diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 19d032e567..6593987714 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     "mocha-phantomjs": "3.5.1",
     "mustache": "2.1.3",
     "phantomjs": "1.9.10",
-    "proj4": "2.3.6",
+    "proj4": "2.3.12",
     "resemblejs": "1.2.0",
     "sinon": "1.10.3",
     "slimerjs-edge": "0.10.0-pre-2",
diff --git a/src/ol/proj/proj.js b/src/ol/proj/proj.js
index 8aec4aaf24..cfb7c9faa9 100644
--- a/src/ol/proj/proj.js
+++ b/src/ol/proj/proj.js
@@ -153,8 +153,9 @@ ol.proj.Projection = function(options) {
       }
       if (options.units === undefined) {
         var units = def.units;
-        if (units === undefined) {
-          if (def.to_meter !== undefined) {
+        if (def.to_meter !== undefined) {
+          if (units === undefined ||
+              ol.proj.METERS_PER_UNIT[units] === undefined) {
             units = def.to_meter.toString();
             ol.proj.METERS_PER_UNIT[units] = def.to_meter;
           }
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/proj/proj.test.js b/test/spec/ol/proj/proj.test.js
index 6b8dfb4fd1..a7dfe204ee 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/proj/proj.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/proj/proj.test.js
@@ -495,11 +495,28 @@ describe('ol.proj', function() {
           '+lon_0=-110.0833333333333 +k=0.9999375 +x_0=800000.0000101599 ' +
           '+y_0=99999.99998983997 +ellps=GRS80 +towgs84=0,0,0,0,0,0,0 ' +
           '+units=us-ft +no_defs');
+      proj4.defs('EPSG:4269', 'GEOGCS["NAD83",' +
+          'DATUM["North_American_Datum_1983",' +
+          'SPHEROID["GRS 1980",6378137,298.257222101,' +
+          'AUTHORITY["EPSG","7019"]],' +
+          'AUTHORITY["EPSG","6269"]],' +
+          'PRIMEM["Greenwich",0,AUTHORITY["EPSG","8901"]],' +
+          'UNIT["degree",0.01745329251994328,AUTHORITY["EPSG","9122"]],' +
+          'AUTHORITY["EPSG","4269"]]');
+      proj4.defs('EPSG:4279', 'GEOGCS["OS(SN)80",DATUM["OS_SN_1980",' +
+          'SPHEROID["Airy 1830",6377563.396,299.3249646,' +
+          'AUTHORITY["EPSG","7001"]],' +
+          'AUTHORITY["EPSG","6279"]],' +
+          'PRIMEM["Greenwich",0,AUTHORITY["EPSG","8901"]],' +
+          'UNIT["degree",0.01745329251994328,AUTHORITY["EPSG","9122"]],' +
+          'AUTHORITY["EPSG","4279"]]');
     });
 
     afterEach(function() {
       delete proj4.defs['EPSG:26782'];
       delete proj4.defs['EPSG:3739'];
+      delete proj4.defs['EPSG:4269'];
+      delete proj4.defs['EPSG:4279'];
     });
 
     it('returns value in meters', function() {
@@ -517,6 +534,15 @@ describe('ol.proj', function() {
       expect(epsg3739.getMetersPerUnit()).to.eql(1200 / 3937);
     });
 
+    it('works for proj4js OGC WKT GEOGCS projections', function() {
+      var epsg4269 = ol.proj.get('EPSG:4269');
+      expect(epsg4269.getMetersPerUnit()).to.eql(
+          6378137 * 0.01745329251994328);
+      var epsg4279 = ol.proj.get('EPSG:4279');
+      expect(epsg4279.getMetersPerUnit()).to.eql(
+          6377563.396 * 0.01745329251994328);
+    });
+
   });
 
 });