diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Projection.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Projection.js
index 7e42b8459b..97eb2f63ba 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Projection.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Projection.js
@@ -186,12 +186,19 @@ OpenLayers.Projection.addTransform = function(from, to, method) {
  * point - {object} A transformed coordinate.  The original point is modified.
  */
 OpenLayers.Projection.transform = function(point, source, dest) {
-    if (source.proj && dest.proj) {
-        point = Proj4js.transform(source.proj, dest.proj, point);
-    } else if (source && dest && 
-               OpenLayers.Projection.transforms[source.getCode()] && 
-               OpenLayers.Projection.transforms[source.getCode()][dest.getCode()]) {
-        OpenLayers.Projection.transforms[source.getCode()][dest.getCode()](point); 
+    if (source && dest) {
+        if (!(source instanceof OpenLayers.Projection)) {
+            source = new OpenLayers.Projection(source);
+        }
+        if (!(dest instanceof OpenLayers.Projection)) {
+            dest = new OpenLayers.Projection(dest);
+        }
+        if (source.proj && dest.proj) {
+            point = Proj4js.transform(source.proj, dest.proj, point);
+        } else if (OpenLayers.Projection.transforms[source.getCode()] && 
+                   OpenLayers.Projection.transforms[source.getCode()][dest.getCode()]) {
+            OpenLayers.Projection.transforms[source.getCode()][dest.getCode()](point); 
+        }        
     }
     return point;
 };
diff --git a/tests/BaseTypes/Bounds.html b/tests/BaseTypes/Bounds.html
index b8ff57eceb..a1497cf6da 100644
--- a/tests/BaseTypes/Bounds.html
+++ b/tests/BaseTypes/Bounds.html
@@ -630,7 +630,7 @@
 
     }
     function test_Bounds_transform(t) {
-        t.plan( 3 );
+        t.plan( 5 );
         bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(10, -10, 20, 10);
         bounds.transform(new OpenLayers.Projection("foo"), new OpenLayers.Projection("Bar")); 
         t.eq(bounds.toBBOX(), "10,-10,20,10", "null transform okay");
@@ -638,6 +638,14 @@
         t.eq(bounds.toBBOX(), "1113194.907778,-1118889.974702,2226389.815556,1118889.974702", "bounds for spherical mercator transform are correct");
         bounds.transform(new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:900913"), new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326")); 
         t.eq(bounds.toBBOX(), "10,-10,20,10", "bounds for inverse spherical mercator transform are correct");
+
+        // transform with string
+        bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(10, -10, 20, 10);
+        bounds.transform("EPSG:4326", "EPSG:900913"); 
+        t.eq(bounds.toBBOX(), "1113194.907778,-1118889.974702,2226389.815556,1118889.974702", "(string) bounds for spherical mercator transform are correct");
+        bounds.transform("EPSG:900913", "EPSG:4326"); 
+        t.eq(bounds.toBBOX(), "10,-10,20,10", "(string) bounds for inverse spherical mercator transform are correct");
+        
     }
 
     function test_Bounds_add(t) {
diff --git a/tests/BaseTypes/LonLat.html b/tests/BaseTypes/LonLat.html
index d5283cf286..a1801f6c6b 100644
--- a/tests/BaseTypes/LonLat.html
+++ b/tests/BaseTypes/LonLat.html
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@
     }
 
     function test_LonLat_transform(t) {
-        t.plan( 6 );
+        t.plan(10);
         lonlat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(10, -10);
         lonlat.transform(new OpenLayers.Projection("foo"), new OpenLayers.Projection("Bar")); 
         t.eq(lonlat.lon, 10, "lon for null transform is the same")
@@ -177,6 +177,16 @@
         lonlat.transform(new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:900913"), new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326")); 
         t.eq(lonlat.lon, 10, "lon for inverse spherical mercator transform is correct");
         t.eq(Math.round(lonlat.lat), -10, "lat for inverse spherical mercator correct")
+        
+        // transform with string
+        lonlat = new OpenLayers.LonLat(10, -10);
+        lonlat.transform("EPSG:4326", "EPSG:900913"); 
+        t.eq(Math.round(lonlat.lon), 1113195, "(string) lon for spherical mercator transform is correct");
+        t.eq(Math.round(lonlat.lat), -1118890, "(string) lat for spherical mercator correct")
+        lonlat.transform("EPSG:900913", "EPSG:4326"); 
+        t.eq(lonlat.lon, 10, "(string) lon for inverse spherical mercator transform is correct");
+        t.eq(Math.round(lonlat.lat), -10, "(string) lat for inverse spherical mercator correct")
+        
     }
     
     function test_LonLat_wrapDateLine(t) {
diff --git a/tests/Geometry/Point.html b/tests/Geometry/Point.html
index 9baaf5c72b..838a587521 100644
--- a/tests/Geometry/Point.html
+++ b/tests/Geometry/Point.html
@@ -50,6 +50,21 @@
                         new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:900913"));
         t.eq(point.bounds, null, "Point bounds cleared after transform");
     }
+
+    function test_Point_transform_string(t) {
+        t.plan(4);
+
+        var x = 10;
+        var y = 20;
+        point = new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(x, y);
+        point.calculateBounds();
+        t.ok( point.bounds != null, "bounds calculated by calcBounds" );
+        point.transform("EPSG:4326", "EPSG:900913");
+        t.eq(point.bounds, null, "Point bounds cleared after transform");
+        t.eq(point.x.toFixed(2), "1113194.91", "transformed x");
+        t.eq(point.y.toFixed(2), "2273030.93", "transformed y");
+        
+    }
     
     function test_Point_distanceTo(t) {
         t.plan(7);
diff --git a/tests/Geometry/Polygon.html b/tests/Geometry/Polygon.html
index 598b68800e..9f5cd95358 100644
--- a/tests/Geometry/Polygon.html
+++ b/tests/Geometry/Polygon.html
@@ -46,6 +46,19 @@
         t.eq(polygon.getBounds().toBBOX(), "556597.453889,334111.171355,1113194.907778,1574216.547942", "Bounds are correct")
     }
 
+    function test_Polygon_transform_string (t) {
+        t.plan(3);
+
+        var components = [new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(10,14), new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(5,3)];
+        var linearRing = new OpenLayers.Geometry.LinearRing(components);
+        polygon = new OpenLayers.Geometry.Polygon([linearRing.clone()]);
+        polygon.calculateBounds();
+        t.ok( polygon.bounds != null, "bounds calculated by calcBounds" );
+        polygon.transform("EPSG:4326", "EPSG:900913");
+        t.eq(polygon.bounds, null, "Point bounds cleared after transform");
+        t.eq(polygon.getBounds().toBBOX(), "556597.453889,334111.171355,1113194.907778,1574216.547942", "Bounds are correct")
+    }
+
     function test_Polygon_getArea(t) {
         t.plan( 5 );