diff --git a/src/ol/format/gml/gmlbaseformat.js b/src/ol/format/gml/gmlbaseformat.js
index 3afda6975d..64d0fe914d 100644
--- a/src/ol/format/gml/gmlbaseformat.js
+++ b/src/ol/format/gml/gmlbaseformat.js
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ ol.format.GMLBase.ONLY_WHITESPACE_RE_ = /^[\s\xa0]*$/;
 ol.format.GMLBase.prototype.readFeaturesInternal = function(node, objectStack) {
   goog.asserts.assert(node.nodeType == goog.dom.NodeType.ELEMENT,
       'node.nodeType should be ELEMENT');
-  var localName = ol.xml.getLocalName(node);
+  var localName = node.localName;
   var features;
   if (localName == 'FeatureCollection') {
     if (node.namespaceURI === 'http://www.opengis.net/wfs') {
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ ol.format.GMLBase.prototype.readFeatureElement = function(node, objectStack) {
       ol.xml.getAttributeNS(node, ol.format.GMLBase.GMLNS, 'id');
   var values = {}, geometryName;
   for (n = node.firstElementChild; n; n = n.nextElementSibling) {
-    var localName = ol.xml.getLocalName(n);
+    var localName = n.localName;
     // Assume attribute elements have one child node and that the child
     // is a text or CDATA node (to be treated as text).
     // Otherwise assume it is a geometry node.
diff --git a/src/ol/format/kmlformat.js b/src/ol/format/kmlformat.js
index 66dc5301b4..936ae8b294 100644
--- a/src/ol/format/kmlformat.js
+++ b/src/ol/format/kmlformat.js
@@ -1745,7 +1745,7 @@ ol.format.KML.prototype.getExtensions = function() {
 ol.format.KML.prototype.readDocumentOrFolder_ = function(node, objectStack) {
   goog.asserts.assert(node.nodeType == goog.dom.NodeType.ELEMENT,
       'node.nodeType should be ELEMENT');
-  var localName = ol.xml.getLocalName(node);
+  var localName = node.localName;
   goog.asserts.assert(localName == 'Document' || localName == 'Folder',
       'localName should be Document or Folder');
   // FIXME use scope somehow
@@ -1923,7 +1923,7 @@ ol.format.KML.prototype.readFeaturesFromNode = function(node, opt_options) {
     return [];
   }
   var features;
-  var localName = ol.xml.getLocalName(node);
+  var localName = node.localName;
   if (localName == 'Document' || localName == 'Folder') {
     features = this.readDocumentOrFolder_(
         node, [this.getReadOptions(node, opt_options)]);
@@ -2009,7 +2009,7 @@ ol.format.KML.prototype.readNameFromNode = function(node) {
     }
   }
   for (n = node.firstElementChild; n; n = n.nextElementSibling) {
-    var localName = ol.xml.getLocalName(n);
+    var localName = n.localName;
     if (ol.array.includes(ol.format.KML.NAMESPACE_URIS_, n.namespaceURI) &&
         (localName == 'Document' ||
          localName == 'Folder' ||
@@ -2080,7 +2080,7 @@ ol.format.KML.prototype.readNetworkLinksFromNode = function(node) {
     }
   }
   for (n = node.firstElementChild; n; n = n.nextElementSibling) {
-    var localName = ol.xml.getLocalName(n);
+    var localName = n.localName;
     if (ol.array.includes(ol.format.KML.NAMESPACE_URIS_, n.namespaceURI) &&
         (localName == 'Document' ||
          localName == 'Folder' ||
diff --git a/src/ol/format/wmsgetfeatureinfoformat.js b/src/ol/format/wmsgetfeatureinfoformat.js
index 6b669742a6..f8437b91bd 100644
--- a/src/ol/format/wmsgetfeatureinfoformat.js
+++ b/src/ol/format/wmsgetfeatureinfoformat.js
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ ol.format.WMSGetFeatureInfo.prototype.readFeatures_ = function(node, objectStack
   node.setAttribute('namespaceURI', this.featureNS_);
   goog.asserts.assert(node.nodeType == goog.dom.NodeType.ELEMENT,
       'node.nodeType should be ELEMENT');
-  var localName = ol.xml.getLocalName(node);
+  var localName = node.localName;
   /** @type {Array.<ol.Feature>} */
   var features = [];
   if (node.childNodes.length === 0) {
diff --git a/src/ol/xml.js b/src/ol/xml.js
index 2d86b031b5..80c5ec1a99 100644
--- a/src/ol/xml.js
+++ b/src/ol/xml.js
@@ -114,41 +114,6 @@ ol.xml.getAllTextContent_ = function(node, normalizeWhitespace, accumulator) {
 };
 
 
-/**
- * @param {Node} node Node.
- * @private
- * @return {string} Local name.
- */
-ol.xml.getLocalName_ = function(node) {
-  return node.localName;
-};
-
-
-/**
- * @param {Node} node Node.
- * @private
- * @return {string} Local name.
- */
-ol.xml.getLocalNameIE_ = function(node) {
-  var localName = node.localName;
-  if (localName !== undefined) {
-    return localName;
-  }
-  var baseName = node.baseName;
-  goog.asserts.assert(baseName,
-      'Failed to get localName/baseName of node %s', node);
-  return baseName;
-};
-
-
-/**
- * @param {Node} node Node.
- * @return {string} Local name.
- */
-ol.xml.getLocalName = goog.userAgent.IE ?
-    ol.xml.getLocalNameIE_ : ol.xml.getLocalName_;
-
-
 /**
  * @param {?} value Value.
  * @private