diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/HTTPRequest.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/HTTPRequest.js
index b6ba775398..6d48a4d29d 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/HTTPRequest.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/HTTPRequest.js
@@ -36,10 +36,17 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.HTTPRequest.prototype =
         this.params = Object.extend( new Object(), params);
     },
 
+    /** When the layer is added to the map, once it has taken all the 
+     *   relevant properties from the map (in Layer.setMap()), we will
+     *   make the call to initialize the layer's resolutions array.
+     * 
+     * @param {OpenLayers.Map} map
+     */
     setMap: function(map) {
         OpenLayers.Layer.prototype.setMap.apply(this, arguments);
         this.initResolutions();
     },
+    
     /**
      * 
      */
@@ -131,31 +138,55 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.HTTPRequest.prototype =
         return requestString;
     },
     
+    /** @private
+     * 
+     */
     initResolutions: function() {
-        if (this.scales != null) {
-            this.resolutions = new Array();
-            for(var i = 0; i < this.scales.length; i++) 
-                this.resolutions[i] = OpenLayers.Util.getResolutionFromScale(this.scales[i], this.units);
-            this.maxZoomLevel = this.resolutions.length;
-        } else if (this.resolutions != null) {
+        
+        if ((this.scales != null) || (this.resolutions != null)) {
+            if (this.scales != null) {
+                //convert the scales into resolutions. 
+                this.resolutions = new Array();
+                for(var i = 0; i < this.scales.length; i++) {
+                    this.resolutions[i] = 
+                       OpenLayers.Util.getResolutionFromScale(this.scales[i], 
+                                                              this.units);
+                }
+            }
             this.maxZoomLevel = this.resolutions.length;
         } else {
             this.resolutions = new Array();
-            if (this.minScale)
-                this.maxResolution = OpenLayers.Util.getResolutionFromScale(this.minScale, this.units);
+
+            if (this.minScale) {
+                this.maxResolution = 
+                    OpenLayers.Util.getResolutionFromScale(this.minScale, 
+                                                           this.units);
+            }
+
             var maxRes = this.getMaxResolution();
+
             if (this.maxScale) {
-                /* This will cause this.map.getMaxZoomLevel() to be set the next time
-                 * it is called, which means that the next portion here will succeed. */
-                var minRes = OpenLayers.Util.getResolutionFromScale(this.maxScale);
-                this.maxZoomLevel = Math.floor(Math.log(maxRes/minRes) / Math.log(2));
+                var minRes = 
+                    OpenLayers.Util.getResolutionFromScale(this.maxScale);
+                this.maxZoomLevel = Math.floor(Math.log(maxRes/minRes) / 
+                                               Math.log(2));
             }    
-            for (var i=this.getMinZoomLevel(); i <= this.getMaxZoomLevel(); i++) {
+
+            //at this point, min and max zoom levels are correctly set, so 
+            // iterate and add them to the resolutions array.
+            var minZoomLevel = this.getMinZoomLevel() 
+            var maxZoomLevel = this.getMaxZoomLevel() 
+            for (var i = minZoomLevel; i <= maxZoomLevel; i++) {
                 this.resolutions.push(maxRes / Math.pow(2, i));
             }    
         }
     },
     
+    /**
+     * @returns The currently selected resolution of the map, taken from the
+     *          resolutions array, indexed by current zoom level.
+     * @type float
+     */
     getResolution: function() {
         var zoom = this.map.getZoom();
 
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
index 8e7606c086..1e8684642f 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Map.js
@@ -706,11 +706,6 @@ OpenLayers.Map.prototype = {
         if (this.baseLayer != null) {
             maxResolution = this.baseLayer.getMaxResolution();
         }
-
-        if (maxResolution == null) {
-            maxResolution = this.maxResolution;
-        }
-
         return maxResolution;
     },