diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
index 167abf6cfe..6f78ff7256 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ OpenLayers.Tile.Image.prototype =
                                                       null,
                                                       "absolute",
                                                       null,
+                                                      null,
                                                       true);
         }
         this.layer.div.appendChild(this.imgDiv);
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
index 4df87440f0..88c73b42ab 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Util.js
@@ -55,12 +55,13 @@ OpenLayers.Util.modifyDOMElement = function(element, id, px, sz, position,
 * @param {String} position
 * @param {String} border
 * @param {String} overflow
+* @param {float} opacity Fractional value (0.0 - 1.0)
 *
 * @returns A DOM Div created with the specified attributes.
 * @type DOMElement
 */
 OpenLayers.Util.createDiv = function(id, px, sz, imgURL, position, 
-                                     border, overflow) {
+                                     border, overflow, opacity) {
 
     var dom = document.createElement('div');
 
@@ -78,8 +79,8 @@ OpenLayers.Util.createDiv = function(id, px, sz, imgURL, position,
     if (!position) {
         position = "absolute";
     }
-    OpenLayers.Util.modifyDOMElement(dom, id, px, sz, 
-                                     position, border, overflow);
+    OpenLayers.Util.modifyDOMElement(dom, id, px, sz, position, 
+                                     border, overflow, opacity);
 
     return dom;
 };
@@ -92,12 +93,13 @@ OpenLayers.Util.createDiv = function(id, px, sz, imgURL, position,
 * @param {String} position
 * @param {String} border
 * @param {Boolean} delayDisplay
+* @param {float} opacity Fractional value (0.0 - 1.0)
 *
 * @returns A DOM Image created with the specified attributes.
 * @type DOMElement
 */
-OpenLayers.Util.createImage = function(id, px, sz, imgURL, position, border, 
-                                       delayDisplay) {
+OpenLayers.Util.createImage = function(id, px, sz, imgURL, position, border,
+                                       opacity, delayDisplay) {
 
     image = document.createElement("img");
 
@@ -124,7 +126,8 @@ OpenLayers.Util.createImage = function(id, px, sz, imgURL, position, border,
     if (!position) {
         position = "relative";
     }
-    OpenLayers.Util.modifyDOMElement(image, id, px, sz, position, border);
+    OpenLayers.Util.modifyDOMElement(image, id, px, sz, position, 
+                                     border, null, opacity);
 
         
     return image;
diff --git a/tests/test_Util.html b/tests/test_Util.html
index 7306a02282..2a2101cded 100644
--- a/tests/test_Util.html
+++ b/tests/test_Util.html
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
     }
 
     function test_04_Util_createDiv(t) {
-        t.plan( 20 );
+        t.plan( 24 );
 
         var id = "boo";
         var px = new OpenLayers.Pixel(5,5);
@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@
         var position = "absolute";
         var border = "13px solid";
         var overflow = "hidden";
+        var opacity = 0.5;
 
-        var div = OpenLayers.Util.createDiv(id, px, sz, img, position, border, overflow);
+        var div = OpenLayers.Util.createDiv(id, px, sz, img, position, border, overflow, opacity);
 
         if (!isMozilla)
             t.ok( true, "skipping element test outside of Mozilla");
@@ -77,6 +78,9 @@
         t.eq( div.style.position, position, "div.style.positionset correctly");    
         t.ok( (div.style.border.indexOf(border) != -1), "div.style.border set correctly");    
         t.eq( div.style.overflow, overflow, "div.style.overflow set correctly");    
+        t.eq( div.style.opacity, opacity + "", "elemnt.style.opacity set correctly");    
+        var filterString = 'alpha(opacity=' + (opacity * 100) + ')';
+        t.eq( div.style.filter, filterString, "element.style.filter set correctly");
 
         //test defaults
         var div = OpenLayers.Util.createDiv();
@@ -97,11 +101,13 @@
         t.eq( div.style.position, "absolute", "div.style.positionset correctly");    
         t.eq( div.style.border, "", "div.style.border set correctly");    
         t.eq(div.style.overflow, "", "div.style.overflow set correctly");    
+        t.ok( !div.style.opacity, "elemnt.style.opacity set correctly");    
+        t.ok( !div.style.filter, "element.style.filter set correctly");
 
     }
 
     function test_05_Util_createImage(t) {
-        t.plan( 18 );
+        t.plan( 22 );
 
         var img = "http://www.openlayers.org/images/OpenLayers.trac.png";
         var sz = new OpenLayers.Size(10,10);
@@ -109,8 +115,9 @@
         var position = "absolute";
         var id = "boo";
         var border = "1px solid";
+        var opacity = 0.5;
 
-        var image = OpenLayers.Util.createImage(id, xy, sz, img, position, border);
+        var image = OpenLayers.Util.createImage(id, xy, sz, img, position, border, opacity);
 
         if (!isMozilla)
             t.ok( true, "skipping element test outside of Mozilla");
@@ -125,7 +132,10 @@
 
         t.ok( (image.style.border.indexOf(border) != -1), "image.style.border set correctly");    
         t.eq( image.src, img, "image.style.backgroundImage correctly");    
-        t.eq( image.style.position, position, "image.style.positionset correctly");    
+        t.eq( image.style.position, position, "image.style.position set correctly");    
+        t.eq( image.style.opacity, opacity + "", "image.style.opacity set correctly");    
+        var filterString = 'alpha(opacity=' + (opacity * 100) + ')';
+        t.eq( image.style.filter, filterString, "element.style.filter set correctly");
 
         //test defaults
         var image = OpenLayers.Util.createImage();
@@ -144,6 +154,8 @@
         t.ok((image.style.border == ""), "image.style.border set correctly");    
         t.eq(image.src, "", "image.style.backgroundImage correctly");    
         t.eq( image.style.position, "relative", "image.style.positionset correctly");    
+        t.ok( !image.style.opacity, "elemnt.style.opacity default unset");    
+        t.ok( !image.style.filter, "element.style.filter default unset");
 
     }
 
@@ -178,7 +190,7 @@
     }
 
     function test_08_Util_createAlphaImageDiv(t) {
-        t.plan( 18 );
+        t.plan( 19 );
 
         var img = "http://www.openlayers.org/images/OpenLayers.trac.png";
         var sz = new OpenLayers.Size(10,10);
@@ -204,7 +216,9 @@
         t.eq( imageDiv.style.height, sz.h + "px", "image.style.height set correctly");    
 
         t.eq( imageDiv.style.position, position, "image.style.positionset correctly");    
-        t.eq( imageDiv.style.opacity, opacity + "", "image.style.opacity set correctly");    
+        t.eq( imageDiv.style.opacity, opacity + "", "elemnt.style.opacity set correctly");    
+        var filterString = 'alpha(opacity=' + (opacity * 100) + ')';
+        t.eq( imageDiv.style.filter, filterString, "element.style.filter set correctly");
 
 
         image = imageDiv.firstChild;
@@ -284,7 +298,7 @@
     }
 
     function test_09_Util_modifyAlphaImageDiv(t) {
-        t.plan( 18 );
+        t.plan( 19 );
 
         var imageDiv = OpenLayers.Util.createAlphaImageDiv();
 
@@ -312,7 +326,9 @@
         t.eq( imageDiv.style.height, sz.h + "px", "image.style.height set correctly");    
 
         t.eq( imageDiv.style.position, position, "image.style.position set correctly");    
-        t.eq( imageDiv.style.opacity, opacity + "", "image.style.opacity set correctly");    
+        t.eq( imageDiv.style.opacity, opacity + "", "elemnt.style.opacity set correctly");    
+        var filterString = 'alpha(opacity=' + (opacity * 100) + ')';
+        t.eq( imageDiv.style.filter, filterString, "element.style.filter set correctly");
 
 
         image = imageDiv.firstChild;