diff --git a/src/objectliterals.jsdoc b/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
index 70ef57ea1e..a670c3e478 100644
--- a/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
+++ b/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
@@ -516,9 +516,10 @@
  * @property {string|undefined} logo Logo.
  * @property {ol.parser.Parser} parser Parser instance to parse data
  *     provided as `data` or fetched from `url`.
- * @property {ol.ProjectionLike|undefined} projection Projection. EPSG:4326
- *     is assumed if not defined. TODO: Get projection from the parser instead
- *     of assuming EPSG:4326.
+ * @property {ol.ProjectionLike|undefined} projection Projection. Usually the
+ *     projection is provided by the parser, so this only needs to be set if
+ *     the parser does not know the SRS (e.g. in some GML flavors), or if the
+ *     projection determined by the parser needs to be overridden.
  * @property {string|undefined} url Server url providing the vector data.
  */
 
diff --git a/src/ol/layer/vectorlayer.js b/src/ol/layer/vectorlayer.js
index f0746f61d7..6655842bb0 100644
--- a/src/ol/layer/vectorlayer.js
+++ b/src/ol/layer/vectorlayer.js
@@ -423,8 +423,6 @@ ol.layer.Vector.prototype.groupFeaturesBySymbolizerLiteral =
  *     one projection.
  */
 ol.layer.Vector.prototype.parseFeatures = function(data, parser, projection) {
-  var features;
-
   var lookup = {};
   lookup[ol.geom.GeometryType.POINT] = this.pointVertices_;
   lookup[ol.geom.GeometryType.LINESTRING] = this.lineVertices_;
@@ -437,10 +435,11 @@ ol.layer.Vector.prototype.parseFeatures = function(data, parser, projection) {
     return lookup[type];
   };
 
-  var addFeatures = function(features, metadata) {
+  var addFeatures = function(data) {
+    var features = data.features;
     var sourceProjection = this.getSource().getProjection();
     if (goog.isNull(sourceProjection)) {
-      sourceProjection = metadata.projection;
+      sourceProjection = data.metadata.projection;
     }
     var transform = ol.proj.getTransform(sourceProjection, projection);
 
@@ -472,7 +471,7 @@ ol.layer.Vector.prototype.parseFeatures = function(data, parser, projection) {
           goog.isFunction(parser.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromString),
           'Expected parser with a readFeaturesWithMetadataFromString method.');
       result = parser.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromString(data, options);
-      addFeatures.call(this, result.features, result.metadata);
+      addFeatures.call(this, result);
     }
   } else if (goog.isObject(data)) {
     if (goog.isFunction(parser.readFeaturesFromObjectAsync)) {
@@ -483,7 +482,7 @@ ol.layer.Vector.prototype.parseFeatures = function(data, parser, projection) {
           goog.isFunction(parser.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromObject),
           'Expected parser with a readFeaturesWithMetadataFromObject method.');
       result = parser.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromObject(data, options);
-      addFeatures.call(this, result.features, result.metadata);
+      addFeatures.call(this, result);
     }
   } else {
     // TODO: parse more data types
diff --git a/src/ol/parser/featureparser.js b/src/ol/parser/featureparser.js
index ff27ede189..f8c8d09a8f 100644
--- a/src/ol/parser/featureparser.js
+++ b/src/ol/parser/featureparser.js
@@ -8,19 +8,6 @@ goog.provide('ol.parser.StringFeatureParser');
 goog.require('ol.Feature');
 
 
-/**
- * @typedef {{projection: ol.Projection}}
- */
-ol.parser.ReadFeaturesMetadata;
-
-
-/**
- * @typedef {{features: Array.<ol.Feature>,
- *     metadata: ol.parser.ReadFeaturesMetadata}}
- */
-ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult;
-
-
 
 /**
  * @interface
@@ -78,9 +65,8 @@ ol.parser.AsyncStringFeatureParser = function() {};
 
 /**
  * @param {string} data String data.
- * @param {function(Array.<ol.Feature>, ol.parser.ReadFeaturesMetadata)}
- *        callback Callback which is called
- * after parsing.
+ * @param {function(ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult)} callback Callback which is
+ *     called after parsing.
  * @param {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesOptions=} opt_options Feature reading options.
  */
 ol.parser.AsyncStringFeatureParser.prototype.readFeaturesFromStringAsync =
@@ -96,9 +82,8 @@ ol.parser.AsyncObjectFeatureParser = function() {};
 
 /**
  * @param {Object} obj Object representing features.
- * @param {function(Array.<ol.Feature>, ol.parser.ReadFeaturesMetadata)}
- *     callback Callback which is called
- * after parsing.
+ * @param {function(ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult)} callback Callback which is
+ *     called after parsing.
  * @param {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesOptions=} opt_options Feature reading options.
  */
 ol.parser.AsyncObjectFeatureParser.prototype.readFeaturesFromObjectAsync =
@@ -111,7 +96,20 @@ ol.parser.AsyncObjectFeatureParser.prototype.readFeaturesFromObjectAsync =
 ol.parser.ReadFeaturesCallback;
 
 
+/**
+ * @typedef {{projection: ol.ProjectionLike}}
+ */
+ol.parser.ReadFeaturesMetadata;
+
+
 /**
  * @typedef {{callback: ol.parser.ReadFeaturesCallback}}
  */
 ol.parser.ReadFeaturesOptions;
+
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {{features: Array.<ol.Feature>,
+ *     metadata: ol.parser.ReadFeaturesMetadata}}
+ */
+ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult;
diff --git a/src/ol/parser/geojson.js b/src/ol/parser/geojson.js
index 32b3857be6..e1e3b26fd6 100644
--- a/src/ol/parser/geojson.js
+++ b/src/ol/parser/geojson.js
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ goog.require('ol.geom.SharedVertices');
 goog.require('ol.parser.Parser');
 goog.require('ol.parser.ReadFeaturesOptions');
 goog.require('ol.parser.StringFeatureParser');
-goog.require('ol.proj');
 
 
 
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ ol.parser.GeoJSON.prototype.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromString =
     function(str, opt_options) {
   var json = /** @type {GeoJSONFeatureCollection} */ (JSON.parse(str));
   return {features: this.parseFeatureCollection_(json, opt_options),
-    metadata: {projection: ol.proj.get('EPSG:4326')}};
+    metadata: {projection: 'EPSG:4326'}};
 };
 
 
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ ol.parser.GeoJSON.prototype.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromString =
 ol.parser.GeoJSON.prototype.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromObject =
     function(object, opt_options) {
   return {features: this.parseFeatureCollection_(object, opt_options),
-    metadata: {projection: ol.proj.get('EPSG:4326')}};
+    metadata: {projection: 'EPSG:4326'}};
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/ol/parser/gpx.js b/src/ol/parser/gpx.js
index 295c62d8e0..4f4ff946e7 100644
--- a/src/ol/parser/gpx.js
+++ b/src/ol/parser/gpx.js
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ goog.require('ol.parser.ObjectFeatureParser');
 goog.require('ol.parser.ReadFeaturesOptions');
 goog.require('ol.parser.StringFeatureParser');
 goog.require('ol.parser.XML');
-goog.require('ol.proj');
 
 
 
@@ -47,7 +46,6 @@ ol.parser.GPX = function(opt_options) {
       'gpx': function(node, obj) {
         if (!goog.isDef(obj.features)) {
           obj.features = [];
-          obj.metadata = {projection: ol.proj.get('EPSG:4326')};
         }
         this.readChildNodes(node, obj);
       },
@@ -245,7 +243,8 @@ ol.parser.GPX.prototype.read = function(data) {
   if (data && data.nodeType == 9) {
     data = data.documentElement;
   }
-  var obj = {features: [], metadata: {projection: ol.proj.get('EPSG:4326')}};
+  var obj = /** @type {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult} */
+      ({metadata: {projection: 'EPSG:4326'}});
   this.readNode(data, obj);
   return obj;
 };
diff --git a/src/ol/parser/kml.js b/src/ol/parser/kml.js
index 021118d640..b3080ac44d 100644
--- a/src/ol/parser/kml.js
+++ b/src/ol/parser/kml.js
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ goog.require('ol.parser.DomFeatureParser');
 goog.require('ol.parser.ReadFeaturesOptions');
 goog.require('ol.parser.StringFeatureParser');
 goog.require('ol.parser.XML');
-goog.require('ol.proj');
 goog.require('ol.style.Icon');
 goog.require('ol.style.Line');
 goog.require('ol.style.LineLiteral');
@@ -66,7 +65,6 @@ ol.parser.KML = function(opt_options) {
       'kml': function(node, obj) {
         if (!goog.isDef(obj.features)) {
           obj.features = [];
-          obj.metadata = {projection: ol.proj.get('EPSG:4326')};
         }
         if (!goog.isDef(obj.links)) {
           obj.links = [];
@@ -823,9 +821,8 @@ goog.inherits(ol.parser.KML, ol.parser.XML);
 
 /**
  * @param {Object} obj Object representing features.
- * @param {function(Array.<ol.Feature>, ol.parser.ReadFeaturesMetadata)}
- *     callback Callback which is called
- * after parsing.
+ * @param {function(ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult)} callback Callback which is
+ *     called after parsing.
  * @param {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesOptions=} opt_options Feature reading options.
  */
 ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesFromObjectAsync =
@@ -836,16 +833,15 @@ ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesFromObjectAsync =
 
 
 /**
- * @param {string} data String data.
- * @param {function(Array.<ol.Feature>, ol.parser.ReadFeaturesMetadata)}
- *        callback Callback which is called
- * after parsing.
+ * @param {string} str String data.
+ * @param {function(ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult)}
+ *     callback Callback which is called after parsing.
  * @param {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesOptions=} opt_options Feature reading options.
  */
 ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesFromStringAsync =
-    function(data, callback, opt_options) {
+    function(str, callback, opt_options) {
   this.readFeaturesOptions_ = opt_options;
-  this.read(data, callback);
+  this.read(str, callback);
 };
 
 
@@ -858,7 +854,7 @@ ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesFromStringAsync =
 ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromString =
     function(str, opt_options) {
   this.readFeaturesOptions_ = opt_options;
-  return this.read(str);
+  return /** @type {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult} */ (this.read(str));
 };
 
 
@@ -871,7 +867,7 @@ ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromString =
 ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromNode =
     function(node, opt_options) {
   this.readFeaturesOptions_ = opt_options;
-  return this.read(node);
+  return /** @type {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult} */ (this.read(node));
 };
 
 
@@ -883,7 +879,7 @@ ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromNode =
 ol.parser.KML.prototype.readFeaturesWithMetadataFromObject =
     function(obj, opt_options) {
   this.readFeaturesOptions_ = opt_options;
-  return this.read(obj);
+  return /** @type {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult} */ (this.read(obj));
 };
 
 
@@ -934,10 +930,11 @@ ol.parser.KML.prototype.parseLinks = function(deferreds, obj, done) {
 
 /**
  * @param {string|Document|Element|Object} data Data to read.
- * @param {Function=} opt_callback Optional callback to call when reading
- * is done.
- * @return {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult} An object representing the
- * document.
+ * @param {function(ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult)=} opt_callback Optional
+ *     callback to call when reading is done. If provided, this method will
+ *     return undefined.
+ * @return {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult|undefined} An object representing the
+ *     document if `opt_callback` was not provided.
  */
 ol.parser.KML.prototype.read = function(data, opt_callback) {
   if (goog.isString(data)) {
@@ -946,7 +943,8 @@ ol.parser.KML.prototype.read = function(data, opt_callback) {
   if (data && data.nodeType == 9) {
     data = data.documentElement;
   }
-  var obj = {features: [], metadata: {projection: ol.proj.get('EPSG:4326')}};
+  var obj = /** @type {ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult} */
+      ({metadata: {projection: 'EPSG:4326'}});
   this.readNode(data, obj);
   if (goog.isDef(opt_callback)) {
     var deferreds = [];
@@ -966,9 +964,8 @@ ol.parser.KML.prototype.read = function(data, opt_callback) {
           }, this);
     });
   } else {
-    return /* ol.parser.ReadFeaturesResult */(obj);
+    return obj;
   }
-  return {features: null, metadata: {projection: ol.proj.get('EPSG:4326')}};
 };