diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/admin/options.py b/django/contrib/gis/admin/options.py
index 1814933f7b..62c45e7220 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/admin/options.py
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/admin/options.py
@@ -113,11 +113,18 @@ class GeoModelAdmin(ModelAdmin):
 
 from django.contrib.gis import gdal
 if gdal.HAS_GDAL:
+    # Use the official spherical mercator projection SRID on versions
+    # of GDAL that support it; otherwise, fallback to 900913
+    if gdal.GDAL_VERSION >= (1, 7):
+        spherical_mercator_srid = 3857
+    else:
+        spherical_mercator_srid = 900913
+
     class OSMGeoAdmin(GeoModelAdmin):
         map_template = 'gis/admin/osm.html'
         extra_js = ['http://openstreetmap.org/openlayers/OpenStreetMap.js']
         num_zoom = 20
-        map_srid = 900913
+        map_srid = spherical_mercator_srid
         max_extent = '-20037508,-20037508,20037508,20037508'
         max_resolution = '156543.0339'
         point_zoom = num_zoom - 6
diff --git a/django/contrib/gis/templates/gis/admin/openlayers.js b/django/contrib/gis/templates/gis/admin/openlayers.js
index 4324693c78..c455bffd58 100644
--- a/django/contrib/gis/templates/gis/admin/openlayers.js
+++ b/django/contrib/gis/templates/gis/admin/openlayers.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 {# Author: Justin Bronn, Travis Pinney & Dane Springmeyer #}
+OpenLayers.Projection.addTransform("EPSG:4326", "EPSG:3857", OpenLayers.Layer.SphericalMercator.projectForward);
 {% block vars %}var {{ module }} = {};
 {{ module }}.map = null; {{ module }}.controls = null; {{ module }}.panel = null; {{ module }}.re = new RegExp("^SRID=\d+;(.+)", "i"); {{ module }}.layers = {};
 {{ module }}.modifiable = {{ modifiable|yesno:"true,false" }};