diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
index 1de3cd3ebc..dee5877481 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
@@ -114,6 +114,9 @@ OpenLayers.Format.XML = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format, {
                 // Add nodes to a document before serializing. Everything else
                 // is serialized as is. This may need more work. See #1218 .
                 var doc = document.implementation.createDocument("", "", null);
+                if (doc.importNode) {
+                    node = doc.importNode(node, true);
+                }
                 doc.appendChild(node);
                 data = serializer.serializeToString(doc);
             } else {