diff --git a/examples/KMLParser.html b/examples/KMLParser.html
index 645be9b0c6..a6ec027f02 100644
--- a/examples/KMLParser.html
+++ b/examples/KMLParser.html
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@
           document.getElementById('output').innerHTML = html;
         }
         function load() {
-            OpenLayers.loadURL("kml/lines.kml", "", null, parseData);
+            OpenLayers.Request.GET({
+                url: "kml/lines.kml",
+                success: parseData
+            });
         }
     </script>
   </head>
diff --git a/examples/WMSDescribeLayerParser.html b/examples/WMSDescribeLayerParser.html
index f7ed546ac6..0e62465e85 100644
--- a/examples/WMSDescribeLayerParser.html
+++ b/examples/WMSDescribeLayerParser.html
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     <script src="../lib/OpenLayers.js"></script>
     <script type="text/javascript">
         function parseData(req) {
-          format =  new OpenLayers.Format.WMSDescribeLayer();
+          format = new OpenLayers.Format.WMSDescribeLayer();
           html = "<br>"
           resp = format.read(req.responseText);
           for(var i = 0; i < resp.length; i++) {
@@ -22,7 +22,10 @@
           document.getElementById('output').innerHTML = html;
         }
         function load() {
-            OpenLayers.loadURL("xml/wmsdescribelayer.xml", "", null, parseData);
+            OpenLayers.Request.GET({
+                url: "xml/wmsdescribelayer.xml",
+                success: parseData
+            });
         }
     </script>
   </head>
diff --git a/examples/sld.js b/examples/sld.js
index 21cb295a5d..888a9c6d27 100644
--- a/examples/sld.js
+++ b/examples/sld.js
@@ -12,10 +12,13 @@ function init() {
     ));
     map.addControl(new OpenLayers.Control.LayerSwitcher());
 
-    OpenLayers.loadURL("tasmania/sld-tasmania.xml", null, null, complete);
+    OpenLayers.Request.GET({
+        url: "tasmania/sld-tasmania.xml",
+        success: complete
+    });
 }
 
-// handler for the loadURL function in the init method
+// handler for the OpenLayers.Request.GET function in the init method
 function complete(req) {
     sld = format.read(req.responseXML || req.responseText);
     buildStyleChooser();
diff --git a/examples/xml.html b/examples/xml.html
index 48d347a3fd..696229bde7 100644
--- a/examples/xml.html
+++ b/examples/xml.html
@@ -39,8 +39,11 @@
         var doc = null;
 
         function init() {
-            var url = "xml/features.xml";
-            OpenLayers.loadURL(url, null, null, loadSuccess, loadFailure);
+            OpenLayers.Request.GET({
+                url: "xml/features.xml",
+                success: loadSuccess,
+                failure: loadFailure
+            });
         }
 
         function loadSuccess(request) {
diff --git a/lib/OpenLayers/Ajax.js b/lib/OpenLayers/Ajax.js
index 34e683a587..92235025ae 100644
--- a/lib/OpenLayers/Ajax.js
+++ b/lib/OpenLayers/Ajax.js
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ OpenLayers.nullHandler = function(request) {
 
 /** 
  * APIFunction: OpenLayers.loadURL
- * Background load a document.  For more flexibility in using XMLHttpRequest,
- *     see the <OpenLayers.Request> methods.
+ * Background load a document.
+ * *Deprecated*.  Use <OpenLayers.Request.GET> method instead.
  *
  * Parameters:
  * uri - {String} URI of source doc