diff --git a/examples/kml-timezones.js b/examples/kml-timezones.js
index f5b93ee1e6..1bce4ed208 100644
--- a/examples/kml-timezones.js
+++ b/examples/kml-timezones.js
@@ -41,19 +41,17 @@ ol.expr.register('getOpacity', function() {
   return 0.75 * (1 - delta / 12);
 });
 
-var style = new ol.style.Style({rules: [
-  new ol.style.Rule({
-    symbolizers: [
-      new ol.style.Fill({
-        color: '#ffff33',
-        opacity: ol.expr.parse('getOpacity()')
-      }),
-      new ol.style.Stroke({
-        color: '#ffffff',
-      })
-    ]
-  })
-]});
+var style = new ol.style.Style({
+  symbolizers: [
+    new ol.style.Fill({
+      color: '#ffff33',
+      opacity: ol.expr.parse('getOpacity()')
+    }),
+    new ol.style.Stroke({
+      color: '#ffffff',
+    })
+  ]
+});
 
 var vector = new ol.layer.Vector({
   source: new ol.source.Vector({
diff --git a/examples/topojson.js b/examples/topojson.js
index 9f172aecf8..75a4187120 100644
--- a/examples/topojson.js
+++ b/examples/topojson.js
@@ -23,21 +23,19 @@ var vector = new ol.layer.Vector({
     url: 'data/topojson/world-110m.json',
     parser: new ol.parser.TopoJSON()
   }),
-  style: new ol.style.Style({rules: [
-    new ol.style.Rule({
-      symbolizers: [
-        new ol.style.Fill({
-          color: '#BADA55',
-          opacity: 0.5
-        }),
-        new ol.style.Stroke({
-          color: '#FFF',
-          opacity: 1,
-          width: 1.5
-        })
-      ]
-    })
-  ]})
+  style: new ol.style.Style({
+    symbolizers: [
+      new ol.style.Fill({
+        color: '#BADA55',
+        opacity: 0.5
+      }),
+      new ol.style.Stroke({
+        color: '#FFF',
+        opacity: 1,
+        width: 1.5
+      })
+    ]
+  })
 });
 
 var map = new ol.Map({
diff --git a/src/objectliterals.jsdoc b/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
index 8bef3bb5b5..cc90365820 100644
--- a/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
+++ b/src/objectliterals.jsdoc
@@ -642,7 +642,10 @@
 
 /**
  * @typedef {Object} ol.style.StyleOptions
- * @property {Array.<ol.style.Rule>} rules Rules.
+ * @property {Array.<ol.style.Rule>|undefined} rules Rules.
+ * @property {Array.<ol.style.Symbolizer>|undefined} symbolizers Symbolizers
+ *     (that apply if no rules are provided or where none of the provided rules
+ *     apply).
  */
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/ol/style/style.js b/src/ol/style/style.js
index 7932ee652e..d5e7c42298 100644
--- a/src/ol/style/style.js
+++ b/src/ol/style/style.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ goog.require('ol.style.PolygonLiteral');
 goog.require('ol.style.Rule');
 goog.require('ol.style.Shape');
 goog.require('ol.style.Stroke');
+goog.require('ol.style.Symbolizer');
 
 
 
@@ -24,6 +25,15 @@ ol.style.Style = function(options) {
    */
   this.rules_ = goog.isDef(options.rules) ? options.rules : [];
 
+  /**
+   * Symbolizers that apply if no rules are given or where none of the given
+   * rules apply (these are the "else" symbolizers).
+   * @type {Array.<ol.style.Symbolizer>}
+   * @private
+   */
+  this.symbolizers_ = goog.isDef(options.symbolizers) ?
+      options.symbolizers : [];
+
 };
 
 
@@ -35,18 +45,20 @@ ol.style.Style = function(options) {
  */
 ol.style.Style.prototype.createLiterals = function(feature) {
   var rules = this.rules_,
-      literals = [],
-      rule, symbolizers;
+      symbolizers = [],
+      applies = false,
+      rule;
   for (var i = 0, ii = rules.length; i < ii; ++i) {
     rule = rules[i];
     if (rule.applies(feature)) {
-      symbolizers = rule.getSymbolizers();
-      for (var j = 0, jj = symbolizers.length; j < jj; ++j) {
-        literals.push(symbolizers[j].createLiteral(feature));
-      }
+      applies = true;
+      symbolizers.push.apply(symbolizers, rule.getSymbolizers());
     }
+  } if (!applies) {
+    // these are the "else" symbolizers
+    symbolizers = this.symbolizers_;
   }
-  return ol.style.Style.reduceLiterals_(literals);
+  return ol.style.Style.createLiterals(symbolizers, feature);
 };
 
 
@@ -55,17 +67,13 @@ ol.style.Style.prototype.createLiterals = function(feature) {
  * @type {ol.style.Style}
  */
 ol.style.Style.defaults = new ol.style.Style({
-  rules: [
-    new ol.style.Rule({
-      symbolizers: [
-        new ol.style.Shape({
-          fill: new ol.style.Fill(),
-          stroke: new ol.style.Stroke()
-        }),
-        new ol.style.Fill(),
-        new ol.style.Stroke()
-      ]    
-    })
+  symbolizers: [
+    new ol.style.Shape({
+      fill: new ol.style.Fill(),
+      stroke: new ol.style.Stroke()
+    }),
+    new ol.style.Fill(),
+    new ol.style.Stroke()
   ]
 });
 
diff --git a/test/spec/ol/style/style.test.js b/test/spec/ol/style/style.test.js
index 296193d206..8eb2ec2fe0 100644
--- a/test/spec/ol/style/style.test.js
+++ b/test/spec/ol/style/style.test.js
@@ -2,10 +2,40 @@ goog.provide('ol.test.style.Style');
 
 describe('ol.style.Style', function() {
 
+  describe('constructor', function() {
+
+    it('creates a style instance given rules', function() {
+      var style = new ol.style.Style({
+        rules: [
+          new ol.style.Rule({
+            filter: 'foo == "bar"',
+            symbolizers: [
+              new ol.style.Fill({
+                color: '#ff0000'
+              })
+            ]
+          })
+        ]
+      });
+      expect(style).to.be.a(ol.style.Style);
+    });
+
+    it('creates a style instance given only "else" symbolizers', function() {
+      var style = new ol.style.Style({
+        symbolizers: [
+          new ol.style.Fill({
+            color: '#ff0000'
+          })
+        ]
+      });
+      expect(style).to.be.a(ol.style.Style);
+    });
+
+  });
+
   describe('#createLiterals()', function() {
 
     it('creates symbolizer literals for a feature', function() {
-
       var style = new ol.style.Style({
         rules: [
           new ol.style.Rule({
@@ -13,16 +43,20 @@ describe('ol.style.Style', function() {
             symbolizers: [
               new ol.style.Shape({
                 size: 4,
-                fill: new ol.style.Fill({color: '#BADA55'})
+                fill: new ol.style.Fill({
+                  color: ol.expr.parse('fillColor')
+                })
               })
             ]
           })
         ]
       });
       var feature = new ol.Feature({
+        fillColor: '#BADA55',
         geometry: new ol.geom.Point([1, 2])
       });
       feature.set('foo', 'bar');
+
       var literals = style.createLiterals(feature);
       expect(literals).to.have.length(1);
       expect(literals[0].fillColor).to.be('#BADA55');
@@ -31,6 +65,61 @@ describe('ol.style.Style', function() {
       expect(style.createLiterals(feature)).to.have.length(0);
     });
 
+    it('uses the "else" symbolizers when no rules are provided', function() {
+      var style = new ol.style.Style({
+        symbolizers: [
+          new ol.style.Stroke({
+            color: '#ff0000'
+          })
+        ]
+      });
+
+      var feature = new ol.Feature({
+        geometry: new ol.geom.LineString([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
+      });
+
+      var literals = style.createLiterals(feature);
+      expect(literals).to.have.length(1);
+      expect(literals[0].color).to.be('#ff0000');
+    });
+
+    it('uses the "else" symbolizers when no rules apply', function() {
+      var style = new ol.style.Style({
+        rules: [
+          new ol.style.Rule({
+            filter: 'name == "match"',
+            symbolizers: [
+              new ol.style.Stroke({
+                color: '#ff00ff'
+              })
+            ]
+          })
+        ],
+        // these are the "else" symbolizers
+        symbolizers: [
+          new ol.style.Stroke({
+            color: '#00ff00'
+          })
+        ]
+      });
+
+      var feature = new ol.Feature({
+        geometry: new ol.geom.LineString([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
+      });
+
+      var literals = style.createLiterals(feature);
+      expect(literals).to.have.length(1);
+      expect(literals[0].color).to.be('#00ff00');
+
+      feature = new ol.Feature({
+        name: 'match',
+        geometry: new ol.geom.LineString([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
+      });
+      literals = style.createLiterals(feature);
+      expect(literals).to.have.length(1);
+      expect(literals[0].color).to.be('#ff00ff');
+    });
+
   });
 
   describe('ol.style.Style.defaults.createLiterals(feature)', function() {