diff --git a/src/ol/control/scaleline.js b/src/ol/control/scaleline.js
index e5ed098b8a..19bcbe2b99 100644
--- a/src/ol/control/scaleline.js
+++ b/src/ol/control/scaleline.js
@@ -168,17 +168,22 @@ ol.control.ScaleLine.prototype.updateElement_ = function() {
 
   var center = viewState.center;
   var projection = viewState.projection;
-  var metersPerUnit = projection.getMetersPerUnit();
+  var units = this.getUnits();
+  var pointResolutionUnits = units == ol.control.ScaleLineUnits.DEGREES ?
+    ol.proj.Units.DEGREES :
+    ol.proj.Units.METERS;
   var pointResolution =
-      ol.proj.getPointResolution(projection, viewState.resolution, center) *
-      metersPerUnit;
+      ol.proj.getPointResolution(projection, viewState.resolution, center, pointResolutionUnits);
 
   var nominalCount = this.minWidth_ * pointResolution;
   var suffix = '';
-  var units = this.getUnits();
   if (units == ol.control.ScaleLineUnits.DEGREES) {
     var metersPerDegree = ol.proj.METERS_PER_UNIT[ol.proj.Units.DEGREES];
-    pointResolution /= metersPerDegree;
+    if (projection.getUnits() == ol.proj.Units.DEGREES) {
+      nominalCount *= metersPerDegree;
+    } else {
+      pointResolution /= metersPerDegree;
+    }
     if (nominalCount < metersPerDegree / 60) {
       suffix = '\u2033'; // seconds
       pointResolution *= 3600;
diff --git a/src/ol/proj.js b/src/ol/proj.js
index 66b8fb21bd..b92974ead9 100644
--- a/src/ol/proj.js
+++ b/src/ol/proj.js
@@ -63,10 +63,12 @@ if (ol.ENABLE_PROJ4JS) {
  * @param {ol.ProjectionLike} projection The projection.
  * @param {number} resolution Nominal resolution in projection units.
  * @param {ol.Coordinate} point Point to find adjusted resolution at.
- * @return {number} Point resolution at point in projection units.
+ * @param {ol.proj.Units=} opt_units Units to get the point resolution in.
+ * Default is the projection's units.
+ * @return {number} Point resolution.
  * @api
  */
-ol.proj.getPointResolution = function(projection, resolution, point) {
+ol.proj.getPointResolution = function(projection, resolution, point, opt_units) {
   projection = ol.proj.get(projection);
   var pointResolution;
   var getter = projection.getPointResolutionFunc();
@@ -74,7 +76,7 @@ ol.proj.getPointResolution = function(projection, resolution, point) {
     pointResolution = getter(resolution, point);
   } else {
     var units = projection.getUnits();
-    if (units == ol.proj.Units.DEGREES) {
+    if (units == ol.proj.Units.DEGREES && !opt_units || opt_units == ol.proj.Units.DEGREES) {
       pointResolution = resolution;
     } else {
       // Estimate point resolution by transforming the center pixel to EPSG:4326,
@@ -93,7 +95,9 @@ ol.proj.getPointResolution = function(projection, resolution, point) {
       var height = ol.proj.AUTHALIC_SPHERE_.haversineDistance(
           vertices.slice(4, 6), vertices.slice(6, 8));
       pointResolution = (width + height) / 2;
-      var metersPerUnit = projection.getMetersPerUnit();
+      var metersPerUnit = opt_units ?
+        ol.proj.Units.METERS_PER_UNIT[opt_units] :
+        projection.getMetersPerUnit();
       if (metersPerUnit !== undefined) {
         pointResolution /= metersPerUnit;
       }
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/control/scaleline.test.js b/test/spec/ol/control/scaleline.test.js
index df655d77c7..709a20a428 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/control/scaleline.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/control/scaleline.test.js
@@ -262,6 +262,44 @@ describe('ol.control.ScaleLine', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('latitude may affect scale line in EPSG:4326', function() {
+
+    it('is rendered differently at different latitudes for metric', function() {
+      var ctrl = new ol.control.ScaleLine();
+      ctrl.setMap(map);
+      map.setView(new ol.View({
+        center: ol.proj.fromLonLat([7, 0]),
+        zoom: 2,
+        projection: 'EPSG:4326'
+      }));
+      map.renderSync();
+      var innerHtml0 = ctrl.element_.innerHTML;
+      map.getView().setCenter([7, 52]);
+      map.renderSync();
+      var innerHtml52 = ctrl.element_.innerHTML;
+      expect(innerHtml0).to.not.be(innerHtml52);
+    });
+
+    it('is rendered the same at different latitudes for degrees', function() {
+      var ctrl = new ol.control.ScaleLine({
+        units: 'degrees'
+      });
+      ctrl.setMap(map);
+      map.setView(new ol.View({
+        center: ol.proj.fromLonLat([7, 0]),
+        zoom: 2,
+        projection: 'EPSG:4326'
+      }));
+      map.renderSync();
+      var innerHtml0 = ctrl.element_.innerHTML;
+      map.getView().setCenter([7, 52]);
+      map.renderSync();
+      var innerHtml52 = ctrl.element_.innerHTML;
+      expect(innerHtml0).to.be(innerHtml52);
+    });
+
+  });
+
   describe('zoom affects the scaleline', function() {
     var currentZoom;
     var ctrl;
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/proj/index.test.js b/test/spec/ol/proj/index.test.js
index 200cfddbc0..094795d502 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/proj/index.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/proj/index.test.js
@@ -212,6 +212,33 @@ describe('ol.proj', function() {
 
   });
 
+  describe('getPointResolution()', function() {
+    it('returns the correct point resolution for EPSG:4326', function() {
+      var pointResolution = ol.proj.getPointResolution('EPSG:4326', 1, [0, 0]);
+      expect (pointResolution).to.be(1);
+      pointResolution = ol.proj.getPointResolution('EPSG:4326', 1, [0, 52]);
+      expect (pointResolution).to.be(1);
+    });
+    it('returns the correct point resolution for EPSG:4326 with custom units', function() {
+      var pointResolution = ol.proj.getPointResolution('EPSG:4326', 1, [0, 0], 'm');
+      expect (pointResolution).to.roughlyEqual(111194.874284, 1e-5);
+      pointResolution = ol.proj.getPointResolution('EPSG:4326', 1, [0, 52], 'm');
+      expect (pointResolution).to.roughlyEqual(89826.367538, 1e-5);
+    });
+    it('returns the correct point resolution for EPSG:3857', function() {
+      var pointResolution = ol.proj.getPointResolution('EPSG:3857', 1, [0, 0]);
+      expect (pointResolution).to.be(1);
+      pointResolution = ol.proj.getPointResolution('EPSG:3857', 1, ol.proj.fromLonLat([0, 52]));
+      expect (pointResolution).to.roughlyEqual(0.615661, 1e-5);
+    });
+    it('returns the correct point resolution for EPSG:3857 with custom units', function() {
+      var pointResolution = ol.proj.getPointResolution('EPSG:3857', 1, [0, 0], 'degrees');
+      expect (pointResolution).to.be(1);
+      pointResolution = ol.proj.getPointResolution('EPSG:4326', 1, ol.proj.fromLonLat([0, 52]), 'degrees');
+      expect (pointResolution).to.be(1);
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('Proj4js integration', function() {
 
     var proj4 = window.proj4;