diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Icon.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Icon.js
index 2f55cde810..0cea2833f9 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Icon.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Icon.js
@@ -193,6 +193,22 @@ OpenLayers.Icon = OpenLayers.Class({
     display: function(display) {
         this.imageDiv.style.display = (display) ? "" : "none"; 
     },
+    
+
+    /**
+     * APIMethod: isDrawn
+     * 
+     * Returns:
+     * {Boolean} Whether or not the icon is drawn.
+     */
+    isDrawn: function() {
+        // nodeType 11 for ie, whose nodes *always* have a parentNode
+        // (of type document fragment)
+        var isDrawn = (this.imageDiv && this.imageDiv.parentNode && 
+                       (this.imageDiv.parentNode.nodeType != 11));    
+
+        return isDrawn;   
+    },
 
     CLASS_NAME: "OpenLayers.Icon"
 });
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Markers.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Markers.js
index ede3024bc8..051be713a7 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Markers.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/Markers.js
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.Markers = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer, {
             if ((marker.icon != null) && (marker.icon.imageDiv != null) &&
                 (marker.icon.imageDiv.parentNode == this.div) ) {
                 this.div.removeChild(marker.icon.imageDiv);    
-                marker.drawn = false;
             }
         }
     },
@@ -156,10 +155,9 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.Markers = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer, {
         if (px == null) {
             marker.display(false);
         } else {
-            var markerImg = marker.draw(px);
-            if (!marker.drawn) {
+            if (!marker.isDrawn()) {
+                var markerImg = marker.draw(px);
                 this.div.appendChild(markerImg);
-                marker.drawn = true;
             }
         }
     },
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Marker.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Marker.js
index 19c592db49..979003f606 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Marker.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Marker.js
@@ -129,6 +129,17 @@ OpenLayers.Marker = OpenLayers.Class({
         this.lonlat = this.map.getLonLatFromLayerPx(px);
     },
 
+    /**
+     * APIMethod: isDrawn
+     * 
+     * Returns:
+     * {Boolean} Whether or not the marker is drawn.
+     */
+    isDrawn: function() {
+        var isDrawn = (this.icon && this.icon.isDrawn());
+        return isDrawn;   
+    },
+
     /**
      * Method: onScreen
      *
diff --git a/tests/Icon.html b/tests/Icon.html
index 4de0757921..09f09b8117 100644
--- a/tests/Icon.html
+++ b/tests/Icon.html
@@ -33,6 +33,32 @@
         icon.setOpacity(0.5);
         t.eq(parseFloat(icon.imageDiv.style.opacity), 0.5, "icon.setOpacity() works");
     }
+    
+    function test_Icon_isDrawn(t) {
+        t.plan(4);
+
+        var icon = {};
+
+        //no imageDiv
+        var drawn = OpenLayers.Icon.prototype.isDrawn.apply(icon, []);
+        t.ok(!drawn, "icon with no imageDiv not drawn");
+
+        //imageDiv no parentNode
+        icon.imageDiv = {};
+        drawn = OpenLayers.Icon.prototype.isDrawn.apply(icon, []);
+        t.ok(!drawn, "icon with imageDiv with no parentNode not drawn");
+
+        //imageDiv with parent
+        icon.imageDiv.parentNode = {};
+        drawn = OpenLayers.Icon.prototype.isDrawn.apply(icon, []);
+        t.ok(drawn, "icon with imageDiv with parentNode drawn");
+
+        //imageDiv with parent but nodetype 11
+        icon.imageDiv.parentNode = {'nodeType': 11};
+        drawn = OpenLayers.Icon.prototype.isDrawn.apply(icon, []);
+        t.ok(!drawn, "imageDiv with parent but nodetype 11 not drawn");
+    }
+
 
 
   </script>
diff --git a/tests/Layer/Markers.html b/tests/Layer/Markers.html
index 72980be23d..f76ab3effa 100644
--- a/tests/Layer/Markers.html
+++ b/tests/Layer/Markers.html
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
         t.ok(true, "removing marker when no markers present does not script error");
 
     }
+    
     function test_Layer_Markers_destroy (t) {
         t.plan( 1 );    
         layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Markers('Test Layer');
diff --git a/tests/Marker.html b/tests/Marker.html
index 24ff9987f5..69b9a81935 100644
--- a/tests/Marker.html
+++ b/tests/Marker.html
@@ -134,6 +134,26 @@
         t.eq(marker.lonlat.lat, map.getExtent().top, "on top edge of map"); 
         map.destroy();
     }
+    
+    function test_Marker_isDrawn(t) {
+        t.plan(3);
+
+        var marker = {};
+
+        //no icon
+        var drawn = OpenLayers.Marker.prototype.isDrawn.apply(marker, []);
+        t.ok(!drawn, "marker with no icon not drawn");
+
+        //not drawn icon
+        marker.icon = { isDrawn: function() { return false; } };
+        drawn = OpenLayers.Marker.prototype.isDrawn.apply(marker, []);
+        t.ok(!drawn, "marker with not drawn icon not drawn");
+
+        //drawn icon
+        marker.icon.isDrawn = function() { return true; };
+        drawn = OpenLayers.Marker.prototype.isDrawn.apply(marker, []);
+        t.ok(drawn, "marker with drawn icon drawn");
+    }
 
   </script>
 </head>