diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/WFS.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/WFS.js
index 43640bb20a..0634787719 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/WFS.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/WFS.js
@@ -279,15 +279,27 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.WFS = OpenLayers.Class(
             //formulate request url string
             var url = this.getFullRequestString();
         
-            var params = {BBOX: this.encodeBBOX ? tileBounds.toBBOX() 
-                                                : tileBounds.toArray()};
+            var params = null;
+
+            // Cant combine "filter" and "BBOX". This is a cheap hack to help
+            // people out who can't migrate to the WFS protocol immediately.
+            var filter = this.params.filter || this.params.FILTER;
+            if (filter) {
+                params = {FILTER: filter};
+            }
+            else {
+                params = {BBOX: this.encodeBBOX ? tileBounds.toBBOX() 
+                                                    : tileBounds.toArray()};
+            }
             
             if (this.map && !this.projection.equals(this.map.getProjectionObject())) {
                 var projectedBounds = tileBounds.clone();
                 projectedBounds.transform(this.map.getProjectionObject(), 
                                           this.projection);
-                params.BBOX = this.encodeBBOX ? projectedBounds.toBBOX() 
-                                              : projectedBounds.toArray();
+                if (!filter){
+                    params.BBOX = this.encodeBBOX ? projectedBounds.toBBOX() 
+                                                : projectedBounds.toArray();
+                }
             }                                  
 
             url += "&" + OpenLayers.Util.getParameterString(params);