diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/SelectFeature.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/SelectFeature.js
index 774a2afac4..24da9406ac 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/SelectFeature.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/SelectFeature.js
@@ -123,13 +123,16 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
     /**
      * Property: layer
      * {<OpenLayers.Layer.Vector>} The vector layer with a common renderer
-     * root for all layers this control is configured with.
+     * root for all layers this control is configured with (if an array of
+     * layers was passed to the constructor), or the vector layer the control
+     * was configured with (if a single layer was passed to the constructor).
      */
     layer: null,
     
     /**
      * Property: layers
-     * {Array(<OpenLayers.Layer.Vector>} The layers this control will work on.
+     * {Array(<OpenLayers.Layer.Vector>} The layers this control will work on,
+     * or null if the control was configured with a single layer
      */
     layers: null,
     
@@ -164,7 +167,8 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * Create a new control for selecting features.
      *
      * Parameters:
-     * layers - {<OpenLayers.Layer.Vector>}, or an array of vector layers
+     * layers - {<OpenLayers.Layer.Vector>}, or an array of vector layers. The
+     *     layer(s) this control will select features from.
      * options - {Object} 
      */
     initialize: function(layers, options) {
@@ -174,15 +178,16 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
             OpenLayers.Control.prototype.EVENT_TYPES
         );
         OpenLayers.Control.prototype.initialize.apply(this, [options]);
-        if(!(layers instanceof Array)) {
-            layers = [layers];
+        if(layers instanceof Array) {
+            this.layers = layers;
+            this.layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector.RootContainer(
+                this.id + "_container", {
+                    layers: layers
+                }
+            );
+        } else {
+            this.layer = layers;
         }
-        this.layers = layers;
-        this.layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector.RootContainer(
-            this.id + "_container", {
-                layers: layers
-            }
-        );
         var callbacks = {
             click: this.clickFeature,
             clickout: this.clickoutFeature
@@ -213,7 +218,9 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      */
     destroy: function() {
         OpenLayers.Control.prototype.destroy.apply(this, arguments);
-        this.layer.destroy();
+        if(this.layers) {
+            this.layer.destroy();
+        }
     },
 
     /**
@@ -225,7 +232,9 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      */
     activate: function () {
         if (!this.active) {
-            this.map.addLayer(this.layer);
+            if(this.layers) {
+                this.map.addLayer(this.layer);
+            }
             this.handlers.feature.activate();
             if(this.box && this.handlers.box) {
                 this.handlers.box.activate();
@@ -249,7 +258,9 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
             if(this.handlers.box) {
                 this.handlers.box.deactivate();
             }
-            this.map.removeLayer(this.layer);
+            if(this.layers) {
+                this.map.removeLayer(this.layer);
+            }
         }
         return OpenLayers.Control.prototype.deactivate.apply(
             this, arguments
@@ -266,9 +277,10 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      */
     unselectAll: function(options) {
         // we'll want an option to supress notification here
+        var layers = this.layers || [this.layer];
         var layer, feature;
-        for(var l=0; l<this.layers.length; ++l) {
-            layer = this.layers[l];
+        for(var l=0; l<layers.length; ++l) {
+            layer = layers[l];
             for(var i=layer.selectedFeatures.length-1; i>=0; --i) {
                 feature = layer.selectedFeatures[i];
                 if(!options || options.except != feature) {
@@ -455,7 +467,6 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
             });
             if(cont !== false) {
                 layer.selectedFeatures.push(feature);
-                this.layerData = {};
                 this.highlight(feature);
                 layer.events.triggerEvent("featureselected", {feature: feature});
                 this.onSelect.call(this.scope, feature);
@@ -508,9 +519,10 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
             // because we're using a box, we consider we want multiple selection
             var prevMultiple = this.multiple;
             this.multiple = true;
+            var layers = this.layers || [this.layer];
             var layer;
-            for(var l=0; l<this.layers.length; ++l) {
-                layer = this.layers[l];
+            for(var l=0; l<layers.length; ++l) {
+                layer = layers[l];
                 for(var i=0, len = layer.features.length; i<len; ++i) {
                     var feature = layer.features[i];
                     if (this.geometryTypes == null || OpenLayers.Util.indexOf(
diff --git a/tests/Control/SelectFeature.html b/tests/Control/SelectFeature.html
index 53b2ce04a3..8aa50eea5b 100644
--- a/tests/Control/SelectFeature.html
+++ b/tests/Control/SelectFeature.html
@@ -3,19 +3,23 @@
     <script src="../../lib/OpenLayers.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript">
     function test_Control_SelectFeature_constructor(t) {
-        t.plan(3);
+        t.plan(5);
         var options = {
 //            geometryTypes: "foo"
         };
         var layer = "bar";
-        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer, options);
+        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature([layer], options);
         t.ok(control instanceof OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature,
              "new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature returns an instance");
         t.eq(control.layers[0], "bar",
-             "constructor sets layer correctly");        
+             "constructor with array of layers sets layer correctly");        
 //        t.eq(control.handlers.feature.geometryTypes, "foo",
 //             "constructor sets options correctly on feature handler");
-        t.ok(control.layer instanceof OpenLayers.Layer.Vector.RootContainer, "control has a root container layer");
+        t.ok(control.layer instanceof OpenLayers.Layer.Vector.RootContainer, "control has a root container layer if constructor was called with an array of layers");
+        
+        control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer, options);
+        t.eq(control.layers, null, "this.layers is null if constructor called with a single layer");
+        t.eq(control.layer, layer, "this.layer holds the layer that was passed with the constructor if called with a single layer")
     }
     
     function test_Control_SelectFeature_destroy(t) {