diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/GeoRSS.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/GeoRSS.js
index 5c2c010b34..c87735b93d 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/GeoRSS.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Layer/GeoRSS.js
@@ -48,6 +48,12 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.GeoRSS = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer.Markers, {
      */
     popupSize: null, 
     
+    /** 
+     * APIProperty: useFeedTitle 
+     * {Boolean} Set layer.name to the first <title> element in the feed. Default is true. 
+     */
+    useFeedTitle: true,
+    
     /**
     * Constructor: OpenLayers.Layer.GeoRSS
     * Create a GeoRSS Layer.
@@ -86,12 +92,17 @@ OpenLayers.Layer.GeoRSS = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Layer.Markers, {
             doc = OpenLayers.parseXMLString(ajaxRequest.responseText);
         }
         
-        this.name = null;
-        try {
-            this.name = doc.getElementsByTagNameNS('*', 'title')[0].firstChild.nodeValue;
-        }
-        catch (e) {
-            this.name = doc.getElementsByTagName('title')[0].firstChild.nodeValue;
+        if (this.useFeedTitle) {
+            var name = null;
+            try {
+                name = doc.getElementsByTagNameNS('*', 'title')[0].firstChild.nodeValue;
+            }
+            catch (e) {
+                name = doc.getElementsByTagName('title')[0].firstChild.nodeValue;
+            }
+            if (name) {
+                this.setName(name);
+            }    
         }
        
         /* Try RSS items first, then Atom entries */
diff --git a/tests/Layer/test_GeoRSS.html b/tests/Layer/test_GeoRSS.html
index e1b32f0c72..be2878e86b 100644
--- a/tests/Layer/test_GeoRSS.html
+++ b/tests/Layer/test_GeoRSS.html
@@ -28,6 +28,15 @@
             t.eq( layer.name, "Crschmidt's Places At Platial", "Layer name is correct." );
         } );
     }
+    
+    function test_Layer_GeoRSS_dontUseFeedTitle (t) {
+        t.plan( 1 );
+        layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.GeoRSS('Test Layer', georss_txt, {'useFeedTitle': false} );
+        t.delay_call( 1, function() {  
+            t.eq( layer.name, "Test Layer", "Layer name is correct when not used from feed." );
+        } );
+    }
+    
     function test_01_Layer_GeoRSS_AtomParsing (t) {
         t.plan( 6 );
         layer = new OpenLayers.Layer.GeoRSS('Test Layer', atom_xml );