	function form( $instance ) {
 		$title = isset($instance['title']) ? esc_attr($instance['title']) : '';
-		if ( !isset($instance['number']) || !$number = (int) $instance['number'] )
-			$number = 5;
+		$number = isset($instance['number']) ? absint($instance['number']) : 5;
 ?>
 		<p><label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('title'); ?>"><?php _e('Title:'); ?></label>
 		<input class="widefat" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('title'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('title'); ?>" type="text" value="<?php echo $title; ?>" /></p>
 
 		<p><label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('number'); ?>"><?php _e('Number of posts to show:'); ?></label>
 		<input id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('number'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('number'); ?>" type="text" value="<?php echo $number; ?>" size="3" /></p>
-		<small><?php _e('(at most 15)'); ?></small>
 <?php
 	}
 }
@@ -644,10 +637,8 @@ class WP_Widget_Recent_Comments extends WP_Widget {
  		$output = '';
  		$title = apply_filters('widget_title', empty($instance['title']) ? __('Recent Comments') : $instance['title']);
 
-		if ( ! $number = (int) $instance['number'] )
+		if ( ! $number = absint( $instance['number'] ) )
  			$number = 5;
- 		else if ( $number < 1 )
- 			$number = 1;
 
 		$comments = get_comments( array( 'number' => $number, 'status' => 'approve' ) );
 		$output .= $before_widget;
@@ -671,7 +662,7 @@ class WP_Widget_Recent_Comments extends WP_Widget {
 	function update( $new_instance, $old_instance ) {
 		$instance = $old_instance;
 		$instance['title'] = strip_tags($new_instance['title']);
-		$instance['number'] = (int) $new_instance['number'];
+		$instance['number'] = absint( $new_instance['number'] );
 		$this->flush_widget_cache();
 
 		$alloptions = wp_cache_get( 'alloptions', 'options' );