diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Protocol/WFS/v1.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Protocol/WFS/v1.js
index 4a400f1891..94bf2dcc7e 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Protocol/WFS/v1.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Protocol/WFS/v1.js
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ OpenLayers.Protocol.WFS.v1 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Protocol, {
      */ 
     readFormat: null,     
     
+    /**
+     * Property: readOptions
+     * {Object} Optional object to pass to format's read.
+     */
+    readOptions: null,
+    
     /**
      * Constructor: OpenLayers.Protocol.WFS
      * A class for giving layers WFS protocol.
@@ -173,7 +179,12 @@ OpenLayers.Protocol.WFS.v1 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Protocol, {
             var request = response.priv;
             if(request.status >= 200 && request.status < 300) {
                 // success
-                response.features = this.parseFeatures(request);
+                if (this.readOptions && this.readOptions.output == "object") {
+                    OpenLayers.Util.extend(response, 
+                        this.parseResponse(request, this.readOptions));
+                } else {
+                    response.features = this.parseResponse(request);
+                }
                 response.code = OpenLayers.Protocol.Response.SUCCESS;
             } else {
                 // failure
@@ -184,17 +195,20 @@ OpenLayers.Protocol.WFS.v1 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Protocol, {
     },
 
     /**
-     * Method: parseFeatures
+     * Method: parseResponse
      * Read HTTP response body and return features
      *
      * Parameters:
      * request - {XMLHttpRequest} The request object
+     * options - {Object} Optional object to pass to format's read
      *
      * Returns:
-     * {Array({<OpenLayers.Feature.Vector>})} or
-     *     {<OpenLayers.Feature.Vector>} Array of features or a single feature.
+     * {Object} or {Array({<OpenLayers.Feature.Vector>})} or
+     *     {<OpenLayers.Feature.Vector>} 
+     * An object with a features property, an array of features or a single 
+     * feature.
      */
-    parseFeatures: function(request) {
+    parseResponse: function(request, options) {
         var doc = request.responseXML;
         if(!doc || !doc.documentElement) {
             doc = request.responseText;
@@ -203,7 +217,7 @@ OpenLayers.Protocol.WFS.v1 = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Protocol, {
             return null;
         }
         return (this.readFormat !== null) ? this.readFormat.read(doc) : 
-            this.format.read(doc);
+            this.format.read(doc, options);
     },
 
     /**
diff --git a/tests/Protocol/WFS.html b/tests/Protocol/WFS.html
index 0eb40fefce..a13cbd099f 100644
--- a/tests/Protocol/WFS.html
+++ b/tests/Protocol/WFS.html
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
             url: "http://some.url.org",
             featureNS: "http://namespace.org",
             featureType: "type",
-            parseFeatures: function(request) {
-                t.eq(request.responseText, "foo", "parseFeatures called properly");
+            parseResponse: function(request) {
+                t.eq(request.responseText, "foo", "parseResponse called properly");
                 return "foo";
             }
         });
@@ -225,10 +225,41 @@
 
         var request = {};
         request.responseText = '{"type":"FeatureCollection","features":[{"type":"Feature","id":"V_HECTOPUNTEN.108411","geometry":{"type":"MultiPoint","coordinates":[[190659.467,349576.19]]},"geometry_name":"ORA_GEOMETRY","properties":{"WEGNUMMER":"002","HECTOMTRNG_ORG":2200,"HECTOMTRNG":"220.00","bbox":[190659.467,349576.19,190659.467,349576.19]}}]}';
-        var features = protocol.parseFeatures(request);
+        var features = protocol.parseResponse(request);
         t.eq(features.length, 1, "the right format is used to read the request (GeoJSON)");
  	}
 
+    function test_readOptions(t) {
+        t.plan(1);
+
+        var protocol = new OpenLayers.Protocol.WFS({
+            url: "http://some.url.org",
+            version: "1.1.0",
+            featureNS: "http://namespace.org",
+            featureType: "type",
+            readOptions: {'output': 'object'},
+            parseResponse: function(request, options) {
+                t.eq(options.output, "object", "Options object correctly set to pass on to Format's read");
+            }
+        });
+
+        var _POST = OpenLayers.Request.POST;
+
+        OpenLayers.Request.POST = function(obj) {
+            obj.status = 200;
+            obj.responseText = "foo";
+            obj.options = {};
+            t.delay_call(0.1, function() {obj.callback.call(this)});
+            return obj;
+        };
+
+        protocol.read({
+            callback: function() {}
+        });
+
+        OpenLayers.Request.POST = _POST;
+    }
+
     function readXML(id) {
         var xml = document.getElementById(id).firstChild.nodeValue;
         return new OpenLayers.Format.XML().read(xml).documentElement;