diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Permalink.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Permalink.js
index c8f6064b34..345290a78f 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Permalink.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Permalink.js
@@ -17,6 +17,15 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Permalink.prototype =
     /** @type String */
     base: '',
     
+    /** @type OpenLayers.LonLat */
+    center: null,
+    
+    /** @type int */
+    zoom: null,
+
+    /** @type Array */
+    layers: null,
+
     /**
      * @constructor
      * 
@@ -26,7 +35,9 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Permalink.prototype =
     initialize: function(element, base) {
         OpenLayers.Control.prototype.initialize.apply(this, arguments);
         this.element = element;        
-        if (base) this.base = base;
+        if (base) {
+            this.base = base;
+        }
     },
 
     /**
@@ -35,25 +46,27 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Permalink.prototype =
     draw: function() {
         OpenLayers.Control.prototype.draw.apply(this, arguments);
         var args = OpenLayers.Util.getArgs();
+
         if (args.lat && args.lon) {
-            if (this.map.baseLayer) { 
-                this.map.setCenter(
-                   new OpenLayers.LonLat(parseFloat(args.lon), parseFloat(args.lat))
-                );
-            } else {
-                this.centerData = new OpenLayers.LonLat(
-                                      parseFloat(args.lon),
-                                      parseFloat(args.lat));
-                this.map.events.register( 'changebaselayer', this, this.setCenter);
+            this.center = new OpenLayers.LonLat(parseFloat(args.lon),
+                                                parseFloat(args.lat));
+            if (args.zoom) {
+                this.zoom = parseInt(args.zoom);
             }
+
+            // when we add a new baselayer to see when we can set the center
+            this.map.events.register('changebaselayer', this, this.setCenter);
+            this.setCenter();
         }
-        if (args.zoom) {
-            if (this.map.baseLayer) { 
-                this.map.zoomTo(parseInt(args.zoom));
-            } else {
-                this.zoomData = parseInt(args.zoom);
-            }
+
+        if (args.layers) {
+            this.layers = args.layers;
+
+            // when we add a new layer, set its visibility 
+            this.map.events.register('addlayer', this, this.configureLayers);
+            this.configureLayers();
         }
+        
         if (!this.element) {
             this.element = document.createElement("a");
             this.div.style.right = "3px";
@@ -67,7 +80,7 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Permalink.prototype =
             this.element.href="";
             this.div.appendChild(this.element);
         }
-        this.map.events.register( 'moveend', this, this.updateLink);
+        this.map.events.register('moveend', this, this.updateLink);
         return this.div;
     },
    
@@ -79,34 +92,58 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Permalink.prototype =
         var zoom = "zoom=" + this.map.getZoom(); 
         var lat = "lat=" + Math.round(center.lat*100000)/100000;
         var lon = "lon=" + Math.round(center.lon*100000)/100000;
-        
+
         var layers = "layers=";
-        var first = true;
         for(var i=0; i< this.map.layers.length; i++) {
             var layer = this.map.layers[i];
-            if (layer.getVisibility()) {
-                if (!first) {
-                    layers += ",";
-                }
-                layers += i;
-                first = false;
+
+            if (layer.isBaseLayer) {
+                layers += (layer == this.map.baseLayer) ? "B" : "0";
+            } else {
+                layers += (layer.getVisibility()) ? "T" : "F";           
             }
         }
-        var href = this.base + "?" + lat + "&" + lon + "&" + 
-                                     zoom + "&" + layers; 
+        var href = this.base + "?" + lat + "&" + lon + "&" + zoom + 
+                                   "&" + layers; 
         this.element.href = href;
     }, 
 
+    /** As soon as a baseLayer has been loaded, we center and zoom
+     *   ...and remove the handler.
+     */
     setCenter: function() {
-        if (this.map.baseLayer && this.centerData) { 
-            this.map.setCenter(this.centerData, this.zoomData ? this.zoomData : null);
-            this.centerData = null;
+        
+        if (this.map.baseLayer) {
+            //dont need to listen for this one anymore
+            this.map.events.unregister('changebaselayer', this, 
+                                       this.setCenter);
+                                       
+            this.map.setCenter(this.center, this.zoom);
         }
     },
-            
-        
+
+    /** As soon as all the layers are loaded, cycle through them and 
+     *   hide or show them. 
+     */
+    configureLayers: function() {
+
+        if (this.layers.length == this.map.layers.length) { 
+            this.map.events.unregister('addlayer', this, this.configureLayers);
+
+            for(var i=0; i < this.layers.length; i++) {
+                
+                var layer = this.map.layers[i];
+                var c = this.layers.charAt(i);
+                
+                if (c == "B") {
+                    this.map.setBaseLayer(layer);
+                } else if ( (c == "T") || (c == "F") ) {
+                    layer.setVisibility(c == "T");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    },     
     
     /** @final @type String */
     CLASS_NAME: "OpenLayers.Control.Permalink"
 });
-
diff --git a/tests/test_Control_Permalink.html b/tests/test_Control_Permalink.html
index d8defe48ab..c83c8d1433 100644
--- a/tests/test_Control_Permalink.html
+++ b/tests/test_Control_Permalink.html
@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@
         map.addControl(control);
         map.pan(5, 0);
         if (/MSIE/.test(navigator.userAgent)) {
-            t.eq($('permalink').href, "?lat=0&lon=1.75781&zoom=2&layers=0", "Panning sets permalink");
+            t.eq($('permalink').href, "?lat=0&lon=1.75781&zoom=2&layers=B", "Panning sets permalink");
         } else {
-            t.eq($('permalink').href, location+"?lat=0&lon=1.75781&zoom=2&layers=0", "Panning sets permalink");
+            t.eq($('permalink').href, location+"?lat=0&lon=1.75781&zoom=2&layers=B", "Panning sets permalink");
         }
     }
     function test_03_Control_Permalink_updateLinksBase (t) {
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
         if (!map.getCenter())  map.zoomToMaxExtent();
         map.addControl(control);
         map.pan(5, 0);
-        $('edit_permalink').href = './edit.html?lat=0&lon=1.75781&zoom=2&layers=0';
+        $('edit_permalink').href = './edit.html?lat=0&lon=1.75781&zoom=2&layers=B';
         t.eq($('permalink').href, $('edit_permalink').href, "Panning sets permalink with base");
   }
   function test_04_Control_Permalink_noElement (t) {