diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
index 269666128c..1d269577bf 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
@@ -88,9 +88,13 @@ OpenLayers.Event = {
      *   element's cached observers, calling stopObserving on each one, 
      *   skipping those entries which can no longer be removed.
      * 
-     * @param {String} elementId
+     * @param {DOMElement || String} elementParam
      */
-    stopObservingElement: function(elementId) {
+    stopObservingElement: function(elementParam) {
+
+        var elementId = (typeof elementParam == "string") ? elementParam 
+                            : OpenLayers.Util.getElement(elementParam).id;
+
         var elementObservers = OpenLayers.Event.observers[elementId];
         if (elementObservers) {
             var i=0;
@@ -141,49 +145,49 @@ OpenLayers.Event = {
      * @type Boolean
      */
     stopObserving: function(elementParam, name, observer, useCapture) {
-        var foundEntry = false;
-        var element = OpenLayers.Util.getElement(elementParam);
-        if (element) {
+        useCapture = useCapture || false;
     
-            useCapture = useCapture || false;
-        
-            if (name == 'keypress') {
-                if ( navigator.appVersion.match(/Konqueror|Safari|KHTML/) || 
-                     element.detachEvent) {
-                  name = 'keydown';
-                }
+        var element = OpenLayers.Util.getElement(elementParam);
+        var elementId = (typeof elementParam == "string") ? elementParam
+                                                          : element.id;
+
+        if (name == 'keypress') {
+            if ( navigator.appVersion.match(/Konqueror|Safari|KHTML/) || 
+                 element.detachEvent) {
+              name = 'keydown';
             }
-        
-            // find element's entry in this.observers cache and remove it
-            var elementObservers = OpenLayers.Event.observers[element.id];
-            if (elementObservers) {
-        
-                // find the specific event type in the element's list
-                var i=0;
-                while(!foundEntry && i < elementObservers.length) {
-                    var cacheEntry = elementObservers[i];
-        
-                    if ((cacheEntry.name == name) &&
-                        (cacheEntry.observer == observer) &&
-                        (cacheEntry.useCapture == useCapture)) {
-        
-                        elementObservers.splice(i, 1);
-                        if (elementObservers.length == 0) {
-                            delete OpenLayers.Event.observers[element.id];
-                        }
-                        foundEntry = true;
-                        break; 
+        }
+
+        // find element's entry in this.observers cache and remove it
+        var foundEntry = false;
+        var elementObservers = OpenLayers.Event.observers[elementId];
+        if (elementObservers) {
+    
+            // find the specific event type in the element's list
+            var i=0;
+            while(!foundEntry && i < elementObservers.length) {
+                var cacheEntry = elementObservers[i];
+    
+                if ((cacheEntry.name == name) &&
+                    (cacheEntry.observer == observer) &&
+                    (cacheEntry.useCapture == useCapture)) {
+    
+                    elementObservers.splice(i, 1);
+                    if (elementObservers.length == 0) {
+                        delete OpenLayers.Event.observers[element.id];
                     }
-                    i++;           
+                    foundEntry = true;
+                    break; 
                 }
+                i++;           
             }
-        
-            //actually remove the event listener from browser
-            if (element.removeEventListener) {
-                element.removeEventListener(name, observer, useCapture);
-            } else if (element && element.detachEvent) {
-                element.detachEvent('on' + name, observer);
-            }
+        }
+    
+        //actually remove the event listener from browser
+        if (element.removeEventListener) {
+            element.removeEventListener(name, observer, useCapture);
+        } else if (element && element.detachEvent) {
+            element.detachEvent('on' + name, observer);
         }
         return foundEntry;
     },