diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Text.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Text.js
index 35239ff033..fada5b4883 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Text.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Text.js
@@ -73,10 +73,23 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.Text.prototype =
                         }
                     }
                     if (set) {
-                      var data = {};
-                      data['iconURL'] = url;
-                      data['iconSize'] = iconSize;
-                      data['iconOffset'] = iconOffset;
+                      var data = new Object();
+                      
+                      if (url != null) {
+                          data.icon = new OpenLayers.Icon(url, 
+                                                          iconSize, 
+                                                          iconOffset);
+                      } else {
+                          data.icon = OpenLayers.Marker.defaultIcon();
+
+                          //allows for the case where the image url is not 
+                          // specified but the size is. use a default icon
+                          // but change the size
+                          if (iconSize != null) {
+                              data.icon.setSize(iconSize);
+                          }
+                        
+                      }
                       data['popupContentHTML'] = '<h2>'+title+'</h2><p>'+description+'</p>';
                       var feature = new OpenLayers.Feature(this, location, data);
                       var marker = feature.createMarker();