diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
index 357622cc43..1de3cd3ebc 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/XML.js
@@ -110,7 +110,15 @@ OpenLayers.Format.XML = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format, {
             data = node.xml;
         } else {
             var serializer = new XMLSerializer();
-            data = serializer.serializeToString(node);
+            if (node.nodeType == 1) {
+                // Add nodes to a document before serializing. Everything else
+                // is serialized as is. This may need more work. See #1218 .
+                var doc = document.implementation.createDocument("", "", null);
+                doc.appendChild(node);
+                data = serializer.serializeToString(doc);
+            } else {
+                data = serializer.serializeToString(node);
+            }
         }
         return data;
     },