diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
index 9f88e13400..dba07f782f 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ OpenLayers.Format.XML.prototype =
             text = text.substring(index);
         }
         var node = OpenLayers.Util.Try(
-            function() {
+            (function() {
                 var xmldom;
                 /**
                  * Since we want to be able to call this method on the prototype
@@ -72,10 +72,11 @@ OpenLayers.Format.XML.prototype =
                     xmldom = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM");
                 } else {
                     xmldom = this.xmldom;
+                    
                 }
                 xmldom.loadXML(text);
                 return xmldom;
-            },
+            }).bind(this),
             function() {
                 return new DOMParser().parseFromString(text, 'text/xml');
             },
@@ -180,6 +181,7 @@ OpenLayers.Format.XML.prototype =
         if(node.getElementsByTagNameNS) {
             elements = node.getElementsByTagNameNS(uri, name);
         } else {
+            // brute force method
             var allNodes = node.getElementsByTagName("*");
             var potentialNode, fullName;
             for(var i=0; i<allNodes.length; ++i) {
diff --git a/tests/Format/test_XML.html b/tests/Format/test_XML.html
index f9229b3ed1..5365c3439f 100644
--- a/tests/Format/test_XML.html
+++ b/tests/Format/test_XML.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
         '<' + '/ol:root>';
 
     function test_Format_XML_constructor(t) { 
-        t.plan(4); 
+        t.plan(window.ActiveXObject ? 5 : 4); 
          
         var options = {'foo': 'bar'}; 
         var format = new OpenLayers.Format.XML(options); 
@@ -26,13 +26,18 @@
              "new OpenLayers.Format.XML returns object" ); 
         t.eq(format.foo, "bar", "constructor sets options correctly"); 
         t.eq(typeof format.read, "function", "format has a read function"); 
-        t.eq(typeof format.write, "function", "format has a write function"); 
+        t.eq(typeof format.write, "function", "format has a write function");
+        
+        if(format.xmldom) {
+            t.ok(true, "format only has xmldom in browsers with ActiveX");
+        }
     }
     
     function test_Format_XML_read(t) {
-        t.plan(5);
         
         var format = new OpenLayers.Format.XML();
+        t.plan(format.xmldom ? 11 : 10);
+
         var doc = format.read(text);
         t.eq(doc.nodeType, 9,
              "doc has the correct node type");
@@ -44,6 +49,26 @@
              "doc root has the correct node name");
         t.eq(doc.documentElement.childNodes[1].firstChild.nodeValue, "junk2",
              "second child of doc root has correct child node");
+        
+        // read can also be called on the prototype directly
+        doc = OpenLayers.Format.XML.prototype.read(text);
+        t.eq(doc.nodeType, 9,
+             "doc has the correct node type");
+        t.eq(doc.nodeName, "#document",
+             "doc has the correct node name");
+        t.ok(doc.documentElement,
+             "ok to access doc.documentElement");
+        t.eq(doc.documentElement.nodeName, "ol:root",
+             "doc root has the correct node name");
+        t.eq(doc.documentElement.childNodes[1].firstChild.nodeValue, "junk2",
+             "second child of doc root has correct child node");
+        
+        // where appropriate, make sure doc is loaded into xmldom property
+        if(format.xmldom) {
+            t.eq(format.xmldom.documentElement.childNodes[1].firstChild.nodeValue,
+                 "junk2",
+                 "second child of doc root has correct child node");
+        }
     }
     
     function test_Format_XML_write(t) {