diff --git a/examples/geolocation.js b/examples/geolocation.js
index 99b4fcfcdb..e3b1263130 100644
--- a/examples/geolocation.js
+++ b/examples/geolocation.js
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ geolocation.on('change', function() {
 });
 
 var marker = new ol.Overlay({
-  map: map,
   element: /** @type {Element} */ ($('<i/>').addClass('icon-flag').get(0))
 });
+map.addOverlay(marker);
 // bind the marker position to the device location.
 marker.bindTo('position', geolocation);
 
diff --git a/examples/icon.js b/examples/icon.js
index a2c2918f55..071dd10a16 100644
--- a/examples/icon.js
+++ b/examples/icon.js
@@ -63,9 +63,9 @@ var map = new ol.Map({
 var element = document.getElementById('popup');
 
 var popup = new ol.Overlay({
-  map: map,
   element: element
 });
+map.addOverlay(popup);
 
 
 map.on('click', function(evt) {
diff --git a/examples/overlay.js b/examples/overlay.js
index 8e44805f77..bd052fc983 100644
--- a/examples/overlay.js
+++ b/examples/overlay.js
@@ -24,17 +24,18 @@ var map = new ol.Map({
 
 // Vienna label
 var vienna = new ol.Overlay({
-  map: map,
   position: ol.proj.transform(
       [16.3725, 48.208889], 'EPSG:4326', 'EPSG:3857'),
   element: document.getElementById('vienna')
 });
+map.addOverlay(vienna);
 
 // Popup showing the position the user clicked
 var popup = new ol.Overlay({
-  map: map,
   element: document.getElementById('popup')
 });
+map.addOverlay(popup);
+
 map.on('click', function(evt) {
   var element = popup.getElement();
   var coordinate = evt.getCoordinate();
diff --git a/examples/popup.js b/examples/popup.js
index f291751b8b..bc002694c0 100644
--- a/examples/popup.js
+++ b/examples/popup.js
@@ -7,24 +7,6 @@ goog.require('ol.proj');
 goog.require('ol.source.TileJSON');
 
 
-var layer = new ol.layer.TileLayer({
-  source: new ol.source.TileJSON({
-    url: 'http://api.tiles.mapbox.com/v3/' +
-        'mapbox.natural-earth-hypso-bathy.jsonp',
-    crossOrigin: 'anonymous'
-  })
-});
-
-var map = new ol.Map({
-  layers: [layer],
-  target: 'map',
-  view: new ol.View2D({
-    center: [0, 0],
-    zoom: 2
-  })
-});
-
-
 /**
  * Elements that make up the popup.
  */
@@ -48,11 +30,32 @@ closer.onclick = function() {
  * Create an overlay to anchor the popup to the map.
  */
 var overlay = new ol.Overlay({
-  map: map,
   element: container
 });
 
 
+/**
+ * Create the map.
+ */
+var map = new ol.Map({
+  layers: [
+    new ol.layer.TileLayer({
+      source: new ol.source.TileJSON({
+        url: 'http://api.tiles.mapbox.com/v3/' +
+            'mapbox.natural-earth-hypso-bathy.jsonp',
+        crossOrigin: 'anonymous'
+      })
+    })
+  ],
+  overlays: [overlay],
+  target: 'map',
+  view: new ol.View2D({
+    center: [0, 0],
+    zoom: 2
+  })
+});
+
+
 /**
  * Add a click handler to the map to render the popup.
  */
diff --git a/src/objectliterals.jsdoc b/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
index e4ee31e3f1..84cac75b76 100644
--- a/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
+++ b/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@
  * Object literal with config options for the overlay.
  * @typedef {Object} ol.OverlayOptions
  * @property {Element|undefined} element The overlay element.
- * @property {ol.Map|undefined} map The map to overlay onto.
  * @property {ol.Coordinate|undefined} position The overlay position in map
  *     projection.
  * @property {ol.OverlayPositioning|undefined} positioning Positioning.
diff --git a/src/ol/overlay.js b/src/ol/overlay.js
index c7cfc15e9a..c232f1ed11 100644
--- a/src/ol/overlay.js
+++ b/src/ol/overlay.js
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ ol.OverlayPositioning = {
  * Example:
  *
  *     var popup = new ol.Overlay({
- *       map: map,
  *       element: document.getElementById('popup')
  *     });
  *     popup.setPosition(coordinate);
@@ -110,9 +109,6 @@ ol.Overlay = function(options) {
   if (goog.isDef(options.positioning)) {
     this.setPositioning(options.positioning);
   }
-  if (goog.isDef(options.map)) {
-    this.setMap(options.map);
-  }
 
 };
 goog.inherits(ol.Overlay, ol.Object);