diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile.js
index 469615dfc5..ea16fb71ea 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile.js
@@ -119,6 +119,30 @@ OpenLayers.Tile = OpenLayers.Class({
         this.events.destroy();
         this.events = null;
     },
+    
+    /**
+     * Method: clone
+     *
+     * Parameters:
+     * obj - {<OpenLayers.Tile>} The tile to be cloned
+     *
+     * Returns:
+     * {<OpenLayers.Tile>} An exact clone of this <OpenLayers.Tile>
+     */
+    clone: function (obj) {
+        if (obj == null) {
+            obj = new OpenLayers.Tile(this.layer, 
+                                      this.position, 
+                                      this.bounds, 
+                                      this.url, 
+                                      this.size);
+        } 
+        
+        // catch any randomly tagged-on properties
+        OpenLayers.Util.applyDefaults(obj, this);
+        
+        return obj;
+    },
 
     /**
      * Method: draw
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
index 566bcbbc12..33cefcf028 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Tile/Image.js
@@ -91,6 +91,34 @@ OpenLayers.Tile.Image = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Tile, {
         OpenLayers.Tile.prototype.destroy.apply(this, arguments);
     },
 
+    /**
+     * Method: clone
+     *
+     * Parameters:
+     * obj - {<OpenLayers.Tile.Image>} The tile to be cloned
+     *
+     * Returns:
+     * {<OpenLayers.Tile.Image>} An exact clone of this <OpenLayers.Tile.Image>
+     */
+    clone: function (obj) {
+        if (obj == null) {
+            obj = new OpenLayers.Tile.Image(this.layer, 
+                                            this.position, 
+                                            this.bounds, 
+                                            this.url, 
+                                            this.size);        
+        } 
+        
+        //pick up properties from superclass
+        obj = OpenLayers.Tile.prototype.clone.apply(this, [obj]);
+        
+        //dont want to directly copy the image div
+        obj.imgDiv = null;
+            
+        
+        return obj;
+    },
+    
     /**
      * Method: draw
      * Check that a tile should be drawn, and draw it.
diff --git a/tests/Tile/test_Image.html b/tests/Tile/test_Image.html
index 17bed356b0..e3b270ca48 100644
--- a/tests/Tile/test_Image.html
+++ b/tests/Tile/test_Image.html
@@ -24,7 +24,33 @@
         t.eq( tile.url, url, "tile.url is set correctly");
         t.ok( tile.size.equals(size), "tile.size is set correctly");
     }
-    function test_02_Tile_Image_draw (t) {
+    
+    function test_02_Tile_Image_clone (t) {
+        t.plan( 9 );
+        
+        var layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.WMS( "OpenLayers WMS", 
+            "http://labs.metacarta.com/wms/vmap0?", {layers: 'basic'}); 
+
+        var position = new OpenLayers.Pixel(20,30);
+        var bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(1,2,3,4);
+        var url = "http://www.openlayers.org/dev/tests/tileimage";
+        var size = new OpenLayers.Size(5,6);
+        tile = new OpenLayers.Tile.Image(layer, position, bounds, url, size);
+        tile.imgDiv = {};
+        var clone = tile.clone();
+        
+        t.ok( clone instanceof OpenLayers.Tile.Image, "OpenLayers.Tile.clone returns Tile.Image object" );
+        t.ok( clone.layer == layer, "clone.layer is set correctly");
+        t.ok( clone.position.equals(position), "clone.position is set correctly");
+        t.ok( clone.bounds.equals(bounds), "clone.bounds is set correctly");
+        t.eq( clone.url, url, "clone.url is set correctly");
+        t.ok( clone.size.equals(size), "clone.size is set correctly");
+        t.ok( clone.frame, "clone has a frame");
+        t.ok( clone.frame != tile.frame, "clone's frame is a new one");
+        t.ok( clone.imgDiv == null, "clone's imgDiv was not copied");
+    }
+    
+    function test_03_Tile_Image_draw (t) {
         t.plan( 7 );
 
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
@@ -78,7 +104,7 @@
         tile.draw();
         
     }
-    function test_03_Tile_Image_OutsideMaxExtent(t) {
+    function test_04_Tile_Image_OutsideMaxExtent(t) {
         t.plan( 11 );
         var position = new OpenLayers.Pixel(20,30);
         var bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(1,2,3,4);
@@ -160,7 +186,7 @@
              "http://labs.metacarta.com/wms/vmap0?" + OpenLayers.Util.getParameterString(tParams),
              "Image covering more than all of extent loads");
     } 
-    function test_04_Tile_Image_Display_After_Move(t) {
+    function test_05_Tile_Image_Display_After_Move(t) {
         t.plan(2);
         var position = new OpenLayers.Pixel(20,30);
         var bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(1,2,3,4);
@@ -185,7 +211,7 @@
         
     }
 
-    function test_05_Tile_Image_gutters(t) {
+    function test_06_Tile_Image_gutters(t) {
         t.plan(5);
         
         var gutter = 0;
diff --git a/tests/test_Tile.html b/tests/test_Tile.html
index 094edcd6a7..1b10088115 100644
--- a/tests/test_Tile.html
+++ b/tests/test_Tile.html
@@ -31,6 +31,32 @@
         t.ok( tile.events != null, "tile's events intitialized");
     }
 
+    function test_02_Tile_clone (t) {
+        t.plan( 10 );
+     
+        var layer = {}; // bogus layer
+        var position = new OpenLayers.Pixel(10,20);
+        var bounds = new OpenLayers.Bounds(1,2,3,4);
+        var url = "bobob";
+        var size = new OpenLayers.Size(5,6);
+        
+        tile = new OpenLayers.Tile(layer, position, bounds, url, size);
+        var clone = tile.clone();
+        
+        t.ok( clone instanceof OpenLayers.Tile, "OpenLayers.Tile.clone returns Tile object" );
+        t.eq( clone.layer, layer, "clone.layer set correctly");
+        t.ok( clone.position.equals(position), "clone.position set correctly");
+        t.ok( clone.bounds.equals(bounds), "clone.bounds set correctly");
+        t.eq( clone.url, url, "clone.url set correctly");        
+        t.ok( clone.size.equals(size), "clone.size is set correctly" );
+
+        t.ok( clone.id != null, "clone is given an id");
+        t.ok( clone.id != tile.id, "clone is given a new id");
+        t.ok(OpenLayers.String.startsWith(clone.id, "Tile_"),
+             "clone's id starts correctly");
+        t.ok( clone.events != null, "clone's events intitialized");
+    }
+
     function test_99_Tile_destroy(t) {
         t.plan( 6 );