Index: wp-includes/capabilities.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/capabilities.php	(revision 14204)
+++ wp-includes/capabilities.php	(working copy)
@@ -1171,6 +1171,24 @@
 }
 
 /**
+ * Retrieve a list of super admins.
+ *
+ * @since 3.0.0
+ * 
+ * @uses $super_admins Super admins global variable, if set.
+ * 
+ * @return array List of super admin logins
+ */
+function get_super_admins() {
+	global $super_admins;
+
+	if ( isset($super_admins) )
+		return $super_admins;
+	else
+		return get_site_option( 'site_admins', array('admin') );
+}
+
+/**
  * Determine if user is a site admin.
  *
  * @since 3.0.0
@@ -1190,8 +1208,8 @@
 	$user = new WP_User($user_id);
 
 	if ( is_multisite() ) {
-		$site_admins = get_site_option( 'site_admins', array('admin') );
-		if ( is_array( $site_admins ) && in_array( $user->user_login, $site_admins ) )
+		$super_admins = get_super_admins();
+		if ( is_array( $super_admins ) && in_array( $user->user_login, $super_admins ) )
 			return true;
 	} else {
 		if ( $user->has_cap('delete_users') )
Index: wp-admin/ms-edit.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/ms-edit.php	(revision 14204)
+++ wp-admin/ms-edit.php	(working copy)
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@
 
 						case 'spam':
 							$user = new WP_User( $val );
-							if ( in_array( $user->user_login, get_site_option( 'site_admins', array( 'admin' ) ) ) )
+							if ( in_array( $user->user_login, get_super_admins() ) )
 								wp_die( sprintf( __( 'Warning! User cannot be modified. The user %s is a network admnistrator.' ), esc_html( $user->user_login ) ) );
 
 							$userfunction = 'all_spam';
Index: wp-admin/includes/ms.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/includes/ms.php	(revision 14204)
+++ wp-admin/includes/ms.php	(working copy)
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@
 	<input type="hidden" name="dodelete" />
     <?php
 	wp_nonce_field( 'ms-users-delete' );
-	$site_admins = get_site_option( 'site_admins', array( 'admin' ) );
+	$site_admins = get_super_admins();
 	$admin_out = "<option value='$current_user->ID'>$current_user->user_login</option>";
 
 	foreach ( ( $allusers = (array) $_POST['allusers'] ) as $key => $val ) {
@@ -811,8 +811,15 @@
  * @param $user_id
  */
 function grant_super_admin( $user_id ) {
+	global $super_admins;
+
+	// If global super_admins override is defined, there is nothing to do here.
+	if ( isset($super_admins) )
+		return false;
+
 	do_action( 'grant_super_admin', $user_id );
 
+	// Directly fetch site_admins instead of using get_super_admins()
 	$super_admins = get_site_option( 'site_admins', array( 'admin' ) );
 
 	$user = new WP_User( $user_id );
@@ -832,9 +839,17 @@
  * @param $user_id
  */
 function revoke_super_admin( $user_id ) {
+	global $super_admins;
+
+	// If global super_admins override is defined, there is nothing to do here.
+	if ( isset($super_admins) )
+		return false;
+
 	do_action( 'revoke_super_admin', $user_id );
 
+	// Directly fetch site_admins instead of using get_super_admins()
 	$super_admins = get_site_option( 'site_admins', array( 'admin' ) );
+
 	$user = new WP_User( $user_id );
 	if ( $user->user_email != get_site_option( 'admin_email' ) ) {
 		if ( false !== ( $key = array_search( $user->user_login, $super_admins ) ) ) {
Index: wp-admin/ms-users.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/ms-users.php	(revision 14204)
+++ wp-admin/ms-users.php	(working copy)
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
 			<tbody id="the-user-list" class="list:user">
 			<?php if ( $user_list ) {
 				$class = '';
-				$super_admins = get_site_option( 'site_admins' );
+				$super_admins = get_super_admins();
 				foreach ( (array) $user_list as $user ) {
 					$class = ( 'alternate' == $class ) ? '' : 'alternate';
 
Index: wp-admin/user-edit.php
===================================================================
--- wp-admin/user-edit.php	(revision 14204)
+++ wp-admin/user-edit.php	(working copy)
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
 	if ( $delete_role ) // stops users being added to current blog when they are edited
 		delete_user_meta( $user_id, $blog_prefix . 'capabilities' );
 
-	if ( is_multisite() && !IS_PROFILE_PAGE && current_user_can( 'manage_network_options' ) && empty( $_POST['super_admin'] ) == is_super_admin( $user_id ) )
+	if ( is_multisite() && !IS_PROFILE_PAGE && current_user_can( 'manage_network_options' ) && !isset($super_admins) && empty( $_POST['super_admin'] ) == is_super_admin( $user_id ) )
 		empty( $_POST['super_admin'] ) ? revoke_super_admin( $user_id ) : grant_super_admin( $user_id );
 }
 
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@
 	echo '<option value="" selected="selected">' . __('&mdash; No role for this blog &mdash;') . '</option>';
 ?>
 </select>
-<?php if ( is_multisite() && current_user_can( 'manage_network_options' ) ) { ?>
+<?php if ( is_multisite() && current_user_can( 'manage_network_options' ) && !isset($super_admins) ) { ?>
 <p><label><input type="checkbox" id="super_admin" name="super_admin"<?php checked( is_super_admin( $profileuser->ID ) ); ?> /> <?php _e( 'Grant this user super admin privileges for the Network.'); ?></label></p>
 <?php } ?>
 </td></tr>