diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/WMSGetFeatureInfo.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/WMSGetFeatureInfo.js
index 44c7a9401e..6aac4b01a8 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/WMSGetFeatureInfo.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/WMSGetFeatureInfo.js
@@ -314,9 +314,11 @@ OpenLayers.Control.WMSGetFeatureInfo = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      */
     buildWMSOptions: function(url, layers, clickPosition, format) {
         var layerNames = [], styleNames = [];
-        for (var i = 0, len = layers.length; i < len; i++) { 
-            layerNames = layerNames.concat(layers[i].params.LAYERS);
-            styleNames = styleNames.concat(this.getStyleNames(layers[i]));
+        for (var i = 0, len = layers.length; i < len; i++) {
+            if (layers[i].params.LAYERS != null) {
+                layerNames = layerNames.concat(layers[i].params.LAYERS);
+                styleNames = styleNames.concat(this.getStyleNames(layers[i]));
+            }
         }
         var firstLayer = layers[0];
         // use the firstLayer's projection if it matches the map projection -
@@ -330,9 +332,6 @@ OpenLayers.Control.WMSGetFeatureInfo = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
             service: "WMS",
             version: firstLayer.params.VERSION,
             request: "GetFeatureInfo",
-            layers: layerNames,
-            query_layers: layerNames,
-            styles: styleNames,
             bbox: this.map.getExtent().toBBOX(null,
                 firstLayer.reverseAxisOrder()),
             feature_count: this.maxFeatures,
@@ -352,6 +351,13 @@ OpenLayers.Control.WMSGetFeatureInfo = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
                 y: parseInt(clickPosition.y)
             }
         );
+        if (layerNames.length != 0) {
+            params = OpenLayers.Util.extend({
+                layers: layerNames,
+                query_layers: layerNames,
+                styles: styleNames
+            }, params);
+        }
         OpenLayers.Util.applyDefaults(params, this.vendorParams);
         return {
             url: url,