diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/GPX.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/GPX.js
index 401321519a..f3f0fce313 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/GPX.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/GPX.js
@@ -218,12 +218,11 @@ OpenLayers.Format.GPX = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
     write: function(features, metadata) {
         features = OpenLayers.Util.isArray(features) ?
             features : [features];
-        var gpx = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], "gpx");
+        var gpx = this.createElementNSPlus("gpx:gpx");
         gpx.setAttribute("version", "1.1");
-        this.setAttributeNS(
-            gpx, this.namespaces["xsi"],
-            "xsi:schemaLocation", this.schemaLocation
-        );
+        this.setAttributes(gpx, {
+            "xsi:schemaLocation": this.schemaLocation
+        });
 
         if (metadata && typeof metadata == 'object') {
             gpx.appendChild(this.buildMetadataNode(metadata));
@@ -243,11 +242,11 @@ OpenLayers.Format.GPX = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
      */
     buildMetadataNode: function(metadata) {
         var types = ['name', 'desc', 'author'],
-            node = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], 'metadata');
+            node = this.createElementNSPlus('gpx:metadata');
         for (var i=0; i < types.length; i++) {
             var type = types[i];
             if (metadata[type]) {
-                var n = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], type);
+                var n = this.createElementNSPlus("gpx:" + type);
                 n.appendChild(this.createTextNode(metadata[type]));
                 node.appendChild(n);
             }
@@ -276,7 +275,7 @@ OpenLayers.Format.GPX = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
             var wpt = this.buildWptNode(feature);
             return wpt;
         } else {
-            var trkNode = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], "trk");
+            var trkNode = this.createElementNSPlus("gpx:trk");
             this.appendAttributesNode(trkNode, feature);
             var trkSegNodes = this.buildTrkSegNode(geometry);
             trkSegNodes = OpenLayers.Util.isArray(trkSegNodes) ?
@@ -304,7 +303,7 @@ OpenLayers.Format.GPX = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
             nodes;
         if (geometry.CLASS_NAME == "OpenLayers.Geometry.LineString" ||
             geometry.CLASS_NAME == "OpenLayers.Geometry.LinearRing") {
-            node = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], "trkseg");
+            node = this.createElementNSPlus("gpx:trkseg");
             for (i = 0, len=geometry.components.length; i < len; i++) {
                 point = geometry.components[i];
                 node.appendChild(this.buildTrkPtNode(point));
@@ -330,7 +329,7 @@ OpenLayers.Format.GPX = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
      * {DOMElement} A trkpt node
      */
     buildTrkPtNode: function(point) {
-        var node = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], "trkpt");
+        var node = this.createElementNSPlus("gpx:trkpt");
         node.setAttribute("lon", point.x);
         node.setAttribute("lat", point.y);
         return node;
@@ -347,7 +346,7 @@ OpenLayers.Format.GPX = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
      * {DOMElement} A wpt node
      */
     buildWptNode: function(feature) {
-        var node = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], "wpt");
+        var node = this.createElementNSPlus("gpx:wpt");
         node.setAttribute("lon", feature.geometry.x);
         node.setAttribute("lat", feature.geometry.y);
         this.appendAttributesNode(node, feature);
@@ -363,11 +362,11 @@ OpenLayers.Format.GPX = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
      * feature - {<OpenLayers.Feature.Vector>}
      */
     appendAttributesNode: function(node, feature) {
-        var name = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], 'name');
+        var name = this.createElementNSPlus('gpx:name');
         name.appendChild(this.createTextNode(
             feature.attributes.name || feature.id));
         node.appendChild(name);
-        var desc = this.createElementNS(this.namespaces["gpx"], 'desc');
+        var desc = this.createElementNSPlus('gpx:desc');
         desc.appendChild(this.createTextNode(
             feature.attributes.description || this.defaultDesc));
         node.appendChild(desc);