diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Geometry/LinearRing.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Geometry/LinearRing.js
index 4c5450e82d..0a717aabe6 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Geometry/LinearRing.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Geometry/LinearRing.js
@@ -191,21 +191,26 @@ OpenLayers.Geometry.LinearRing = OpenLayers.Class(
      * {<OpenLayers.Geometry.Point>} The centroid of the collection
      */
     getCentroid: function() {
-        if (this.components && (this.components.length > 2)) {
-            var sumX = 0.0;
-            var sumY = 0.0;
-            for (var i = 0; i < this.components.length - 1; i++) {
-                var b = this.components[i];
-                var c = this.components[i+1];
-                sumX += (b.x + c.x) * (b.x * c.y - c.x * b.y);
-                sumY += (b.y + c.y) * (b.x * c.y - c.x * b.y);
+        if (this.components) {
+            var len = this.components.length;
+            if (len > 0 && len <= 2) {
+                return this.components[0].clone();
+            } else if (len > 2) {
+                var sumX = 0.0;
+                var sumY = 0.0;
+                for (var i = 0; i < this.components.length - 1; i++) {
+                    var b = this.components[i];
+                    var c = this.components[i+1];
+                    sumX += (b.x + c.x) * (b.x * c.y - c.x * b.y);
+                    sumY += (b.y + c.y) * (b.x * c.y - c.x * b.y);
+                }
+                var area = -1 * this.getArea();
+                var x = sumX / (6 * area);
+                var y = sumY / (6 * area);
+                return new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(x, y);
+            } else {
+                return null;
             }
-            var area = -1 * this.getArea();
-            var x = sumX / (6 * area);
-            var y = sumY / (6 * area);
-            return new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(x, y);
-        } else {
-            return null;
         }
     },
 
diff --git a/tests/Geometry/Polygon.html b/tests/Geometry/Polygon.html
index 9f5cd95358..e28484d36e 100644
--- a/tests/Geometry/Polygon.html
+++ b/tests/Geometry/Polygon.html
@@ -385,6 +385,20 @@
         t.ok(geodesicErr < planarErr, "geodesic measure is better (" + geodesicErr.toFixed(3) + " vs. " + planarErr.toFixed(3) + ")");
         
     }
+
+    function testGetCentroid(t) {
+        t.plan(4);
+        var bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(5, 10, 5, 10);
+        var geometry = bounds.toGeometry();
+        var centroid = geometry.getCentroid();
+        t.eq(geometry.components[0].components.length, 2, "only two vertices since the box has left=right and bottom=top");
+        t.ok(centroid && centroid.x === 5 && centroid.y === 10, "getCentroid returns a point geometry even if the ring of the polygon has only 2 vertices");
+        bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(0, 0, 10, 10);
+        geometry = bounds.toGeometry();
+        centroid = geometry.getCentroid();
+        t.eq(geometry.components[0].components.length, 5, "five vertices expected");
+        t.ok(centroid && centroid.x === 5 && centroid.y === 5, "getCentroid returns the correct point geometry");
+    }
     
 
   </script>