diff --git a/app/views/diary_entry/new.rhtml b/app/views/diary_entry/new.rhtml
index 9f86c2ab4..b46bb4d9f 100644
--- a/app/views/diary_entry/new.rhtml
+++ b/app/views/diary_entry/new.rhtml
@@ -41,12 +41,12 @@
   var marker;
 
   function init(){
-    var centre = lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= lon %>, <%= lat %>));
+    var centre = new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= lon %>, <%= lat %>);
     var zoom = <%= zoom %>;
 
     var map = createMap("map");
 
-    map.setCenter(centre, zoom);
+    setMapCenter(centre, zoom);
 
     map.events.register("click", map, setLocation);
   }        
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@
   function setLocation( e ) { 
     closeMapPopup();
 
-    var merc = map.getLonLatFromViewPortPx(e.xy);
-    var lonlat = mercatorToLonLat(merc);
+    var lonlat = getEventPosition(e);
 
     document.getElementById('latitude').value = lonlat.lat;
     document.getElementById('longitude').value = lonlat.lon;
diff --git a/app/views/site/index.rhtml b/app/views/site/index.rhtml
index edd755ddb..35ce1e2fd 100644
--- a/app/views/site/index.rhtml
+++ b/app/views/site/index.rhtml
@@ -87,20 +87,18 @@ by the OpenStreetMap project and it's contributors.
     map = createMap("map");
 
     <% if bbox %>
-    var min = lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= minlon %>, <%= minlat %>));
-    var max = lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= maxlon %>, <%= maxlat %>));
-    var bbox = new OpenLayers.Bounds(min.lon, min.lat, max.lon, max.lat);
+    var bbox = new OpenLayers.Bounds(<%= minlon %>, <%= minlat %>, <%= maxlon %>, <%= maxlat %>);
 
-    map.zoomToExtent(bbox);
+    setMapExtent(bbox);
     <% else %>
-    var centre = lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= lon %>, <%= lat %>));
+    var centre = new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= lon %>, <%= lat %>);
     var zoom = <%= zoom %>;
 
     <% if params['scale'] and params['scale'].length > 0 then %>
     zoom = scaleToZoom(<%= params['scale'].to_f() %>);
     <% end %>
 
-    map.setCenter(centre, zoom);
+    setMapCenter(centre, zoom);
     <% end %>
 
     <% if layers %>
@@ -108,7 +106,7 @@ by the OpenStreetMap project and it's contributors.
     <% end %>
 
     <% if marker %>
-    marker = addMarkerToMap(lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= mlon %>, <%= mlat %>)));
+    marker = addMarkerToMap(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= mlon %>, <%= mlat %>));
     <% end %>
 
     map.events.register("zoomend", map, updateKey);
@@ -121,11 +119,11 @@ by the OpenStreetMap project and it's contributors.
   }
 
   function getPosition() {
-    return mercatorToLonLat(map.getCenter());
+    return getMapCenter();
   }
 
   function setPosition(lat, lon, zoom) {
-    var centre = lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(lon, lat));
+    var centre = new OpenLayers.LonLat(lon, lat);
 
     map.setCenter(centre, zoom);
 
@@ -136,7 +134,7 @@ by the OpenStreetMap project and it's contributors.
   }
 
   function updateLocation() {
-    var lonlat = mercatorToLonLat(map.getCenter());
+    var lonlat = getMapCenter();
     var zoom = map.getZoom();
     var layers = getMapLayers();
 
diff --git a/app/views/user/_friend_map.rhtml b/app/views/user/_friend_map.rhtml
index 05589ac09..fd86ab10c 100644
--- a/app/views/user/_friend_map.rhtml
+++ b/app/views/user/_friend_map.rhtml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
   var marker;
 
   function init(){
-    var centre = lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= lon %>, <%= lat %>));
+    var centre = new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= lon %>, <%= lat %>);
     var zoom = <%= zoom %>;
 
     <% if params['scale'] and params['scale'].length > 0 then %>
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@
 
     var map = createMap("map");
 
-    map.setCenter(centre, zoom);
+    setMapCenter(centre, zoom);
 
     <% if marker %>
-    marker = addMarkerToMap(lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= mlon %>, <%= mlat %>)), null, "Your location");
+    marker = addMarkerToMap(new OpenLayers.LonLat(<%= mlon %>, <%= mlat %>), null, "Your location");
     <% end %>
 
     var near_icon = OpenLayers.Marker.defaultIcon();
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
     var i = nearest.length;
     while( i-- ) {
       var description = 'Nearby mapper: <a href="/user/'+nearest[i].display_name+'">'+nearest[i].display_name+'</a>'
-      var nearmarker = addMarkerToMap(lonLatToMercator(new OpenLayers.LonLat(nearest[i].home_lon, nearest[i].home_lat)), near_icon.clone(), description);
+      var nearmarker = addMarkerToMap(new OpenLayers.LonLat(nearest[i].home_lon, nearest[i].home_lat), near_icon.clone(), description);
     }
 
     map.events.register("click", map, setHome);
@@ -63,8 +63,7 @@
     closeMapPopup();
 
     if (document.getElementById('updatehome').checked) {
-      var merc = map.getLonLatFromViewPortPx(e.xy);
-      var lonlat = mercatorToLonLat(merc);
+      var lonlat = getEventPosition(e);
 
       document.getElementById('homerow').className = '';
       document.getElementById('home_lat').value = lonlat.lat;
diff --git a/public/javascripts/map.js b/public/javascripts/map.js
index 9a834593d..d8765fe1a 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/map.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/map.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+var epsg4326 = new OpenLayers.Projection("EPSG:4326");
 var map;
 var markers;
 var popup;
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ function getArrowIcon() {
 }
 
 function addMarkerToMap(position, icon, description) {
-   var marker = new OpenLayers.Marker(position, icon);
+   var marker = new OpenLayers.Marker(position.clone().transform(epsg4326, map.getProjectionObject()), icon);
 
    markers.addMarker(marker);
 
@@ -94,6 +95,22 @@ function removeMarkerFromMap(marker){
    markers.removeMarker(marker);
 }
 
+function getMapCenter(center, zoom) {
+   return map.getCenter().clone().transform(map.getProjectionObject(), epsg4326);
+}
+
+function setMapCenter(center, zoom) {
+   map.setCenter(center.clone().transform(epsg4326, map.getProjectionObject()), zoom);
+}
+
+function setMapExtent(extent) {
+   map.zoomToExtent(extent.clone().transform(epsg4326, map.getProjectionObject()));
+}
+
+function getEventPosition(event) {
+   return map.getLonLatFromViewPortPx(e.xy).clone().transform(epsg4326, map.getProjectionObject());
+}
+
 function getMapLayers() {
    var layers = "";
 
@@ -123,24 +140,6 @@ function setMapLayers(layers) {
    }
 }
 
-function mercatorToLonLat(merc) {
-   var lon = (merc.lon / 20037508.34) * 180;
-   var lat = (merc.lat / 20037508.34) * 180;
-
-   lat = 180/Math.PI * (2 * Math.atan(Math.exp(lat * Math.PI / 180)) - Math.PI / 2);
-
-   return new OpenLayers.LonLat(lon, lat);
-}
-
-function lonLatToMercator(ll) {
-   var lon = ll.lon * 20037508.34 / 180;
-   var lat = Math.log(Math.tan((90 + ll.lat) * Math.PI / 360)) / (Math.PI / 180);
-
-   lat = lat * 20037508.34 / 180;
-
-   return new OpenLayers.LonLat(lon, lat);
-}
-
 function scaleToZoom(scale) {
    return Math.log(360.0/(scale * 512.0)) / Math.log(2.0);
 }