diff --git a/examples/wmts-capabilities.js b/examples/wmts-capabilities.js
index 9ed04ec364..adc4f9fcd9 100644
--- a/examples/wmts-capabilities.js
+++ b/examples/wmts-capabilities.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ function init() {
                 doc = request.responseText;
             }
             var capabilities = format.read(doc);
-            var layer = createLayer(capabilities, {
+            var layer = format.createLayer(capabilities, {
                 layer: "medford:buildings",
                 matrixSet: "EPSG:900913",
                 format: "image/png",
@@ -50,39 +50,3 @@ function init() {
     map.setCenter(new OpenLayers.LonLat(-13677832, 5213272), 13);
     
 }
-
-function createLayer(capabilities, config) {
-
-    var contents = capabilities.contents;
-    var matrixSet = contents.tileMatrixSets[config.matrixSet];
-
-    // find the layer definition with the given identifier
-    var layers = contents.layers;
-    var layer;
-    for (var i=0, ii=layers.length; i<ii; ++i) {
-        if (layers[i].identifier === config.layer) {
-            layer = layers[i];
-            break;
-        }
-    }
-
-    // get the default style for the layer
-    var style;
-    for (var i=0, ii=layer.styles.length; i<ii; ++i) {
-        style = layer.styles[i];
-        if (style.isDefault === "true") { // TODO: change this to boolean
-            break;
-        }
-    }
-
-    // create the layer
-    return new OpenLayers.Layer.WMTS(
-        OpenLayers.Util.applyDefaults(config, {
-            url: capabilities.operationsMetadata.GetTile.dcp.http.get,
-            name: layer.title,
-            style: style,
-            matrixIds: matrixSet.matrixIds
-        })
-    );
-    
-}
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WMTSCapabilities.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WMTSCapabilities.js
index 10ee22c871..f5f42f6202 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WMTSCapabilities.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WMTSCapabilities.js
@@ -74,6 +74,74 @@ OpenLayers.Format.WMTSCapabilities = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
         }
         return parser.read(data);
     },
+
+    /**
+     * APIMethod: createLayer
+     * Create a WMTS layer given a capabilities object.
+     *
+     * Parameters:
+     * capabilities - {Object} The object returned from a <read> call to this 
+     *     format.
+     * config - {Object} Configuration properties for the layer.  Defaults for
+     *     the layer will apply if not provided.
+     *
+     * Required config properties:
+     * layer - {String} The layer identifier.
+     * matrixSet - {String} The matrix set identifier.
+     *
+     * Returns:
+     * {<OpenLayers.Layer.WMTS>} A properly configured WMTS layer.  Throws an
+     *     error if an incomplete config is provided.  Returns undefined if no
+     *     layer could be created with the provided config.
+     */ 
+    createLayer: function(capabilities, config) {
+        var layer;
+
+        // confirm required properties are supplied in config
+        var required = {
+            layer: true,
+            matrixSet: true
+        };
+        for (var prop in required) {
+            if (!(prop in config)) {
+                throw new Error("Missing property '" + prop + "' in layer configuration.");
+            }
+        }
+
+        var contents = capabilities.contents;
+        var matrixSet = contents.tileMatrixSets[config.matrixSet];
+
+        // find the layer definition with the given identifier
+        var layers = contents.layers;
+        var layerDef;
+        for (var i=0, ii=contents.layers.length; i<ii; ++i) {
+            if (contents.layers[i].identifier === config.layer) {
+                layerDef = contents.layers[i];
+                break;
+            }
+        }
+        
+        if (layerDef && matrixSet) {
+            // get the default style for the layer
+            var style;
+            for (var i=0, ii=layerDef.styles.length; i<ii; ++i) {
+                style = layerDef.styles[i];
+                if (style.isDefault) {
+                    break;
+                }
+            }
+            
+            layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.WMTS(
+                OpenLayers.Util.applyDefaults(config, {
+                    url: capabilities.operationsMetadata.GetTile.dcp.http.get,
+                    name: layerDef.title,
+                    style: style,
+                    matrixIds: matrixSet.matrixIds
+                })
+            );
+        }
+        return layer;
+    },
     
     CLASS_NAME: "OpenLayers.Format.WMTSCapabilities" 
 
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WMTSCapabilities/v1_0_0.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WMTSCapabilities/v1_0_0.js
index aa4111a00b..1217805118 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WMTSCapabilities/v1_0_0.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WMTSCapabilities/v1_0_0.js
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ OpenLayers.Format.WMTSCapabilities.v1_0_0 = OpenLayers.Class(
             },
             "Style": function(node, obj) {
                 var style = {};
-                style.isDefault = node.getAttribute("isDefault");
+                style.isDefault = (node.getAttribute("isDefault") === "true");
                 this.readChildNodes(node, style);
                 obj.styles.push(style);
             },
diff --git a/tests/Format/WMTSCapabilities/v1_0_0.html b/tests/Format/WMTSCapabilities/v1_0_0.html
index 11765986c1..3864639e9e 100644
--- a/tests/Format/WMTSCapabilities/v1_0_0.html
+++ b/tests/Format/WMTSCapabilities/v1_0_0.html
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
             var numOfStyles = layer.styles.length;
             t.eq(numOfStyles, 2, "correct count of styles");
             t.eq(layer.styles[0].identifier, "DarkBlue", "style 0 identifier is correct");
-            t.eq(layer.styles[0].isDefault, "true", "style 0 isDefault is correct");
+            t.eq(layer.styles[0].isDefault, true, "style 0 isDefault is correct");
             t.eq(layer.styles[0].title, "Dark Blue", "style 0 title is correct");
             t.eq(layer.styles[1].identifier, "thickAndRed", "style 1 identifier is correct");
             t.ok(!layer.styles[1].isDefault, "style 1 isDefault is correct");
@@ -108,6 +108,54 @@
             t.eq(bigWorld.matrixIds[1].topLeftCorner.lon, -180, "tileMatrix 1 topLeftCorner.lon is correct");
             t.eq(bigWorld.matrixIds[1].topLeftCorner.lat, 84, "tileMatrix 1 topLeftCorner.lat is correct");
         }
+        
+        function test_createLayer(t) {
+            t.plan(6);
+            
+            var format = new OpenLayers.Format.WMTSCapabilities();
+
+            var xml = document.getElementById("ogcsample").firstChild.nodeValue;
+            var doc = new OpenLayers.Format.XML().read(xml);
+    
+            var caps = format.read(doc);
+            var layer;
+            
+            var success = true;
+            try {
+                // incomplete config (missing matrixSet)
+                layer = format.createLayer(caps, {
+                    layer: "coastlines"
+                });
+            } catch (err) {
+                success = false;
+            }
+            t.ok(!success, "createLayer throws error if provided incomplete layer config");
+            
+            // bogus layer identifier
+            layer = format.createLayer(caps, {
+                layer: "foo",
+                matrixSet: "BigWorld"
+            });
+            t.eq(layer, undefined, "createLayer returns undefined given bad layer identifier");
+            
+            // bogus matrixSet identifier
+            layer = format.createLayer(caps, {
+                layer: "coastlines",
+                matrixSet: "TheWorld"
+            });
+            t.eq(layer, undefined, "createLayer returns undefined given bad matrixSet identifier");
+            
+            layer = format.createLayer(caps, {
+                layer: "coastlines",
+                matrixSet: "BigWorld"
+            });
+            t.ok(layer instanceof OpenLayers.Layer.WMTS, "correct instance");
+            
+            t.eq(layer.matrixIds.length, 2, "correct matrixIds length");
+            t.eq(layer.name, "Coastlines", "correct layer title");
+            
+        }
+        
     </script>
 </head>
 <body>