diff --git a/src/ol/proj/proj.js b/src/ol/proj/proj.js
index 348432e087..ddcc57484f 100644
--- a/src/ol/proj/proj.js
+++ b/src/ol/proj/proj.js
@@ -120,9 +120,13 @@ ol.proj.Projection = function(options) {
    * @type {boolean}
    */
   this.global_ = goog.isDef(options.global) ? options.global : false;
-  if (this.global_) {
-    goog.asserts.assert(!goog.isNull(this.extent_));
-  }
+
+
+  /**
+   * @private
+   * @type {boolean}
+   */
+  this.canWrapX_ = this.global_ && !goog.isNull(this.extent_);
 
   /**
   * @private
@@ -175,6 +179,14 @@ ol.proj.Projection = function(options) {
 };
 
 
+/**
+ * @return {boolean} The projection is suitable for wrapping the x-axis
+ */
+ol.proj.Projection.prototype.canWrapX = function() {
+  return this.canWrapX_;
+};
+
+
 /**
  * Get the code for this projection, e.g. 'EPSG:4326'.
  * @return {string} Code.
@@ -258,6 +270,7 @@ ol.proj.Projection.prototype.isGlobal = function() {
 */
 ol.proj.Projection.prototype.setGlobal = function(global) {
   this.global_ = global;
+  this.canWrapX_ = global && !goog.isNull(this.extent_);
 };
 
 
@@ -284,6 +297,7 @@ ol.proj.Projection.prototype.setDefaultTileGrid = function(tileGrid) {
  */
 ol.proj.Projection.prototype.setExtent = function(extent) {
   this.extent_ = extent;
+  this.canWrapX_ = this.global_ && !goog.isNull(extent);
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasmaprenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasmaprenderer.js
index 17c1d4fafe..3a15b7f199 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasmaprenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasmaprenderer.js
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.Map.prototype.dispatchComposeEvent_ =
     var projectionExtent = projection.getExtent();
     var resolution = viewState.resolution;
     var rotation = viewState.rotation;
-    var repeatReplay = (wrapX && projection.isGlobal() &&
+    var repeatReplay = (wrapX && projection.canWrapX() &&
         !ol.extent.containsExtent(projectionExtent, extent));
     var skippedFeaturesHash = {};
 
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasvectorlayerrenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasvectorlayerrenderer.js
index 0479523352..5ecbec9901 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasvectorlayerrenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/canvas/canvasvectorlayerrenderer.js
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.VectorLayer.prototype.composeFrame =
     replayGroup.replay(
         replayContext, pixelRatio, transform, rotation, skippedFeatureUids);
 
-    if (vectorSource.getWrapX() && projection.isGlobal() &&
+    if (vectorSource.getWrapX() && projection.canWrapX() &&
         !ol.extent.containsExtent(projectionExtent, frameState.extent)) {
       var startX = extent[0];
       var worldWidth = ol.extent.getWidth(projectionExtent);
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ ol.renderer.canvas.VectorLayer.prototype.prepareFrame =
       vectorLayerRenderBuffer * resolution);
   var projectionExtent = viewState.projection.getExtent();
 
-  if (vectorSource.getWrapX() && viewState.projection.isGlobal() &&
+  if (vectorSource.getWrapX() && viewState.projection.canWrapX() &&
       !ol.extent.containsExtent(projectionExtent, frameState.extent)) {
     // do not clip when the view crosses the -180° or 180° meridians
     extent[0] = projectionExtent[0];
diff --git a/src/ol/renderer/maprenderer.js b/src/ol/renderer/maprenderer.js
index 295b3fc174..26145381ca 100644
--- a/src/ol/renderer/maprenderer.js
+++ b/src/ol/renderer/maprenderer.js
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ ol.renderer.Map.prototype.forEachFeatureAtCoordinate =
   var projection = viewState.projection;
 
   var translatedX;
-  if (projection.isGlobal()) {
+  if (projection.canWrapX()) {
     var projectionExtent = projection.getExtent();
     var worldWidth = ol.extent.getWidth(projectionExtent);
     var x = coordinate[0];
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/proj/proj.test.js b/test/spec/ol/proj/proj.test.js
index 1714236b0d..de7ba4935a 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/proj/proj.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/proj/proj.test.js
@@ -138,6 +138,46 @@ describe('ol.proj', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('canWrapX()', function() {
+
+    it('requires an extent for allowing wrapX', function() {
+      var proj = new ol.proj.Projection({
+        code: 'foo',
+        global: true
+      });
+      expect(proj.canWrapX()).to.be(false);
+      proj.setExtent([1, 2, 3, 4]);
+      expect(proj.canWrapX()).to.be(true);
+      proj = new ol.proj.Projection({
+        code: 'foo',
+        global: true,
+        extent: [1, 2, 3, 4]
+      });
+      expect(proj.canWrapX()).to.be(true);
+      proj.setExtent(null);
+      expect(proj.canWrapX()).to.be(false);
+    });
+
+    it('requires global to be true for allowing wrapX', function() {
+      var proj = new ol.proj.Projection({
+        code: 'foo',
+        extent: [1, 2, 3, 4]
+      });
+      expect(proj.canWrapX()).to.be(false);
+      proj.setGlobal(true);
+      expect(proj.canWrapX()).to.be(true);
+      proj = new ol.proj.Projection({
+        code: 'foo',
+        global: true,
+        extent: [1, 2, 3, 4]
+      });
+      expect(proj.canWrapX()).to.be(true);
+      proj.setGlobal(false);
+      expect(proj.canWrapX()).to.be(false);
+    });
+
+  });
+
   describe('transformExtent()', function() {
 
     it('transforms an extent given projection identifiers', function() {