diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes.js b/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes.js
index 0618102c70..1a12ff5528 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/BaseTypes.js
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ OpenLayers.String = {
      *     trailing spaces removed.
      */
     trim: function(str) {
-        return str.replace(/^\s*(.*?)\s*$/, "$1");    
+        return str.replace(/^\s\s*/, '').replace(/\s\s*$/, '');
     },
     
     /**
diff --git a/tests/BaseTypes.html b/tests/BaseTypes.html
index 7953eafc60..cbb9db7398 100644
--- a/tests/BaseTypes.html
+++ b/tests/BaseTypes.html
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
     }
     
     function test_String_trim(t) {
-        t.plan(5);
+        t.plan(6);
         
         var str = "chickenHead";
         t.eq(OpenLayers.String.trim(str),
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@
         t.eq(OpenLayers.String.trim(str),
              "chickenHead", "string with extra whitespace at beginning and end is trimmed correctly");
 
+        str = "chicken\nHead   ";
+        t.eq(OpenLayers.String.trim(str),
+             "chicken\nHead", "multi-line string with extra whitespace at end is trimmed correctly");
         str = " ";
         t.eq(OpenLayers.String.trim(str), "", "whitespace string is trimmed correctly");
     }