diff --git a/examples/ve.html b/examples/ve.html
index 4d04215869..7580666eb8 100644
--- a/examples/ve.html
+++ b/examples/ve.html
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
             {controls:[new OpenLayers.Control.MouseDefaults()]});
 
             velayer = new OpenLayers.Layer.VirtualEarth( "VE",
-            { minZoomLevel: 4, maxZoomLevel: 6 }); 
+            { minZoomLevel: 4, maxZoomLevel: 6, 'type': VEMapStyle.Aerial}); 
             map.addLayer(velayer);
             
             markers = new OpenLayers.Layer.Markers("markers");
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/VirtualEarth.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/VirtualEarth.js
index 27ecef52f7..c2ccb11ad0 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/VirtualEarth.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/VirtualEarth.js
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.VirtualEarth.prototype =
     moveTo:function(bounds, zoomChanged, minor) {
 
         if (this.vemap != null) {
+
+            if (this.type != null) {
+                this.vemap.SetMapStyle(this.type);
+                this.type = null;
+            }
+    
             var olCenter = this.map.getCenter();
             var veCenter = this.getVELatLongFromOLLonLat(olCenter);