diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon.js
index 2b644d48f3..b2d71163f7 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon.js
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ OpenLayers.Format.OWSCommon = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
             // remember version does not correspond to the OWS version
             // it corresponds to the WMS/WFS/WCS etc. request version
             var uri = root.getAttribute("xmlns:ows");
+            // the above will fail if the namespace prefix is different than
+            // ows and if the namspace is declared on a different element
             if (uri && uri.substring(uri.lastIndexOf("/")+1) === "1.1") {
                 version ="1.1.0";
             }