diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/VirtualEarth.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/VirtualEarth.js
index ea2fc6ec04..f256d6e04d 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/VirtualEarth.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/VirtualEarth.js
@@ -212,12 +212,25 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.VirtualEarth.prototype =
      * @type int
      */
     getZoomForExtent: function (bounds) {
-        var zoom = null;
-        if (this.vemap != null) {
-            var gBounds = this.getVELatLongBoundsFromOLBounds(bounds);
-            var gZoom = this.vemap.getBoundsZoomLevel(gBounds);
-            zoom = this.getOLZoomFromGZoom(gZoom);
-        }
+
+        var maxRes = this.map.getMaxResolution();
+        var viewSize = this.map.getSize();
+
+        var width = bounds.getWidth();
+        var height = bounds.getHeight();
+
+        var degPerPixel = (width > height) ? width / viewSize.w 
+                                           : height / viewSize.h;
+        
+        var zoom = Math.floor( (Math.log(maxRes/degPerPixel)) / Math.log(2) );
+
+        var maxZoomLevel = this.map.getMaxZoomLevel();
+        var minZoomLevel = this.map.getMinZoomLevel();
+    
+        //make sure zoom is within bounds    
+        zoom = Math.min( Math.max(zoom, minZoomLevel), 
+                         maxZoomLevel );
+
         return zoom;
     },