diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1.js
index 83e0e125d2..422ea28b49 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1.js
@@ -16,14 +16,17 @@ if (!OpenLayers.Format.OWSCommon) {
  */
 OpenLayers.Format.OWSCommon.v1 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
    
-    /** 
-     * Property: namespaces 
-     * {Object} Mapping of namespace aliases to namespace URIs. 
-     */ 
-    namespaces: { 
-        xlink: "http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" 
-    }, 
- 
+    /**
+     * Property: regExes
+     * Compiled regular expressions for manipulating strings.
+     */
+    regExes: {
+        trimSpace: (/^\s*|\s*$/g),
+        removeSpace: (/\s*/g),
+        splitSpace: (/\s+/),
+        trimComma: (/\s*,\s*/g)
+    },
+
     /**
      * Property: readers
      * Contains public functions, grouped by namespace prefix, that will
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1_0_0.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1_0_0.js
index b767340031..7f2e7899e0 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1_0_0.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1_0_0.js
@@ -13,6 +13,15 @@
  */
 OpenLayers.Format.OWSCommon.v1_0_0 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.OWSCommon.v1, {
     
+    /**
+     * Property: namespaces
+     * {Object} Mapping of namespace aliases to namespace URIs.
+     */
+    namespaces: {
+        ows: "http://www.opengis.net/ows/1.0",
+        xlink: "http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+    },    
+    
     /**
      * Property: readers
      * Contains public functions, grouped by namespace prefix, that will
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1_1_0.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1_1_0.js
index c8423633d5..310dbe5269 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1_1_0.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/OWSCommon/v1_1_0.js
@@ -12,6 +12,15 @@
  * It is not intended to be used on its own.
  */
 OpenLayers.Format.OWSCommon.v1_1_0 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.OWSCommon.v1, {
+
+    /**
+     * Property: namespaces
+     * {Object} Mapping of namespace aliases to namespace URIs.
+     */
+    namespaces: {
+        ows: "http://www.opengis.net/ows/1.1",
+        xlink: "http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"
+    },    
     
     /**
      * Property: readers