diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
index ae695bdd6a..8ea1d1e6a1 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
@@ -271,9 +271,19 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
      * (end)
      */    
     initialize: function (div, options) {
+
+        // Simple-type defaults are set in class definition. 
+        //  Now set complex-type defaults 
+        this.tileSize = new OpenLayers.Size(OpenLayers.Map.TILE_WIDTH,
+                                            OpenLayers.Map.TILE_HEIGHT);
         
-        //set the default options
-        this.setOptions(options);
+        this.maxExtent = new OpenLayers.Bounds(-180, -90, 180, 90);
+
+        this.theme = OpenLayers._getScriptLocation() + 
+                             'theme/default/style.css'; 
+
+        // now override default options 
+        OpenLayers.Util.extend(this, options);
 
         this.id = OpenLayers.Util.createUniqueID("OpenLayers.Map_");
 
@@ -422,19 +432,6 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
      * options - {Object} Hashtable of options to tag to the map
      */
     setOptions: function(options) {
-
-        // Simple-type defaults are set in class definition. 
-        //  Now set complex-type defaults 
-        this.tileSize = new OpenLayers.Size(OpenLayers.Map.TILE_WIDTH,
-                                            OpenLayers.Map.TILE_HEIGHT);
-        
-        this.maxExtent = new OpenLayers.Bounds(-180, -90, 180, 90);
-
-        this.theme = OpenLayers._getScriptLocation() + 
-                             'theme/default/style.css'; 
-
-        // now add the options declared by the user
-        //  (these will override defaults)
         OpenLayers.Util.extend(this, options);
     },
 
diff --git a/tests/test_Map.html b/tests/test_Map.html
index 2835366ff5..8ae2fdffce 100644
--- a/tests/test_Map.html
+++ b/tests/test_Map.html
@@ -33,6 +33,16 @@
         t.ok( map.getNumZoomLevels() > 0, "map has a default numZoomLevels" );
     }
 
+    function test_Map_setOptions(t) {
+        t.plan(2);
+        map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', {maxExtent: new OpenLayers.Bounds(100, 200, 300, 400)});
+        map.setOptions({theme: 'foo'});
+        
+        t.eq(map.theme, 'foo', "theme is correctly set by setOptions");
+        t.ok(map.maxExtent.equals(new OpenLayers.Bounds(100, 200, 300, 400)), 
+             "maxExtent is correct after calling setOptions");
+    }
+    
     function test_02_Map_center(t) {
         t.plan(3);
         map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');