diff --git a/examples/panel.html b/examples/panel.html
index dcc8275303..36275e1290 100644
--- a/examples/panel.html
+++ b/examples/panel.html
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
           width:  24px;
           height: 24px;
           margin: 5px;
-          background-color:red;
+          background-color:white;
         }
         
         .olControlPanel .olControlMouseDefaultsItemActive { 
@@ -78,6 +78,12 @@
                     {title:'Draw a feature'}),
                 new OpenLayers.Control.ZoomToMaxExtent({title:"Zoom to the max extent"}) 
             ]);
+            
+            nav = new OpenLayers.Control.NavigationHistory();
+            // parent control must be added to the map
+            map.addControl(nav);
+            panel.addControls([nav.next, nav.previous]);
+            
             map.addControl(panel);
 
             map.setCenter(new OpenLayers.LonLat(lon, lat), zoom);
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
index 9bae56580e..61118eb7ca 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control.js
@@ -76,9 +76,9 @@ OpenLayers.Control = OpenLayers.Class({
 
     /** 
      * Property: type 
-     * {OpenLayers.Control.TYPES} Controls can have a 'type'. The type
-     * determines the type of interactions which are possible with them when
-     * they are placed into a toolbar. 
+     * {Number} Controls can have a 'type'. The type determines the type of
+     * interactions which are possible with them when they are placed in an
+     * <OpenLayers.Control.Panel>. 
      */
     type: null, 
 
@@ -351,6 +351,17 @@ OpenLayers.Control = OpenLayers.Class({
     CLASS_NAME: "OpenLayers.Control"
 });
 
+/**
+ * Constant: OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_BUTTON
+ */
 OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_BUTTON = 1;
+
+/**
+ * Constant: OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOGGLE
+ */
 OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOGGLE = 2;
+
+/**
+ * Constant: OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOOL
+ */
 OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOOL   = 3;
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Panel.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Panel.js
index 184be92fa8..772ff5e35c 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Panel.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/Panel.js
@@ -33,12 +33,37 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Panel = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * {<OpenLayers.Control>} The control which is activated when the control is
      * activated (turned on), which also happens at instantiation.
      */
-    defaultControl: null, 
-
+    defaultControl: null,
+    
     /**
      * Constructor: OpenLayers.Control.Panel
      * Create a new control panel.
-     * 
+     *
+     * Each control in the panel is represented by an icon. When clicking 
+     *     on an icon, the <activateControl> method is called.
+     *
+     * Specific properties for controls on a panel:
+     * type - {Number} One of <OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOOL>,
+     *     <OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOGGLE>, <OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_BUTTON>.
+     *     If not provided, <OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOOL> is assumed.
+     * title - {string} Text displayed when mouse is over the icon that 
+     *     represents the control.     
+     *
+     * The <OpenLayers.Control.type> of a control determines the behavior when
+     * clicking its icon:
+     * <OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOOL> - The control is activated and other
+     *     controls of this type in the same panel are deactivated. This is
+     *     the default type.
+     * <OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOGGLE> - The active state of the control is
+     *     toggled.
+     * <OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_BUTTON> - The
+     *     <OpenLayers.Control.Button.trigger> method of the control is called,
+     *     but its active state is not changed.
+     *
+     * If a control is <OpenLayers.Control.active>, it will be drawn with the
+     * olControl[Name]ItemActive class, otherwise with the
+     * olControl[Name]ItemInactive class.
+     *
      * Parameters:
      * options - {Object} An optional object whose properties will be used
      *     to extend the control.
@@ -137,7 +162,12 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Panel = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
 
     /**
      * APIMethod: activateControl
-     * 
+     * This method is called when the user click on the icon representing a 
+     *     control in the panel.
+     *
+     * The action that triggers depends on the type of control, see the 
+     *     description of the types of controls in the method <addControls>.
+     *
      * Parameters:
      * control - {<OpenLayers.Control>}
      */
@@ -159,7 +189,8 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Panel = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
         }
         for (var i=0, len=this.controls.length; i<len; i++) {
             if (this.controls[i] != control) {
-                if (this.controls[i].type != OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOGGLE) {
+                if (this.controls[i].type === OpenLayers.Control.TYPE_TOOL || 
+                                            this.controls[i].type === null) {
                     this.controls[i].deactivate();
                 }
             }
@@ -174,7 +205,7 @@ OpenLayers.Control.Panel = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * Control Panel.
      *
      * Parameters:
-     * controls - {<OpenLayers.Control>} 
+     * controls - {<OpenLayers.Control>} Controls to add in the panel.
      */    
     addControls: function(controls) {
         if (!(controls instanceof Array)) {
diff --git a/tests/Control/Panel.html b/tests/Control/Panel.html
index 88ad431f30..2c7474a19d 100644
--- a/tests/Control/Panel.html
+++ b/tests/Control/Panel.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
         t.eq( control.displayClass,  "olControlPanel", "displayClass is correct" );
     }
     function test_Control_Panel_constructor2 (t) {
-        t.plan(11);
+        t.plan(16);
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
         var toolControl = new OpenLayers.Control.ZoomBox();
         var AnotherToolControl = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@
         });
         
         var toggleControl = new ToggleControl();
+        var buttonControl = new OpenLayers.Control.Button({
+            trigger: function () {
+                t.ok(true, "trigger function of button is called.");     
+            }
+        });
 
         var panel = new OpenLayers.Control.Panel(
             {defaultControl: anotherToolControl});
@@ -36,6 +41,7 @@
         panel.addControls([toolControl, anotherToolControl, toggleControl]);
         t.eq(panel.controls.length, 3,
               "added three controls to the panel");
+        panel.addControls([buttonControl]);
 
         panel.redrawsCount = 0;              
         map.addControl(panel);
@@ -56,15 +62,23 @@
             panel.redrawsCount + " times."); 
 
         panel.activateControl(toolControl);
-        t.ok(toolControl.active && !anotherToolControl.active && !toggleControl.active,
-              "activated one tool control, the other one is inactive and the toggle control also.");
+        t.ok(toolControl.active && !anotherToolControl.active && !toggleControl.active && !buttonControl.active,
+              "activated one tool control, the other one is inactive and the toggle & button controls also.");
 
         panel.redrawsCount = 0;              
         panel.activateControl(toggleControl);
         t.ok((panel.redrawsCount > 0),"Redraw called on activated toggle " +
             panel.redrawsCount + " times.");
         t.ok(toolControl.active && !anotherToolControl.active && toggleControl.active,
-              "activated the toggle control, which has no influence on the tool controls.");
+              "activated the toggle control, which has no influence on the tool & togggle controls.");
+        panel.activateControl(buttonControl);
+        t.ok(toolControl.active && !anotherToolControl.active && toggleControl.active,
+              "activateContol calling for button, which has no influence on the tool & togggle controls.");
+        t.ok(!buttonControl.active,
+              "activateContol calling for button, button remains inactive.");
+        buttonControl.activate();
+        t.ok(buttonControl.active && toolControl.active && !anotherToolControl.active && toggleControl.active,
+              "activated the button control, which has no influence on the tool & togggle controls.");
               
         panel.redrawsCount = 0; 
         panel.activateControl(anotherToolControl);
@@ -73,6 +87,8 @@
             " times.");
         t.ok(!toolControl.active && anotherToolControl.active && toggleControl.active,
               "activated the other tool control, the first one is inactive and the toggle control still active.");
+        t.ok(buttonControl.active,
+              "activated the other tool control, the button control still active.");
     }
     function test_Control_Panel_titles (t) { 
         t.plan(2);