diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
index 580b293198..973998fee5 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
@@ -313,7 +313,10 @@ OpenLayers.Event = {
      *   stopObservingElement on each. 
      */
     unloadCache: function() {
-        if (OpenLayers.Event.observers) {
+        // check for OpenLayers.Event before checking for observers, because
+        // OpenLayers.Event may be undefined in IE if no map instance was
+        // created
+        if (OpenLayers.Event && OpenLayers.Event.observers) {
             for (var cacheID in OpenLayers.Event.observers) {
                 var elementObservers = OpenLayers.Event.observers[cacheID];
                 OpenLayers.Event._removeElementObservers.apply(this,