diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Request.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Request.js
index 653ed1ab96..35ade9e738 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Request.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Request.js
@@ -141,6 +141,54 @@ OpenLayers.Request = {
             request.setRequestHeader(header, config.headers[header]);
         }
 
+        var events = this.events;
+
+        // we want to execute runCallbacks with "this" as the
+        // execution scope
+        var self = this;
+        
+        request.onreadystatechange = function() {
+            if(request.readyState == OpenLayers.Request.XMLHttpRequest.DONE) {
+                var proceed = events.triggerEvent(
+                    "complete",
+                    {request: request, config: config, requestUrl: url}
+                );
+                if(proceed !== false) {
+                    self.runCallbacks(
+                        {request: request, config: config, requestUrl: url}
+                    );
+                }
+            }
+        };
+        
+        // send request (optionally with data) and return
+        // call in a timeout for asynchronous requests so the return is
+        // available before readyState == 4 for cached docs
+        if(config.async === false) {
+            request.send(config.data);
+        } else {
+            window.setTimeout(function(){
+                request.send(config.data);
+            }, 0);
+        }
+        return request;
+    },
+    
+    /**
+     * Method: runCallbacks
+     * Calls the complete, success and failure callbacks. Application
+     *    can listen to the "complete" event, have the listener 
+     *    display a confirm window and always return false, and
+     *    execute OpenLayers.Request.runCallbacks if the user
+     *    hits "yes" in the confirm window.
+     *
+     * Parameters:
+     * options - {Object} Hash containing request, config and requestUrl keys
+     */
+    runCallbacks: function(options) {
+        var request = options.request;
+        var config = options.config;
+        
         // bind callbacks to readyState 4 (done)
         var complete = (config.scope) ?
             OpenLayers.Function.bind(config.callback, config.scope) :
@@ -161,50 +209,21 @@ OpenLayers.Request = {
                 OpenLayers.Function.bind(config.failure, config.scope) :
                 config.failure;
         }
-        
-        var events = this.events;
-         
-        request.onreadystatechange = function() {
-            if(request.readyState == OpenLayers.Request.XMLHttpRequest.DONE) {
-                var proceed = events.triggerEvent(
-                    "complete",
-                    {request: request, config: config, requestUrl: url}
-                );
-                if(proceed !== false) {
-                    complete(request);
-                    if (!request.status || (request.status >= 200 && request.status < 300)) {
-                        events.triggerEvent(
-                            "success",
-                            {request: request, config: config, requestUrl: url}
-                        );
-                        if(success) {
-                            success(request);
-                        }
-                    }
-                    if(request.status && (request.status < 200 || request.status >= 300)) {                    
-                        events.triggerEvent(
-                            "failure",
-                            {request: request, config: config, requestUrl: url}
-                        );
-                        if(failure) {
-                            failure(request);
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
+
+        complete(request);
+
+        if (!request.status || (request.status >= 200 && request.status < 300)) {
+            this.events.triggerEvent("success", options);
+            if(success) {
+                success(request);
+            }
+        }
+        if(request.status && (request.status < 200 || request.status >= 300)) {                    
+            this.events.triggerEvent("failure", options);
+            if(failure) {
+                failure(request);
             }
-        };
-        
-        // send request (optionally with data) and return
-        // call in a timeout for asynchronous requests so the return is
-        // available before readyState == 4 for cached docs
-        if(config.async === false) {
-            request.send(config.data);
-        } else {
-            window.setTimeout(function(){
-                request.send(config.data);
-            }, 0);
         }
-        return request;
     },
     
     /**