diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/DragFeature.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/DragFeature.js
index 2f470370df..73643d9b70 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/DragFeature.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/DragFeature.js
@@ -24,6 +24,19 @@ OpenLayers.Control.DragFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      */
     geometryTypes: null,
     
+    /**
+     * APIProperty: onStart
+     * {Function} Define this function if you want to know when a drag starts.
+     *     The function should expect to receive two arguments: the feature
+     *     that is about to be dragged and the pixel location of the mouse.
+     *
+     * Parameters:
+     * feature - {OpenLayers.Feature.Vector} The feature that is about to be
+     *     dragged.
+     * pixel - {OpenLayers.Pixel} The pixel location of the mouse.
+     */
+    onStart: function(feature, pixel) {},
+
     /**
      * APIProperty: onDrag
      * {Function} Define this function if you want to know about each move of a
@@ -154,6 +167,9 @@ OpenLayers.Control.DragFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
         // the return from the handlers is unimportant in this case
         this.dragHandler.deactivate();
         this.featureHandler.deactivate();
+        this.feature = null;
+        this.dragging = false;
+        this.lastPixel = null;
         return OpenLayers.Control.prototype.deactivate.apply(this, arguments);
     },
 
@@ -189,8 +205,8 @@ OpenLayers.Control.DragFeature = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * pixel - {OpenLayers.Pixel} Location of the mouse event.
      */
     downFeature: function(pixel) {
-        this.dragHandler.dragging = true;
         this.lastPixel = pixel;
+        this.onStart(this.feature, pixel);
     },
 
     /**
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Handler/Drag.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Handler/Drag.js
index 4257cd7dc7..d4d541be00 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Handler/Drag.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Handler/Drag.js
@@ -282,7 +282,10 @@ OpenLayers.Handler.Drag = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Handler, {
     deactivate: function() {
         var deactivated = false;
         if(OpenLayers.Handler.prototype.deactivate.apply(this, arguments)) {
+            this.started = false;
             this.dragging = false;
+            this.start = null;
+            this.last = null;
             deactivated = true;
         }
         return deactivated;
diff --git a/tests/Control/test_DragFeature.html b/tests/Control/test_DragFeature.html
index 9884071c71..c5fd8bf8b0 100644
--- a/tests/Control/test_DragFeature.html
+++ b/tests/Control/test_DragFeature.html
@@ -109,14 +109,13 @@
         }
         map.events.triggerEvent("mousemove");
 
-        t.ok(!control.dragHandler.dragging,
-             "control is not dragging before the mousedown");
-        
         // simulate a mousedown on a feature
+        control.onStart = function(feature, pixel) {
+            t.eq(feature, "foo", "onStart called with the correct feature");
+            t.eq(pixel, "bar", "onStart called with the correct pixel");
+        }
         map.events.triggerEvent("mousedown", {xy: "bar", which: 1});
 
-        t.ok(control.dragHandler.dragging,
-             "drag is dragging after the mousedown");
         t.eq(control.lastPixel, "bar",
              "mousedown sets the lastPixel correctly");
     }
diff --git a/tests/Handler/test_Drag.html b/tests/Handler/test_Drag.html
index d5aaa4bfaf..6f7cc63781 100644
--- a/tests/Handler/test_Drag.html
+++ b/tests/Handler/test_Drag.html
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@
     }
 
     function test_Handler_Drag_deactivate(t) {
-        t.plan(3);
+        t.plan(6);
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
         var control = new OpenLayers.Control();
         map.addControl(control);
@@ -320,8 +320,14 @@
         deactivated = handler.deactivate();
         t.ok(deactivated,
              "deactivate returns true if the handler was active already");
+        t.ok(!handler.started,
+             "deactivate sets started to false");
         t.ok(!handler.dragging,
              "deactivate sets dragging to false");
+        t.ok(handler.start == null,
+             "deactivate sets start to null");
+        t.ok(handler.last == null,
+             "deactivate sets start to null");
     }