diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
index 5e4bf3e7dd..d9970e0580 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
@@ -609,16 +609,27 @@ OpenLayers.Util.getArgs = function(url) {
     if(url == null) {
         url = window.location.href;
     }
-    var query = (url.indexOf('?') != -1) ? url.substring(url.indexOf('?') + 1) 
-                                         : '';
+
+    var start = url.indexOf('?');
+    var stop = url.indexOf('#');
     
+    if (start != -1) {
+        if (stop != -1) {
+            var query = url.substring(start + 1, stop);
+        } else {
+            var query = url.substring(start + 1);
+        }
+    } else {
+        return {};
+    }
+        
     var args = new Object();
     pairs = query.split(/[&;]/);
     for(var i = 0; i < pairs.length; ++i) {
         keyValue = pairs[i].split(/=/);
         if(keyValue.length == 2) {
             args[decodeURIComponent(keyValue[0])] =
-                decodeURIComponent(keyValue[1]);
+                decodeURIComponent(keyValue[1]) || '';
         }
     }
     return args;
diff --git a/tests/test_Util.html b/tests/test_Util.html
index 907ee3e104..f5032854dc 100644
--- a/tests/test_Util.html
+++ b/tests/test_Util.html
@@ -570,6 +570,19 @@
         OpenLayers.Util.createDiv();
         t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.createDiv().id, "OpenLayersDiv3", "Div created is sequential, starting at lastSeqID in Util.");
     }
+
+    function test_Util_getArgs(t) {
+        t.plan(5);
+        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com'), {}, "getArgs works when args = ''");
+        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com?'), {}, "getArgs works when args = '?'");
+        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com?hello=world&foo=bar'), 
+                                     {'hello' : 'world', 'foo': 'bar'}, "getArgs works when args = '?hello=world&foo=bar'");
+        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com?hello=&foo=bar'), 
+                                     {'hello' : '', 'foo': 'bar'}, "getArgs works when args = '?hello=&foo=bar'");
+        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com?foo=bar#bugssucks'), 
+                                     {'foo': 'bar'}, "getArgs works when using a fragment identifier");
+    }
+
    // -->
   </script>
 </head>