diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
index d9970e0580..c57a990216 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
@@ -609,27 +609,15 @@ OpenLayers.Util.getArgs = function(url) {
     if(url == null) {
         url = window.location.href;
     }
-
-    var start = url.indexOf('?');
-    var stop = url.indexOf('#');
-    
-    if (start != -1) {
-        if (stop != -1) {
-            var query = url.substring(start + 1, stop);
-        } else {
-            var query = url.substring(start + 1);
-        }
-    } else {
-        return {};
-    }
-        
+    var query = (url.indexOf('?') != -1) ? url.substring(url.indexOf('?') + 1) 
+                                         : '';
     var args = new Object();
     pairs = query.split(/[&;]/);
     for(var i = 0; i < pairs.length; ++i) {
         keyValue = pairs[i].split(/=/);
         if(keyValue.length == 2) {
             args[decodeURIComponent(keyValue[0])] =
-                decodeURIComponent(keyValue[1]) || '';
+                decodeURIComponent(keyValue[1]);
         }
     }
     return args;
diff --git a/tests/test_Util.html b/tests/test_Util.html
index f5032854dc..756713f9e1 100644
--- a/tests/test_Util.html
+++ b/tests/test_Util.html
@@ -571,18 +571,6 @@
         t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.createDiv().id, "OpenLayersDiv3", "Div created is sequential, starting at lastSeqID in Util.");
     }
 
-    function test_Util_getArgs(t) {
-        t.plan(5);
-        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com'), {}, "getArgs works when args = ''");
-        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com?'), {}, "getArgs works when args = '?'");
-        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com?hello=world&foo=bar'), 
-                                     {'hello' : 'world', 'foo': 'bar'}, "getArgs works when args = '?hello=world&foo=bar'");
-        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com?hello=&foo=bar'), 
-                                     {'hello' : '', 'foo': 'bar'}, "getArgs works when args = '?hello=&foo=bar'");
-        t.eq(OpenLayers.Util.getArgs('http://www.example.com?foo=bar#bugssucks'), 
-                                     {'foo': 'bar'}, "getArgs works when using a fragment identifier");
-    }
-
    // -->
   </script>
 </head>