diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
index 0323b07f34..7afa924a6d 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ OpenLayers.Control = OpenLayers.Class({
             this.map.removeControl(this);
             this.map = null;
         }
+        this.div = null;
     },
 
     /** 
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/PanZoom.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/PanZoom.js
index b1dabaebed..147c0c4b31 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/PanZoom.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/PanZoom.js
@@ -64,10 +64,10 @@ OpenLayers.Control.PanZoom = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * APIMethod: destroy
      */
     destroy: function() {
-        OpenLayers.Control.prototype.destroy.apply(this, arguments);
         this.removeButtons();
         this.buttons = null;
         this.position = null;
+        OpenLayers.Control.prototype.destroy.apply(this, arguments);
     },
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Control.html b/tests/Control.html
index 1d18a4cf00..06f057cd09 100644
--- a/tests/Control.html
+++ b/tests/Control.html
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
     }
 
     function test_Control_destroy(t) {
-        t.plan(3);
+        t.plan(4);
     
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
         var control = new OpenLayers.Control();
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
         t.ok(map.controls[map.controls.length - 1] != control, "map.controls doesn't contains control");
 
         t.ok(control.map == null, "Control.map is null");
+        t.ok(control.div == null, "Control.div is null");
         t.ok(control.handler == null, "Control.handler is null");
     }
     
diff --git a/tests/Control/PanZoomBar.html b/tests/Control/PanZoomBar.html
index 9f38c89f6b..f80f36172e 100644
--- a/tests/Control/PanZoomBar.html
+++ b/tests/Control/PanZoomBar.html
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@
         control = new OpenLayers.Control.PanZoomBar();
         map.addControl(control);
         control.removeButtons();
+        var div = control.div;
         map.destroy();
-        t.eq(control.div.childNodes.length, 0, "control's div cleared.");
+        t.eq(div.childNodes.length, 0, "control's div cleared.");
         t.eq(control.zoombarDiv, null, "zoombar div nullified.")
     }