diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes/Class.js b/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes/Class.js
index 0f21c37a72..f7f5af9f5b 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes/Class.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes/Class.js
@@ -35,30 +35,31 @@ OpenLayers.Class = function() {
         }
     };
     var extended = {};
-    var parent, initialize;
+    var parent, initialize, Type;
     for(var i=0, len=arguments.length; i<len; ++i) {
-        if(typeof arguments[i] == "function") {
+        Type = arguments[i];
+        if(typeof Type == "function") {
             // make the class passed as the first argument the superclass
             if(i == 0 && len > 1) {
-                initialize = arguments[i].prototype.initialize;
+                initialize = Type.prototype.initialize;
                 // replace the initialize method with an empty function,
                 // because we do not want to create a real instance here
-                arguments[i].prototype.initialize = function() {};
+                Type.prototype.initialize = function() {};
                 // the line below makes sure that the new class has a
                 // superclass
-                extended = new arguments[i];
+                extended = new Type();
                 // restore the original initialize method
                 if(initialize === undefined) {
-                    delete arguments[i].prototype.initialize;
+                    delete Type.prototype.initialize;
                 } else {
-                    arguments[i].prototype.initialize = initialize;
+                    Type.prototype.initialize = initialize;
                 }
             }
             // get the prototype of the superclass
-            parent = arguments[i].prototype;
+            parent = Type.prototype;
         } else {
             // in this case we're extending with the prototype
-            parent = arguments[i];
+            parent = Type;
         }
         OpenLayers.Util.extend(extended, parent);
     }