diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
index c640895dd6..1d059fee6c 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
@@ -1330,7 +1330,11 @@ OpenLayers.Map = OpenLayers.Class({
      * {<OpenLayers.LonLat>}
      */
     getCenter: function () {
-        return this.center;
+        var center = null;
+        if (this.center) {
+            center = this.center.clone();
+        }
+        return center;
     },
 
 
diff --git a/tests/Map.html b/tests/Map.html
index 5e864f6f2b..fc53af7530 100644
--- a/tests/Map.html
+++ b/tests/Map.html
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
     }
 
     function test_Map_center(t) {
-        t.plan(7);
+        t.plan(8);
         map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
         var baseLayer = new OpenLayers.Layer.WMS("Test Layer", 
             "http://octo.metacarta.com/cgi-bin/mapserv?",
@@ -128,6 +128,8 @@
         t.ok( lonlat.equals(zero), "map center is correct after calling zoomToFullExtent" );
     */
 
+        map.getCenter().lon = 10;
+        t.ok( map.getCenter().equals(ll), "map.getCenter returns a clone of map.center");
     }
 
     function test_Map_zoomend_event (t) {