diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
index 1314c2871b..b037391c88 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer.js
@@ -663,9 +663,7 @@ OpenLayers.Layer = OpenLayers.Class({
 
         } else {
           //maxResolution and numZoomLevels based calculation
-            
-            confProps.resolutions = [];
-            
+
             // determine maxResolution
             if (confProps.minScale) {
                 confProps.maxResolution = 
@@ -691,8 +689,9 @@ OpenLayers.Layer = OpenLayers.Class({
                 confProps.minResolution = Math.max(wRes, hRes);
             } 
 
-            // determine numZoomLevels
-            if (confProps.minResolution != null) {
+            // determine numZoomLevels if not already set on the layer
+            if (confProps.minResolution != null &&
+                this.options.numZoomLevels == undefined) {
                 var ratio = confProps.maxResolution / confProps.minResolution;
                 confProps.numZoomLevels = 
                     Math.floor(Math.log(ratio) / Math.log(2)) + 1;
@@ -700,10 +699,26 @@ OpenLayers.Layer = OpenLayers.Class({
             
             // now we have numZoomLevels and maxResolution, 
             //  we can populate the resolutions array
+            confProps.resolutions = new Array(confProps.numZoomLevels);
+            var base = 2;
+            if(typeof confProps.minResolution == "number" &&
+               this.options.numZoomLevels > 1) {
+                /**
+                 * If numZoomLevels is explicitly set in the layer options,
+                 * respect it.  If numZoomLevels is not specified, we use
+                 * exponential scaling with a base of 2.  If numZoomLevels
+                 * is specified, we use exponential scaling and determine the
+                 * appropriate base so minResolution is reached.
+                 */
+                base = Math.pow(
+                    (confProps.maxResolution / confProps.minResolution),
+                    (1 / (confProps.numZoomLevels - 1))
+                );
+            }
             for (var i=0; i < confProps.numZoomLevels; i++) {
-                var res = confProps.maxResolution / Math.pow(2, i);
-                confProps.resolutions.push(res);
-            }    
+                var res = confProps.maxResolution / Math.pow(base, i);
+                confProps.resolutions[i] = res;
+            }
         }
         
         //sort resolutions array ascendingly
diff --git a/tests/test_Layer.html b/tests/test_Layer.html
index 3ee58d4deb..8498ba179a 100644
--- a/tests/test_Layer.html
+++ b/tests/test_Layer.html
@@ -118,6 +118,24 @@
         t.eq(layer.maxResolution, maxResolution, "maxResolution set correctly");
         t.eq(layer.numZoomLevels, numZoomLevels, "numZoomLevels set correctly");
     }
+    
+    function test_Layer_initResolutions(t) {
+        t.plan(3);
+        var map = new OpenLayers.Map("map");
+        var options = {
+            minResolution: 1,
+            maxResolution: 10,
+            numZoomLevels: 5
+        };
+        var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer("test", options);
+        layer.map = map;
+        layer.initResolutions();
+        t.eq(layer.minResolution.toPrecision(9), (1).toPrecision(9),
+             "layer minResolution preserved");
+        t.eq(layer.maxResolution.toPrecision(9), (10).toPrecision(9),
+             "layer maxResolution preserved");
+        t.eq(layer.numZoomLevels, 5, "layer numZoomLevels preserved"); 
+    }
 
     function test_05_Layer_visibility(t) {