diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
index 90426416f4..2b3c4a4884 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Events.js
@@ -69,7 +69,12 @@ OpenLayers.Event = {
         this.observers[element.id] = new Array();
     }
     //add a new observer to this element's list
-    this.observers[element.id].push([name, observer, useCapture]);
+    this.observers[element.id].push({
+        'element': element,
+        'name': name,
+        'observer': observer,
+        'useCapture': useCapture
+    });
 
     //add the actual browser event listener
     if (element.addEventListener) {
@@ -79,19 +84,40 @@ OpenLayers.Event = {
     }
   },
 
-  unloadCache: function() {
-    if (!OpenLayers.Event.observers) return;
-    for (var elementId in OpenLayers.Event.observers) {
+    /** Given the id of an element to stop observing, cycle through the 
+     *   element's cached observers, calling stopObserving on each one, 
+     *   skipping those entries which can no longer be removed.
+     * 
+     * @param {String} elementId
+     */
+    stopObservingElement: function(elementId) {
         var elementObservers = OpenLayers.Event.observers[elementId];
         if (elementObservers) {
-            for (var i = 0; i < elementObservers.length; i++) {
-                var args = new Array(elementId).concat(elementObservers[i]);            
-                OpenLayers.Event.stopObserving.apply(this, args);
+            var i=0;
+            while(i < elementObservers.length) {
+                var entry = elementObservers[0];
+                var args = new Array(entry.element,
+                                     entry.name,
+                                     entry.observer,
+                                     entry.useCapture);
+                var removed = OpenLayers.Event.stopObserving.apply(this, args);
+                if (!removed) {
+                    i++;
+                }
             }
         }
-    }
-    OpenLayers.Event.observers = false;
-  },
+    },
+
+    /** Cycle through all the element entries in the events cache and call
+     *   stopObservingElement on each. 
+     */
+    unloadCache: function() {
+        if (!OpenLayers.Event.observers) return;
+        for (var elementId in OpenLayers.Event.observers) {
+            OpenLayers.Event.stopObservingElement.apply(this, [elementId]);
+        }
+        OpenLayers.Event.observers = false;
+    },
 
   observe: function(elementParam, name, observer, useCapture) {
     var element = OpenLayers.Util.getElement(elementParam);
@@ -105,54 +131,67 @@ OpenLayers.Event = {
     this._observeAndCache(element, name, observer, useCapture);
   },
 
-  stopObserving: function(elementParam, name, observer, useCapture) {
-    var element = OpenLayers.Util.getElement(elementParam);
-    if (!element) return;
-
-    useCapture = useCapture || false;
-
-    if (name == 'keypress' &&
-        (navigator.appVersion.match(/Konqueror|Safari|KHTML/)
-        || element.detachEvent))
-      name = 'keydown';
-
-    // find element's entry in this.observers cache and remove it
-    var elementObservers = OpenLayers.Event.observers[element.id];
-    if (elementObservers) {
-        var entry = [name, observer, useCapture];
-
-        // find the specific event type in the element's list
-        for (var i = 0; i < elementObservers.length; i++) {
-            var cacheEntry = elementObservers[i];
-            
-            //compare all 3 elements of entry with observer
-            var sameEntry = true;        
-            for (var j = 0; j < entry.length; j++) {
-                if (entry[j] != cacheEntry[j]) {
-                    sameEntry = false;
-                    break;
+    /**
+     * @param {DOMElement || String} elementParam
+     * @param {String} name
+     * @param {function} observer
+     * @param {Boolean} useCapture
+     * 
+     * @returns Whether or not the event observer was removed
+     * @type Boolean
+     */
+    stopObserving: function(elementParam, name, observer, useCapture) {
+        var foundEntry = false;
+        var element = OpenLayers.Util.getElement(elementParam);
+        if (element) {
+    
+            useCapture = useCapture || false;
+        
+            if (name == 'keypress') {
+                if ( navigator.appVersion.match(/Konqueror|Safari|KHTML/) || 
+                     element.detachEvent) {
+                  name = 'keydown';
                 }
             }
-    
-            //if we've found it, remove it from the observers array
-            if (sameEntry) {
-                elementObservers.splice(i--, 1);
-                if (elementObservers.length == 0) {
-                    OpenLayers.Event.observers[element.id] = null;
+        
+            // find element's entry in this.observers cache and remove it
+            var elementObservers = OpenLayers.Event.observers[element.id];
+            if (elementObservers) {
+        
+                // find the specific event type in the element's list
+                var i=0;
+                while(!foundEntry && i < elementObservers.length) {
+                    var cacheEntry = elementObservers[i];
+        
+                    if ((cacheEntry.name == name) &&
+                        (cacheEntry.observer == observer) &&
+                        (cacheEntry.useCapture == useCapture)) {
+        
+                        elementObservers.splice(i, 1);
+                        if (elementObservers.length == 0) {
+                            OpenLayers.Event.observers[element.id] = null;
+                        }
+                        break; 
+                        foundEntry = true;
+                    }
+                    i++;           
                 }
-                break; 
+            }
+        
+            //actually remove the event listener from browser
+            if (element.removeEventListener) {
+                element.removeEventListener(name, observer, useCapture);
+            } else if (element && element.detachEvent) {
+                element.detachEvent('on' + name, observer);
             }
         }
-    }
-
-    //actually remove the event listener from browser
-    if (element.removeEventListener) {
-      element.removeEventListener(name, observer, useCapture);
-    } else if (element && element.detachEvent) {
-      element.detachEvent('on' + name, observer);
-    }
-  }
+        return foundEntry;
+    },
+    
+    /** @final @type String */
+    CLASS_NAME: "OpenLayers.Event"
 };
+
 /* prevent memory leaks in IE */
 OpenLayers.Event.observe(window, 'unload', OpenLayers.Event.unloadCache, false);