diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
index 62d13d5e0b..86daa99778 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
@@ -104,6 +104,15 @@ OpenLayers.Control = OpenLayers.Class({
      */
     handler: null,
 
+    /**
+     * APIProperty: eventListeners
+     * {Object} If set as an option at construction, the eventListeners
+     *     object will be registered with <OpenLayers.Events.on>.  Object
+     *     structure must be a listeners object as shown in the example for
+     *     the events.on method.
+     */
+    eventListeners: null,
+
     /** 
      * Property: events
      * {<OpenLayers.Events>} Events instance for triggering control specific
@@ -155,6 +164,9 @@ OpenLayers.Control = OpenLayers.Class({
         OpenLayers.Util.extend(this, options);
         
         this.events = new OpenLayers.Events(this, null, this.EVENT_TYPES);
+        if(this.eventListeners instanceof Object) {
+            this.events.on(this.eventListeners);
+        }
         this.id = OpenLayers.Util.createUniqueID(this.CLASS_NAME + "_");
     },
 
@@ -230,7 +242,7 @@ OpenLayers.Control = OpenLayers.Class({
         if (px != null) {
             this.position = px.clone();
         }
-        this.moveTo(this.position);        
+        this.moveTo(this.position);
         return this.div;
     },
 
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
index 5633891a6b..0a6349dfef 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
@@ -651,6 +651,9 @@ OpenLayers.Events = OpenLayers.Class({
         }
         evt.object = this.object;
         evt.element = this.element;
+        if(!evt.type) {
+            evt.type = type;
+        }
     
         // execute all callbacks registered for specified type
         // get a clone of the listeners array to
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
index dd64b2c0ba..2ba22a467d 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
@@ -138,6 +138,15 @@ OpenLayers.Layer = OpenLayers.Class({
      */
     options: null,
 
+    /**
+     * APIProperty: eventListeners
+     * {Object} If set as an option at construction, the eventListeners
+     *     object will be registered with <OpenLayers.Events.on>.  Object
+     *     structure must be a listeners object as shown in the example for
+     *     the events.on method.
+     */
+    eventListeners: null,
+
     /**
      * APIProperty: gutter
      * {Integer} Determines the width (in pixels) of the gutter around image
@@ -272,6 +281,10 @@ OpenLayers.Layer = OpenLayers.Class({
 
             this.events = new OpenLayers.Events(this, this.div, 
                                                 this.EVENT_TYPES);
+            if(this.eventListeners instanceof Object) {
+                this.events.on(this.eventListeners);
+            }
+
         }
 
         if (this.wrapDateLine) {
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
index ef56d9e58a..fe7f7944fb 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
@@ -336,6 +336,15 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
      */
     panTween: null,
 
+    /**
+     * APIProperty: eventListeners
+     * {Object} If set as an option at construction, the eventListeners
+     *     object will be registered with <OpenLayers.Events.on>.  Object
+     *     structure must be a listeners object as shown in the example for
+     *     the events.on method.
+     */
+    eventListeners: null,
+
     /**
      * Property: panMethod
      * {Function} The Easing function to be used for tweening.  Default is
@@ -408,6 +417,9 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
                                             this.EVENT_TYPES, 
                                             this.fallThrough);
         this.updateSize();
+        if(this.eventListeners instanceof Object) {
+            this.events.on(this.eventListeners);
+        }
  
         // update the map size and location before the map moves
         this.events.register("movestart", this, this.updateSize);
diff --git a/tests/test_Control.html b/tests/test_Control.html
index 4a2e254b9e..72814511ab 100644
--- a/tests/test_Control.html
+++ b/tests/test_Control.html
@@ -29,6 +29,31 @@
         t.eq( control.title, titleText, "control.title set correctly" ); 
     }
     
+    function test_eventListeners(t) {
+        t.plan(1);
+        
+        var method = OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on;
+        // test that events.on is called at control construction
+        var options = {
+            eventListeners: {foo: "bar"}
+        };
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = function(obj) {
+            t.eq(obj, options.eventListeners, "events.on called with eventListeners");
+        }
+        var control = new OpenLayers.Control(options);
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = method;
+        control.destroy();
+
+        // if events.on is called again, this will fail due to an extra test
+        // test control without eventListeners
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = function(obj) {
+            t.fail("events.on called without eventListeners");
+        }
+        var control2 = new OpenLayers.Control();
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = method;
+        control2.destroy();
+    }
+
     function test_Control_destroy(t) {
         t.plan(3);
     
diff --git a/tests/test_Layer.html b/tests/test_Layer.html
index 55467280e4..be24b75862 100644
--- a/tests/test_Layer.html
+++ b/tests/test_Layer.html
@@ -119,6 +119,31 @@
         t.eq(layer.numZoomLevels, numZoomLevels, "numZoomLevels set correctly");
     }
     
+    function test_eventListeners(t) {
+        t.plan(1);
+        
+        var method = OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on;
+        // test that events.on is called at layer construction
+        var options = {
+            eventListeners: {foo: "bar"}
+        };
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = function(obj) {
+            t.eq(obj, options.eventListeners, "events.on called with eventListeners");
+        }
+        var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer("test", options);
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = method;
+        layer.destroy();
+        
+        // if events.on is called again, this will fail due to an extra test
+        // test layer without eventListeners
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = function(obj) {
+            t.fail("events.on called without eventListeners");
+        }
+        var layer2 = new OpenLayers.Layer("test");
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = method;
+        layer2.destroy();
+    }
+
     function test_Layer_initResolutions(t) {
         t.plan(12);
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map("map");
diff --git a/tests/test_Map.html b/tests/test_Map.html
index 135c4b19d7..6202eea883 100644
--- a/tests/test_Map.html
+++ b/tests/test_Map.html
@@ -84,6 +84,32 @@
         t.eq( map.maxResolution, 3.14159, "map.maxResolution set correctly via options hashtable" );
         t.eq( map.theme, 'foo', "map theme set correctly." );
     }
+    
+    function test_eventListeners(t) {
+        t.plan(1);
+        
+        var method = OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on;
+        // test that events.on is called at map construction
+        var options = {
+            eventListeners: {foo: "bar"},
+            controls: []
+        };
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = function(obj) {
+            t.eq(obj, options.eventListeners, "events.on called with eventListeners");
+        }
+        var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', options);
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = method;
+        map.destroy();
+
+        // if events.on is called again, this will fail due to an extra test
+        // test map without eventListeners
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = function(obj) {
+            t.fail("events.on called without eventListeners");
+        }
+        var map2 = new OpenLayers.Map("map", {controls: []});
+        OpenLayers.Events.prototype.on = method;
+        map2.destroy();
+    }
 
     function test_05_Map_center(t) {
         t.plan(4);