diff --git a/examples/select-feature.html b/examples/select-feature.html
index c1a9b9a18d..02f23c285d 100644
--- a/examples/select-feature.html
+++ b/examples/select-feature.html
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@
                         clickout: false, toggle: false,
                         multiple: false, hover: false,
                         toggleKey: "ctrlKey", // ctrl key removes from selection
-                        multipleKey: "shiftKey" // shift key adds to selection
+                        multipleKey: "shiftKey", // shift key adds to selection
+                        box: true
                     }
                 )
             };
@@ -69,8 +70,8 @@
             drawControls.select.clickout = clickout;
             var hover = document.getElementById("hover").checked;
             drawControls.select.hover = hover;
-            if(hover && drawControls.select.active) {
-                // turn on/off to clear feature property of handler
+            drawControls.select.box = document.getElementById("box").checked;
+            if(drawControls.select.active) {
                 drawControls.select.deactivate();
                 drawControls.select.activate();
             }
@@ -110,6 +111,11 @@
                    onclick="toggleControl(this);" />
             <label for="selectToggle">select feature</label>
             <ul>
+                <li>
+                    <input id="box" type="checkbox" checked="checked"
+                           name="box" onchange="update()" />
+                    <label for="box">select features in a box</label>
+                </li>
                 <li>
                     <input id="clickout" type="checkbox"
                            name="clickout" onchange="update()" />
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/SelectFeature.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/SelectFeature.js
index cbb715eebd..b638cd26ec 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/SelectFeature.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/SelectFeature.js
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      */
     hover: false,
     
+    /**
+     * APIProperty: box
+     * {Boolean} Allow feature selection by drawing a box.
+     */
+    box: false,
+    
     /**
      * APIProperty: onSelect 
      * {Function} Optional function to be called when a feature is selected.
@@ -88,7 +94,7 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
     
     /**
      * APIProperty: callbacks
-     * {Object} The functions that are sent to the handler for callback
+     * {Object} The functions that are sent to the handlers.feature for callback
      */
     callbacks: null,
     
@@ -106,10 +112,11 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
     renderIntent: "select",
 
     /**
-     * Property: handler
-     * {<OpenLayers.Handler.Feature>}
+     * Property: handlers
+     * {Object} Object with references to multiple <OpenLayers.Handler>
+     *     instances.
      */
-    handler: null,
+    handlers: null,
 
     /**
      * Constructor: <OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature>
@@ -127,10 +134,56 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
                                                   over: this.overFeature,
                                                   out: this.outFeature
                                                 }, this.callbacks);
-        var handlerOptions = { geometryTypes: this.geometryTypes};
-        this.handler = new OpenLayers.Handler.Feature(this, layer,
-                                                      this.callbacks,
-                                                      handlerOptions);
+        this.handlers = {
+            feature: new OpenLayers.Handler.Feature(
+                this, layer, this.callbacks, {geometryTypes: this.geometryTypes}
+            )
+        };
+
+        if (this.box) {
+            this.handlers.box = new OpenLayers.Handler.Box(
+                this, {done: this.selectBox},
+                {boxDivClassName: "olHandlerBoxSelectFeature"}
+            ); 
+        }
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * Method: activate
+     * Activates the control.
+     * 
+     * Returns:
+     * {Boolean} The control was effectively activated.
+     */
+    activate: function () {
+        if (!this.active) {
+            this.handlers.feature.activate();
+            if(this.box && this.handlers.box) {
+                this.handlers.box.activate();
+            }
+        }
+        return OpenLayers.Control.prototype.activate.apply(
+            this, arguments
+        );
+    },
+
+    /**
+     * Method: deactivate
+     * Deactivates the control.
+     * 
+     * Returns:
+     * {Boolean} The control was effectively deactivated.
+     */
+    deactivate: function () {
+        if (this.active) {
+            this.handlers.feature.deactivate();
+            if(this.handlers.box) {
+                this.handlers.box.deactivate();
+            }
+        }
+        return OpenLayers.Control.prototype.deactivate.apply(
+            this, arguments
+        );
     },
 
     /**
@@ -188,7 +241,7 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * {Boolean} Allow for multiple selected features.
      */
     multipleSelect: function() {
-        return this.multiple || this.handler.evt[this.multipleKey];
+        return this.multiple || this.handlers.feature.evt[this.multipleKey];
     },
     
     /**
@@ -200,7 +253,7 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * {Boolean} Toggle the selected state of a feature.
      */
     toggleSelect: function() {
-        return this.toggle || this.handler.evt[this.toggleKey];
+        return this.toggle || this.handlers.feature.evt[this.toggleKey];
     },
 
     /**
@@ -279,6 +332,49 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
         this.layer.events.triggerEvent("featureunselected", {feature: feature});
         this.onUnselect(feature);
     },
+    
+    /**
+     * Method: selectBox
+     * Callback from the handlers.box set up when <box> selection is true
+     *     on.
+     *
+     * Parameters:
+     * position - {<OpenLayers.Bounds> || <OpenLayers.Pixel> }  
+     */
+    selectBox: function(position) {
+        if (position instanceof OpenLayers.Bounds) {
+            var minXY = this.map.getLonLatFromPixel(
+                new OpenLayers.Pixel(position.left, position.bottom)
+            );
+            var maxXY = this.map.getLonLatFromPixel(
+                new OpenLayers.Pixel(position.right, position.top)
+            );
+            var bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(
+                minXY.lon, minXY.lat, maxXY.lon, maxXY.lat
+            );
+            
+            // if multiple is false, first deselect currently selected features
+            if (!this.multipleSelect()) {
+                this.unselectAll();
+            }
+            
+            // because we're using a box, we consider we want multiple selection
+            var prevMultiple = this.multiple;
+            this.multiple = true;
+            for(var i=0, len = this.layer.features.length; i<len; ++i) {
+                var feature = this.layer.features[i];
+                if (this.geometryTypes == null || OpenLayers.Util.indexOf(
+                        this.geometryTypes, feature.geometry.CLASS_NAME) > -1) {
+                    if (bounds.toGeometry().intersects(feature.geometry)) {
+                        if (OpenLayers.Util.indexOf(this.layer.selectedFeatures, feature) == -1) {
+                            this.select(feature);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            this.multiple = prevMultiple;
+        }
+    },
 
     /** 
      * Method: setMap
@@ -288,7 +384,10 @@ OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * map - {<OpenLayers.Map>} 
      */
     setMap: function(map) {
-        this.handler.setMap(map);
+        this.handlers.feature.setMap(map);
+        if (this.box) {
+            this.handlers.box.setMap(map);
+        }
         OpenLayers.Control.prototype.setMap.apply(this, arguments);
     },
 
diff --git a/tests/Control/SelectFeature.html b/tests/Control/SelectFeature.html
index f6cf6e2cd0..d7e6b12781 100644
--- a/tests/Control/SelectFeature.html
+++ b/tests/Control/SelectFeature.html
@@ -13,19 +13,23 @@
              "new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature returns an instance");
         t.eq(control.layer, "bar",
              "constructor sets layer correctly");        
-//        t.eq(control.featureHandler.geometryTypes, "foo",
+//        t.eq(control.handlers.feature.geometryTypes, "foo",
 //             "constructor sets options correctly on feature handler");
     }
     
     function test_Control_SelectFeature_destroy(t) {
-        t.plan(1);
+        t.plan(2);
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map("map");
         var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector();
         map.addLayer(layer);
-        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer);
-        control.handler.destroy = function() {
+        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer, {box: true});
+        control.handlers.feature.deactivate = function() {
             t.ok(true,
-                 "control.destroy calls destroy on feature handler");
+                 "control.deactivate calls deactivate on feature handler");
+        }
+        control.handlers.box.deactivate = function() {
+            t.ok(true,
+                 "control.deactivate calls deactivate on box handler");
         }
 // should nullify the layer property here
         control.destroy();
@@ -61,7 +65,7 @@
         };
         // mock up active control
         var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer);
-        control.handler = {
+        control.handlers.feature = {
             evt: {}
         };
         // mock up features
@@ -108,35 +112,85 @@
         control.clickFeature(feature);
 
         
+    }
+    
+    function test_box(t) {
+        t.plan(5);
+        var map = new OpenLayers.Map("map");
+        var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector();
+        map.addLayer(layer);
+        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer, {'multiple': true, box: true });
+        var feature = new OpenLayers.Feature.Vector(new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(0,0));
+        var feature2 = new OpenLayers.Feature.Vector(new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(1,1));
+        var feature3 = new OpenLayers.Feature.Vector(new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(-2,-2));
+        var feature4 = new OpenLayers.Feature.Vector(new OpenLayers.Geometry.LineString([
+            new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(0, 0), new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(1, 1)
+        ]));
+        layer.addFeatures([feature, feature2, feature3, feature4]);
+        control.setMap(map);
+        map.getLonLatFromPixel = function(arg) {
+            return new OpenLayers.LonLat(arg.x, arg.y);
+        }    
+        control.selectBox(new OpenLayers.Bounds(-1, -1, 2, 2));
+        t.eq(layer.selectedFeatures.length, 3, "box around all features selects 3 features");
+        
+        control.selectBox(new OpenLayers.Bounds(-3, -3, -1, -1));
+        t.eq(layer.selectedFeatures.length, 4, "box around other features doesn't turn off already selected features.");        
+        
+        control.multipleSelect = function() {
+            return false;
+        };
+        control.selectBox(new OpenLayers.Bounds(-3, -3, -1, -1));
+        t.eq(layer.selectedFeatures.length, 1, "box around other features correctly turns off already selected features.");
+        
+        control.geometryTypes = null;
+        control.selectBox(new OpenLayers.Bounds(-100, -100, 100, 100));
+        t.eq(layer.selectedFeatures.length, layer.features.length, "all features selected with no geometryTypes filter");
+        
+        control.geometryTypes = ["OpenLayers.Geometry.Point"];
+        control.selectBox(new OpenLayers.Bounds(-100, -100, 100, 100));
+        t.eq(layer.selectedFeatures.length, 3, "3 features selected with geometryTypes filter");
+        
+        ["OpenLayers.Geometry.Point"]
+        
+
     }
     
     function test_Control_SelectFeature_activate(t) {
+        t.plan(4);
+        var map = new OpenLayers.Map("map");
+        var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector();
+        map.addLayer(layer);
+        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer, {box: true});
+        map.addControl(control);
+        t.ok(!control.handlers.feature.active,
+             "feature handler is not active prior to activating control");
+        t.ok(!control.handlers.box.active,
+             "box handler is not active prior to activating control");
+        control.activate();
+        t.ok(control.handlers.feature.active,
+             "feature handler is active after activating control");
+        t.ok(control.handlers.box.active,
+             "box handler is active after activating control");
+    }
+
+    function test_Control_SelectFeature_deactivate(t) {
         t.plan(2);
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map("map");
         var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector();
         map.addLayer(layer);
-        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer);
+        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer, {box: true});
         map.addControl(control);
-        t.ok(!control.handler.active,
-             "feature handler is not active prior to activating control");
-        control.activate();
-        t.ok(control.handler.active,
-             "feature handler is active after activating control");
-    }
 
-    function test_Control_SelectFeature_deactivate(t) {
-        t.plan(1);
-        var map = new OpenLayers.Map("map");
-        var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.Vector();
-        map.addLayer(layer);
-        var control = new OpenLayers.Control.SelectFeature(layer);
-        map.addControl(control);
-        
         control.activate();
-        control.handler.deactivate = function() {
+        control.handlers.feature.deactivate = function() {
             t.ok(true,
                  "control.deactivate calls deactivate on feature handler");
         }
+        control.handlers.box.deactivate = function() {
+            t.ok(true,
+                 "control.deactivate calls deactivate on box handler");
+        }
         control.deactivate();
     }
 
diff --git a/theme/default/style.css b/theme/default/style.css
index 909aeeaeb0..5e5283188a 100644
--- a/theme/default/style.css
+++ b/theme/default/style.css
@@ -230,6 +230,14 @@ div.olControlMousePosition {
     opacity: 0.50;
     font-size: 1px;
     filter: alpha(opacity=50);
+}
+.olHandlerBoxSelectFeature {
+    border: 2px solid blue;
+    position: absolute;
+    background-color: white;
+    opacity: 0.50;
+    font-size: 1px;
+    filter: alpha(opacity=50);
 }   
 
 /*