diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/VML.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/VML.js
index c06d583e87..79e76a54ad 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/VML.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Renderer/VML.js
@@ -848,9 +848,9 @@ OpenLayers.Renderer.VML = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Renderer.Elements, {
 
         var align = style.labelAlign || "cm";
         var xshift = textbox.clientWidth *
-            (OpenLayers.Renderer.VML.LABEL_SHIFT[align.substr(0,1)]);
+            (OpenLayers.Renderer.VML.LABEL_SHIFT[align[0] || "c"]);
         var yshift = textbox.clientHeight *
-            (OpenLayers.Renderer.VML.LABEL_SHIFT[align.substr(1,1)]);
+            (OpenLayers.Renderer.VML.LABEL_SHIFT[align[1] || "m"]);
         label.style.left = parseInt(label.style.left)-xshift-1+"px";
         label.style.top = parseInt(label.style.top)+yshift+"px";