diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Geometry/LinearRing.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Geometry/LinearRing.js
index c1a8369f68..3b007d4745 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Geometry/LinearRing.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Geometry/LinearRing.js
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ OpenLayers.Geometry.LinearRing = OpenLayers.Class(
      * point - {<OpenLayers.Geometry.Point>}
      */
     removeComponent: function(point) {
-        if (this.components.length > 4) {
+        if (this.components.length > 3) {
 
             //remove last point
             this.components.pop();
diff --git a/tests/Geometry/LinearRing.html b/tests/Geometry/LinearRing.html
index ea3acca740..5cacd89eb7 100644
--- a/tests/Geometry/LinearRing.html
+++ b/tests/Geometry/LinearRing.html
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
     }
     
     function test_LinearRing_removeComponent(t) {
-        t.plan(11);
+        t.plan(10);
         
         var components = [new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(0,0), 
                     new OpenLayers.Geometry.Point(0,10),
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
         t.eq(ring.components.length, 4, "removing from linear ring with 5 points: length ok");
         t.ok(ring.components[0].equals(components[0]), "point one correct");
         t.ok(ring.components[1].equals(components[1]), "point two correct");
-        t.ok(ring.components[2].equals(components[3]), "point one correct");
+        t.ok(ring.components[2].equals(components[3]), "point three correct");
         t.ok(ring.components[0] === ring.components[ring.components.length - 1],
              "first and last point are the same");
  
@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@
         t.ok(ringBounds.equals(testBounds), "bounds correctly recalculated");
         
         ring.removeComponent( ring.components[2] );
-        t.eq(ring.components.length, 4, "cant remove from linear ring with only 4 points. new length ok (unchanged)");
+        ring.removeComponent( ring.components[1] );
+        t.eq(ring.components.length, 3, "cant remove from linear ring with only 3 points. new length ok");
         t.ok(ring.components[0].equals(components[0]), "point one correct");
         t.ok(ring.components[1].equals(components[1]), "point two correct");
-        t.ok(ring.components[2].equals(components[3]), "point one correct");
         t.ok(ring.components[0] === ring.components[ring.components.length - 1],
              "first and last point are the same");