diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
index 7ce7f34e2d..89cb14ebef 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
@@ -670,6 +670,14 @@ OpenLayers.Util.createImage = function(img, sz, xy, position, id, border) {
     return image;
 };
 
+OpenLayers.Util.alphaHack = function() {
+    var arVersion = navigator.appVersion.split("MSIE");
+    var version = parseFloat(arVersion[1]);
+    
+    var alphaHack = ( (document.body.filters) &&
+                      (version >= 5.5) && (version < 7) );
+}
+
 /** 
 * @param {String} imgURL
 * @param {OpenLayers.Size} sz
@@ -690,14 +698,7 @@ OpenLayers.Util.createAlphaImageDiv = function(imgURL, sz, px, position,
                                                id + "_innerImage", border);
     div.appendChild(img);
 
-        
-    var arVersion = navigator.appVersion.split("MSIE");
-    var version = parseFloat(arVersion[1]);
-    
-    var alphaHack = ( (document.body.filters) &&
-                      (version >= 5.5) && (version < 7) );
-
-    if (alphaHack) {
+    if (OpenLayers.Util.alphaHack()) {
         div.style.display = "inline-block";
         div.style.filter = "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft" +
                                  ".AlphaImageLoader(src='" + imgURL + "')";