diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WFST/v1.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WFST/v1.js
index 36c59948d8..fdabaf1c32 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WFST/v1.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/WFST/v1.js
@@ -119,7 +119,9 @@ OpenLayers.Format.WFST.v1 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
             data = data.documentElement;
         }
         var obj = {};
-        this.readNode(data, obj);
+        if(data) {
+            this.readNode(data, obj);
+        }
         if(obj.features) {
             obj = obj.features;
         }
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Protocol/WFS/v1.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Protocol/WFS/v1.js
index 71998da854..a6a8e7b99f 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Protocol/WFS/v1.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Protocol/WFS/v1.js
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ OpenLayers.Protocol.WFS.v1 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Protocol, {
                 schema: this.schema
             }, this.formatOptions));
         }
-        if(!this.featureNS) {
+        if(!this.featureNS && this.featurePrefix) {
             // featureNS autodetection
             var readNode = this.format.readNode;
             this.format.readNode = function(node, obj) {