diff --git a/src/api/layer/wms.js b/src/api/layer/wms.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ee48e9d232
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/layer/wms.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+goog.provide('ol.layer.wms');
+
+goog.require('ol.layer.WMS');
+
+/**
+ * @export
+ * @param {Object} opt_arg Config object.
+ * @return {ol.layer.WMS}
+ */
+ol.layer.wms = function(opt_arg) {
+    if (opt_arg instanceof ol.layer.WMS) {
+        return opt_arg;
+    }
+
+    /** @type {string} */
+    var url;
+    /** @type {Array.<string>} */
+    var layers;
+    /** @type {string} */
+    var format;
+
+    if (goog.isObject(opt_arg)) {
+        ol.base.checkKeys(opt_arg, ['url', 'layers', 'format']);
+        url = opt_arg['url'];
+        layers = opt_arg['layers'];
+        format = opt_arg['format'];
+    }
+
+    var msg;
+    if (!goog.isDef(url)) {
+        msg = 'Cannot create WMS layer; option "url" is missing';
+        ol.error(msg);
+    }
+    if (!goog.isArray(layers)) {
+        msg = 'Cannot create WMS layer; option "layers" is missing, ' +
+              'or is not an array';
+        ol.error(msg);
+    }
+
+    return new ol.layer.WMS(url, layers, format);
+};
diff --git a/src/ol.export.js b/src/ol.export.js
index 86d1b75727..f1f7e3820a 100644
--- a/src/ol.export.js
+++ b/src/ol.export.js
@@ -48,6 +48,10 @@ goog.exportSymbol('ol.layer.XYZ', ol.layer.XYZ);
 goog.exportSymbol('ol.layer.osm', ol.layer.osm);
 goog.exportSymbol('ol.layer.OSM', ol.layer.OSM);
 
+// ol.layer.wms
+goog.exportSymbol('ol.layer.wms', ol.layer.wms);
+goog.exportSymbol('ol.layer.WMS', ol.layer.WMS);
+
 // ol.feature
 goog.exportSymbol('ol.feature', ol.feature);
 goog.exportSymbol('ol.Feature', ol.Feature);
diff --git a/src/ol.js b/src/ol.js
index 1ea61696e2..733f1ec8c2 100644
--- a/src/ol.js
+++ b/src/ol.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ goog.require("ol.feature");
 goog.require("ol.projection");
 goog.require("ol.layer.xyz");
 goog.require("ol.layer.osm");
+goog.require("ol.layer.wms");
 goog.require("ol.popup");
 goog.require("ol.Tile");
 goog.require("ol.TileSet");
diff --git a/test/api.html b/test/api.html
index 3cb67c3177..ff00d35ff7 100644
--- a/test/api.html
+++ b/test/api.html
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@
   <script type="text/javascript" src="spec/api/projection.test.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="spec/api/layer/xyz.test.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="spec/api/layer/osm.test.js"></script>
+  <script type="text/javascript" src="spec/api/layer/wms.test.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="spec/api/feature.test.js"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="spec/api/popup.test.js"></script>
 
diff --git a/test/spec/api/layer/wms.test.js b/test/spec/api/layer/wms.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4896f0b239
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/spec/api/layer/wms.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+describe('ol.layer.wms', function() {
+    
+    describe('create a wms layer', function() {
+
+        it('creates an ol.layer.WMS instance', function() {
+            var wms = ol.layer.wms({
+                url: 'http://wms',
+                layers: ['layer1', 'layer2'],
+                format: 'image/png'
+            });
+            expect(wms).toBeA(ol.layer.WMS);
+        });
+    });
+});