diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Feature.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Feature.js
index 2004a45591..c068676dae 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Feature.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Feature.js
@@ -179,13 +179,14 @@ OpenLayers.Feature = OpenLayers.Class({
             var id = this.id + "_popup";
             var anchor = (this.marker) ? this.marker.icon : null;
 
-            this.popup = new this.popupClass(id, 
-                                             this.lonlat,
-                                             this.data.popupSize,
-                                             this.data.popupContentHTML,
-                                             anchor, 
-                                             closeBox); 
-            
+            if (!this.popup) {
+                this.popup = new this.popupClass(id, 
+                                                 this.lonlat,
+                                                 this.data.popupSize,
+                                                 this.data.popupContentHTML,
+                                                 anchor, 
+                                                 closeBox); 
+            }    
             if (this.data.overflow != null) {
                 this.popup.contentDiv.style.overflow = this.data.overflow;
             }    
@@ -204,8 +205,11 @@ OpenLayers.Feature = OpenLayers.Class({
      *   should also be able to override the destruction
      */
     destroyPopup: function() {
-        this.popup.feature = null;
-        this.popup.destroy() 
+        if (this.popup) {
+            this.popup.feature = null;
+            this.popup.destroy();
+            this.popup = null;
+        }    
     },
 
     CLASS_NAME: "OpenLayers.Feature"
diff --git a/tests/test_Feature.html b/tests/test_Feature.html
index 6023cfb29f..1a33f5f074 100644
--- a/tests/test_Feature.html
+++ b/tests/test_Feature.html
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@
     }
 
     function test_04_Feature_createPopup(t) {
-        t.plan(17);
+        t.plan(11);
 
     //no lonlat        
         var f = {
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@
         };
         
         OpenLayers.Feature.prototype.destroyPopup.apply(f, []);
-        t.ok(f.popup.feature == null, "popup's 'feature' property nullified on destroy");
+        t.ok(f.popup == null, "popup property nullified on destroy");
     }
 
   </script>