diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes/Bounds.js b/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes/Bounds.js
index 5935ccbe1a..9eefcc1831 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes/Bounds.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes/Bounds.js
@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ OpenLayers.Bounds = OpenLayers.Class({
      * top - {Number} The top bounds.
      */
     initialize: function(left, bottom, right, top) {
+        if (OpenLayers.Util.isArray(left)) {
+            top = left[3];
+            right = left[2];
+            bottom = left[1];
+            left = left[0];
+        }
         if (left != null) {
             this.left = OpenLayers.Util.toFloat(left);
         }
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
index 90ead46cd4..33daa3a66c 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
@@ -478,6 +478,14 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
 
         // now override default options 
         OpenLayers.Util.extend(this, options);
+        
+        // allow extents to be arrays
+        if (this.maxExtent && !(this.maxExtent instanceof OpenLayers.Bounds)) {
+            this.maxExtent = new OpenLayers.Bounds(this.maxExtent);
+        }
+        if (this.restrictedExtent && !(this.restrictedExtent instanceof OpenLayers.Bounds)) {
+            this.restrictedExtent = new OpenLayers.Bounds(this.restrictedExtent);
+        }
 
         // initialize layers array
         this.layers = [];
@@ -2211,6 +2219,9 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
      * 
      */
     zoomToExtent: function(bounds, closest) {
+        if (!(bounds instanceof OpenLayers.Bounds)) {
+            bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(bounds);
+        }
         var center = bounds.getCenterLonLat();
         if (this.baseLayer.wrapDateLine) {
             var maxExtent = this.getMaxExtent();
diff --git a/tests/BaseTypes/Bounds.html b/tests/BaseTypes/Bounds.html
index b436005d1c..b8ff57eceb 100644
--- a/tests/BaseTypes/Bounds.html
+++ b/tests/BaseTypes/Bounds.html
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
   <script type="text/javascript">
     var bounds; 
     function test_Bounds_constructor (t) {
-        t.plan( 21 );
+        t.plan( 26 );
         
         bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds();
         t.ok( bounds instanceof OpenLayers.Bounds, "new OpenLayers.Bounds returns Bounds object" );
@@ -44,6 +44,15 @@
         t.eq( bounds.bottom, -20037508.34, "bounds.bottom adjusted for floating precision");
         t.eq( bounds.right, 40075016.68, "bounds.right adjusted for floating precision");
         t.eq( bounds.top, 20037508.34, "bounds.top adjusted for floating precision");
+        
+        // allow construction from a single arg
+        bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds([-180, -90, 180, 90]);
+        t.ok(bounds instanceof OpenLayers.Bounds, "(array) correct instance");
+        t.eq(bounds.left, -180, "(array) left");
+        t.eq(bounds.bottom, -90, "(array) bottom");
+        t.eq(bounds.right, 180, "(array) right");
+        t.eq(bounds.top, 90, "(array) top");
+        
     }
 
     function test_Bounds_constructorFromStrings(t) {
diff --git a/tests/Map.html b/tests/Map.html
index 3476ab959c..7d6a0085ff 100644
--- a/tests/Map.html
+++ b/tests/Map.html
@@ -38,8 +38,10 @@
     }
     
     function test_Map_constructor_convenience(t) {
-        t.plan(3);
+        t.plan(13);
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map({
+            maxExtent: [-170, -80, 170, 80],
+            restrictedExtent: [-120, -65, 120, 65],
             layers: [
                 new OpenLayers.Layer(null, {isBaseLayer: true})
             ],
@@ -47,6 +49,20 @@
             zoom: 3
         });
         
+        // maxExtent from array
+        t.ok(map.maxExtent instanceof OpenLayers.Bounds, "maxExtent bounds");
+        t.eq(map.maxExtent.left, -170, "maxExtent left");
+        t.eq(map.maxExtent.bottom, -80, "maxExtent bottom");
+        t.eq(map.maxExtent.right, 170, "maxExtent right");
+        t.eq(map.maxExtent.top, 80, "maxExtent top");
+
+        // restrictedExtent from array
+        t.ok(map.restrictedExtent instanceof OpenLayers.Bounds, "restrictedExtent bounds");
+        t.eq(map.restrictedExtent.left, -120, "restrictedExtent left");
+        t.eq(map.restrictedExtent.bottom, -65, "restrictedExtent bottom");
+        t.eq(map.restrictedExtent.right, 120, "restrictedExtent right");
+        t.eq(map.restrictedExtent.top, 65, "restrictedExtent top");
+        
         var center = map.getCenter();
         t.eq(center.lon, -111, "center lon");
         t.eq(center.lat, 45, "center lat");
@@ -1412,7 +1428,7 @@
     }
     
     function test_Map_zoomToExtent(t) {
-        t.plan(9);
+        t.plan(12);
         
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map("map");
         var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer(null, {isBaseLayer: true});
@@ -1441,6 +1457,13 @@
         t.eq(center.lon, -105, "c) correct x");
         t.eq(center.lat, 42, "c) correct y");
         t.eq(map.getZoom(), 3, "c) correct zoom");
+
+        // accept array
+        map.zoomToExtent([-160, 15, -50, 69]);
+        center = map.getCenter();
+        t.eq(center.lon, -105, "(array) correct x");
+        t.eq(center.lat, 42, "(array) correct y");
+        t.eq(map.getZoom(), 2, "(array) correct zoom");
         
         map.destroy();
     }