diff --git a/features/frontmatter_defaults.feature b/features/frontmatter_defaults.feature
index 41a7a35e..7ac2d0a8 100644
--- a/features/frontmatter_defaults.feature
+++ b/features/frontmatter_defaults.feature
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ Feature: frontmatter defaults
     And I have a "index.html" file that contains "nothing"
     And I have a "_slides/slide1.html" file with content: 
     """
+    ---
+    ---
     Value: {{ page.myval }}
     """
     And I have a "_config.yml" file with content:
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/document.rb b/lib/jekyll/document.rb
index c1041a5c..9b0e9c9f 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/document.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/document.rb
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ module Jekyll
       @site = relations[:site]
       @path = path
       @collection = relations[:collection]
+      @has_yaml_header = nil
     end
 
     # Fetch the Document's data.
@@ -80,12 +81,20 @@ module Jekyll
       %w[.sass .scss .coffee].include?(extname)
     end
 
+    # Determine whether the document has a YAML header.
+    # 
+    # Returns true if the file starts with three dashes
+    def has_yaml_header?
+      @has_yaml_header unless @has_yaml_header.nil?
+      @has_yaml_header = !!(File.open(path, 'rb') { |f| f.read(5) } =~ /\A---\r?\n/)
+    end
+
     # Determine whether the file should be rendered with Liquid.
     #
     # Returns false if the document is either an asset file or a yaml file,
     #   true otherwise.
     def render_with_liquid?
-      !(asset_file? || yaml_file?)
+      !(asset_file? || yaml_file?) && has_yaml_header?
     end
 
     # Determine whether the file should be placed into layouts.
@@ -93,7 +102,7 @@ module Jekyll
     # Returns false if the document is either an asset file or a yaml file,
     #   true otherwise.
     def place_in_layout?
-      !(asset_file? || yaml_file?)
+      !(asset_file? || yaml_file?) && has_yaml_header?
     end
 
     # The URL template where the document would be accessible.
@@ -189,7 +198,7 @@ module Jekyll
           unless defaults.empty?
             @data = defaults
           end
-          @content = File.read(path, merged_file_read_opts(opts))
+          @content = File.open(path, "rb") { |f| f.read }
           if content =~ /\A(---\s*\n.*?\n?)^(---\s*$\n?)/m
             @content = $POSTMATCH
             data_file = SafeYAML.load($1)
diff --git a/test/source/_slides/octojekyll.png b/test/source/_slides/octojekyll.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7c6d96d7
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/source/_slides/octojekyll.png differ
diff --git a/test/test_document.rb b/test/test_document.rb
index 17b15a67..3e3397c6 100644
--- a/test/test_document.rb
+++ b/test/test_document.rb
@@ -187,7 +187,33 @@ class TestDocument < Test::Unit::TestCase
   end
 
 
-  context " a document part of a rendered collection" do
+  context "a static file in a collection" do
+    setup do
+      @site = Site.new(Jekyll.configuration({
+        "collections" => {
+          "slides" => {
+            "output" => true
+          }
+        },
+        "source"      => source_dir,
+        "destination" => dest_dir
+      }))
+      @site.process
+      @document = @site.collections["slides"].docs.find { |doc| doc.relative_path == "_slides/octojekyll.png" }
+      @dest_file = dest_dir("slides/octojekyll.png")
+    end
+
+    should "be a document" do
+      assert !@document.nil?
+    end
+
+    should "not be rendered with Liquid" do
+      assert !@document.render_with_liquid?
+    end
+
+    should "be output in the correct place" do
+      assert File.file? @dest_file
+    end
   end
 
 end