diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/ArcXML.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/ArcXML.js
index ac195f8f55..99c2be3992 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Format/ArcXML.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Format/ArcXML.js
@@ -221,7 +221,9 @@ OpenLayers.Format.ArcXML = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Format.XML, {
             }
         }
           
-        if (!arcNode) {
+        // in Safari, arcNode will be there but will have a child named 
+        // parsererror
+        if (!arcNode || arcNode.firstChild.nodeName === 'parsererror') {
             var error, source;
             try {
                 error = data.firstChild.nodeValue;