diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Navigation.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Navigation.js
index 10e1387121..c46e9c8a71 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Navigation.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Navigation.js
@@ -49,6 +49,12 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Navigation = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      */
     zoomBox: null,
 
+    /**
+     * APIProperty: zoomBoxEnabled
+     * {Boolean} Whether the user can draw a box to zoom
+     */
+    zoomBoxEnabled: true, 
+
     /**
      * APIProperty: zoomWheelEnabled
      * {Boolean} Whether the mousewheel should zoom the map
@@ -129,7 +135,9 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Navigation = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
             this.handlers.wheel.activate();
         }    
         this.handlers.click.activate();
-        this.zoomBox.activate();
+        if (this.zoomBoxEnabled) {
+            this.zoomBox.activate();
+        }
         return OpenLayers.Control.prototype.activate.apply(this,arguments);
     },
 
@@ -252,6 +260,24 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Navigation = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
         this.wheelChange(evt, delta || -1);
     },
     
+    /**
+     * Method: disableZoomBox
+     */
+    disableZoomBox : function() {
+        this.zoomBoxEnabled = false;
+        this.zoomBox.deactivate();       
+    },
+    
+    /**
+     * Method: enableZoomBox
+     */
+    enableZoomBox : function() {
+        this.zoomBoxEnabled = true;
+        if (this.active) {
+            this.zoomBox.activate();
+        }    
+    },
+    
     /**
      * Method: disableZoomWheel
      */
diff --git a/tests/Control/Navigation.html b/tests/Control/Navigation.html
index e803e82b66..7569eb5ff0 100644
--- a/tests/Control/Navigation.html
+++ b/tests/Control/Navigation.html
@@ -71,6 +71,28 @@
         OpenLayers.Control.prototype.destroy = temp;
     }
 
+    function test_Control_Navigation_disableZoomBox(t) {
+        t.plan(2);
+        var nav = new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation();
+        var zb = new OpenLayers.Control.ZoomBox({});
+        nav.zoomBox = zb;
+        zb.activate();
+        nav.disableZoomBox();
+        t.eq(nav.zoomBoxEnabled, false, "zoom box deactivated");
+        t.eq(zb.active, false, "zoom box control deactivated");
+    }
+
+    function test_Control_Navigation_enableZoomBox(t) {
+        t.plan(2);
+        var nav = new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation();
+        var zb = new OpenLayers.Control.ZoomBox({});
+        nav.zoomBox = zb;
+        nav.active = true;
+        nav.enableZoomBox();
+        t.eq(nav.zoomBoxEnabled, true, "zoom box activated");
+        t.eq(zb.active, true, "zoom box control activated");
+    }
+
     function test_Control_Navigation_disableZoomWheel(t) {
         t.plan(2);
         var nav = new OpenLayers.Control.Navigation();