diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Events/buttonclick.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Events/buttonclick.js
index e2a3edad62..e0b2a87514 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Events/buttonclick.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Events/buttonclick.js
@@ -121,6 +121,26 @@ OpenLayers.Events.buttonclick = OpenLayers.Class({
         } while(--depth > 0 && element);
         return button;
     },
+    
+    /**
+     * Method: ignore
+     * Check for event target elements that should be ignored by OpenLayers.
+     *
+     * Parameters:
+     * element - {DOMElement} The event target.
+     */
+    ignore: function(element) {
+        var depth = 3,
+            ignore = false;
+        do {
+            if (element.nodeName.toLowerCase() === 'a') {
+                ignore = true;
+                break;
+            }
+            element = element.parentNode;
+        } while (--depth > 0 && element);
+        return ignore;
+    },
 
     /**
      * Method: buttonClick
@@ -170,6 +190,7 @@ OpenLayers.Events.buttonclick = OpenLayers.Class({
                     propagate = false;
                 }
             } else {
+                propagate = !this.ignore(OpenLayers.Event.element(evt));
                 delete this.startEvt;
             }
         }
diff --git a/tests/Events/buttonclick.html b/tests/Events/buttonclick.html
index 35ebb81f8a..dadbd3a746 100644
--- a/tests/Events/buttonclick.html
+++ b/tests/Events/buttonclick.html
@@ -63,6 +63,40 @@
         events.destroy();
     }
     
+    function test_ignore(t) {
+        t.plan(5);
+
+        // set up
+
+        events = new OpenLayers.Events({}, element);
+        buttonClick = new OpenLayers.Events.buttonclick(events);
+
+        var link = document.createElement('a'),
+            span1 = document.createElement('span'),
+            span2 = document.createElement('span'),
+            span3 = document.createElement('span');
+        link.appendChild(span1);
+        span1.appendChild(span2);
+        span2.appendChild(span3);
+
+        t.eq(buttonClick.ignore(link), true,
+             'ignore returns true when element is a link');
+        t.eq(buttonClick.ignore(span1), true,
+             'ignore returns true when element is link descendant level 1');
+        t.eq(buttonClick.ignore(span2), true,
+             'ignore returns true when element is link descendant level 2');
+        t.eq(buttonClick.ignore(span3), false,
+             'ignore returns false when element is link descendant level 3');
+        t.eq(buttonClick.ignore(element), false,
+             'ignore returns false when element is not a link');
+
+
+        // tear down
+
+        buttonClick.destroy();
+        events.destroy();
+    }
+    
     function test_ButtonClick_buttonClick(t) {
         t.plan(27);
         events = new OpenLayers.Events({}, element);