diff --git a/examples/accessible.html b/examples/accessible.html
index fcde73ebdb..36236d5b97 100644
--- a/examples/accessible.html
+++ b/examples/accessible.html
@@ -46,7 +46,11 @@
             var map = null;
             function init(){
                 var options = {
-                    controls: [new OpenLayers.Control.KeyboardDefaults()]
+                    controls: [
+                        new OpenLayers.Control.KeyboardDefaults({
+                            observeElement: 'map'
+                        })
+                    ]
                 };
                 map = new OpenLayers.Map('map', options);
                 var wms = new OpenLayers.Layer.WMS(
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/KeyboardDefaults.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/KeyboardDefaults.js
index ee4b38c5d9..2589269590 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Control/KeyboardDefaults.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Control/KeyboardDefaults.js
@@ -34,6 +34,15 @@ OpenLayers.Control.KeyboardDefaults = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      */
     slideFactor: 75,
 
+    /**
+     * APIProperty: observeElement
+     * {DOMelement|String} The DOM element to handle keys for. You
+     *     can use the map div here, to have the navigation keys
+     *     work when the map div has the focus. If undefined the
+     *     document is used.
+     */
+    observeElement: null,
+
     /**
      * Constructor: OpenLayers.Control.KeyboardDefaults
      */
@@ -43,8 +52,11 @@ OpenLayers.Control.KeyboardDefaults = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Control, {
      * Create handler.
      */
     draw: function() {
-        this.handler = new OpenLayers.Handler.Keyboard( this, { 
-                                "keydown": this.defaultKeyPress });
+        var observeElement = this.observeElement || document;
+        this.handler = new OpenLayers.Handler.Keyboard( this,
+                {"keydown": this.defaultKeyPress},
+                {observeElement: observeElement}
+        );
     },
     
     /**
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Handler/Keyboard.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Handler/Keyboard.js
index c446cb0988..8b3d697f6b 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Handler/Keyboard.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Handler/Keyboard.js
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ OpenLayers.Handler.Keyboard = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Handler, {
     */
     eventListener: null,
 
+    /**
+     * Property: observeElement
+     * {DOMElement|String} The DOM element on which we listen for
+     *     key events. Default to the document.
+     */
+    observeElement: null,
+
     /**
      * Constructor: OpenLayers.Handler.Keyboard
      * Returns a new keyboard handler.
@@ -71,9 +78,10 @@ OpenLayers.Handler.Keyboard = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Handler, {
      */
     activate: function() {
         if (OpenLayers.Handler.prototype.activate.apply(this, arguments)) {
+            this.observeElement = this.observeElement || document;
             for (var i=0, len=this.KEY_EVENTS.length; i<len; i++) {
                 OpenLayers.Event.observe(
-                    this.map.div, this.KEY_EVENTS[i], this.eventListener);
+                    this.observeElement, this.KEY_EVENTS[i], this.eventListener);
             }
             return true;
         } else {
@@ -89,7 +97,7 @@ OpenLayers.Handler.Keyboard = OpenLayers.Class(OpenLayers.Handler, {
         if (OpenLayers.Handler.prototype.deactivate.apply(this, arguments)) {
             for (var i=0, len=this.KEY_EVENTS.length; i<len; i++) {
                 OpenLayers.Event.stopObserving(
-                    this.map.div, this.KEY_EVENTS[i], this.eventListener);
+                    this.observeElement, this.KEY_EVENTS[i], this.eventListener);
             }
             deactivated = true;
         }
diff --git a/tests/Handler/Keyboard.html b/tests/Handler/Keyboard.html
index 540ce7c712..4a72c9229f 100644
--- a/tests/Handler/Keyboard.html
+++ b/tests/Handler/Keyboard.html
@@ -42,59 +42,103 @@
     }
 
     function test_Handler_Keyboard_activate(t) {
-        t.plan(8);
+        t.plan(15);
+
+        var log;
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
         var control = new OpenLayers.Control();
         map.addControl(control);
         var handler = new OpenLayers.Handler.Keyboard(control);
-        handler.active = true;
-        var activated = handler.activate();
-        t.ok(!activated,
-             "activate returns false if the handler was already active");
-        handler.active = false;
-        handler.dragging = true;
+
+        // mock OpenLayers.Event.observe
         var old = OpenLayers.Event.stopObserving;
-        var types = ["keydown", "keyup"];
         OpenLayers.Event.observe = function(obj, type, method) {
-            t.ok(obj == map.div,
-                 "activate calls observing with correct object");
-            var validType = (OpenLayers.Util.indexOf(types, type) != -1);
+            log[type] = obj;
+            var validType = OpenLayers.Util.indexOf(["keydown", "keyup"], type) != -1;
             t.ok(validType, "activate calls observe for " + type);
             t.ok(method == handler.eventListener,
                  "activate calls observing with correct method");
         };
+
+        handler.active = true;
+        var activated = handler.activate();
+        t.ok(!activated,
+             "activate returns false if the handler was already active");
+
+        log = {};
+        handler.active = false;
+        handler.observeElement = map.div;
+        activated = handler.activate();
+        t.ok(log['keydown'] == map.div,
+             "activate calls observing for keydown with correct object");
+        t.ok(log['keyup'] == map.div,
+             "activate calls observing for keyup with correct object");
+        t.ok(activated,
+             "activate returns true if the handler was not already active");
+
+        log = {};
+        handler.active = false;
+        handler.observeElement = null;
         activated = handler.activate();
+        t.ok(log['keydown'] == document,
+             "activate calls observing for keydown with correct object");
+        t.ok(log['keyup'] == document,
+             "activate calls observing for keyup with correct object");
         t.ok(activated,
              "activate returns true if the handler was not already active");
+
         OpenLayers.Event.observe = old;
-        
+        map.destroy();
     }
 
     function test_Handler_Keyboard_deactivate(t) {
-        t.plan(8);
+        t.plan(15);
+
+        var log;
         var map = new OpenLayers.Map('map');
         var control = new OpenLayers.Control();
         map.addControl(control);
         var handler = new OpenLayers.Handler.Keyboard(control);
-        handler.active = false;
-        var deactivated = handler.deactivate();
-        t.ok(!deactivated,
-             "deactivate returns false if the handler was not already active");
-        handler.active = true;
+
+        // mock OpenLayers.Event.stopObserving
         var old = OpenLayers.Event.stopObserving;
-        var types = ["keydown", "keyup"];
         OpenLayers.Event.stopObserving = function(obj, type, method) {
-            t.ok(obj == map.div,
-                 "deactivate calls stopObserving with correct object");
-            var validType = (OpenLayers.Util.indexOf(types, type) != -1);
+            log[type] = obj;
+            var validType = OpenLayers.Util.indexOf(["keydown", "keyup"], type) != -1;
             t.ok(validType, "deactivate calls stopObserving for " + type);
             t.ok(method == handler.eventListener,
                  "deactivate calls stopObserving with correct method");
         };
+
+        handler.active = false;
+        var deactivated = handler.deactivate();
+        t.ok(!deactivated,
+             "deactivate returns false if the handler was not already active");
+
+        log = {};
+        handler.active = true;
+        handler.observeElement = map.div;
+        deactivated = handler.deactivate();
+        t.ok(log['keydown'] == map.div,
+             "deactivate calls stopObserving for keydown with correct object");
+        t.ok(log['keyup'] == map.div,
+             "deactivate calls stopObserving for keyup with correct object");
+        t.ok(deactivated,
+             "deactivate returns true if the handler was active already");
+
+        log = {};
+        handler.active = true;
+        handler.observeElement = document;
         deactivated = handler.deactivate();
+        t.ok(log['keydown'] == document,
+             "deactivate calls stopObserving for keydown with correct object");
+        t.ok(log['keyup'] == document,
+             "deactivate calls stopObserving for keyup with correct object");
         t.ok(deactivated,
              "deactivate returns true if the handler was active already");
+
         OpenLayers.Event.stopObserving = old;
+        map.destroy();
     }