diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/WFS.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/WFS.js
index fb5e8d2b02..1ba635f970 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/WFS.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/WFS.js
@@ -163,11 +163,25 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.WFS = OpenLayers.Class(
             }
         }
         
+    //DEPRECATED - REMOVE IN 3.0
         // don't load data if current zoom level doesn't match
-        if (this.options.minZoomLevel && 
-            (this.map.getZoom() < this.options.minZoomLevel) ) {
-            return null;
-        };
+        if (this.options.minZoomLevel) {
+            
+            var err = "The minZoomLevel property is only intended for use " +
+                    "with the FixedZoomLevels-descendent layers. That this " +
+                    "wfs layer checks for minZoomLevel is a relic of the" +
+                    "past. We cannot, however, remove it without possibly " +
+                    "breaking OL based applications that may depend on it." +
+                    " Therefore we are deprecating it -- the minZoomLevel " +
+                    "check below will be removed at 3.0. Please instead " +
+                    "use min/max resolution setting as described here: " +
+                    "http://trac.openlayers.org/wiki/SettingZoomLevels";
+            OpenLayers.Console.warn(err);
+            
+            if (this.map.getZoom() < this.options.minZoomLevel) {
+                return null;
+            }
+        }
         
         if (bounds == null) {
             bounds = this.map.getExtent();