diff --git a/src/openseadragon.js b/src/openseadragon.js
index c7f69749..6b22392a 100644
--- a/src/openseadragon.js
+++ b/src/openseadragon.js
@@ -1802,38 +1802,64 @@ window.OpenSeadragon = window.OpenSeadragon || function( options ){
             return value ? value : null;
         },
 
-
-        createAjaxRequest: function(){
-            var request;
-
-            if ( window.XMLHttpRequest ) {
-                $.createAjaxRequest = function( ){
-                    return new XMLHttpRequest();
-                };
-                request = new XMLHttpRequest();
-            } else if ( window.ActiveXObject ) {
-                /*jshint loopfunc:true*/
-                /* global ActiveXObject:true */
-                for ( var i = 0; i < ACTIVEX.length; i++ ) {
-                    try {
-                        request = new ActiveXObject( ACTIVEX[ i ] );
-                        $.createAjaxRequest = function( ){
-                            return new ActiveXObject( ACTIVEX[ i ] );
-                        };
-                        break;
-                    } catch (e) {
-                        continue;
-                    }
-                }
+        /**
+         * Retrieves the protocol used by the url. The url can either be absolute
+         * or relative.
+         * @function
+         * @private
+         * @param {String} url The url to retrieve the protocol from.
+         * @return {String} The protocol (http:, https:, file:, ftp: ...)
+         */
+        getUrlProtocol: function( url ) {
+            var match = url.match(/^([a-z]+:)\/\//i);
+            if ( match === null ) {
+                // Relative URL, retrive the protocol from window.location
+                return window.location.protocol;
             }
-
-            if ( !request ) {
-                throw new Error( "Browser doesn't support XMLHttpRequest." );
-            }
-
-            return request;
+            return match[1].toLowerCase();
         },
 
+        /**
+         * Create an XHR object
+         * @private
+         * @param {type} [local] If set to true, the XHR will be file: protocol
+         * compatible if possible (but may raise a warning in the browser).
+         * @returns {XMLHttpRequest}
+         */
+        createAjaxRequest: function( local ) {
+            // IE11 does not support window.ActiveXObject so we just try to
+            // create one to see if it is supported.
+            // See: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ie/dn423948%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
+            var supportActiveX;
+            try {
+                /* global ActiveXObject:true */
+                supportActiveX = !!new ActiveXObject( "Microsoft.XMLHTTP" );
+            } catch( e ) {
+                supportActiveX = false;
+            }
+
+            if ( supportActiveX ) {
+                if ( window.XMLHttpRequest ) {
+                    $.createAjaxRequest = function( local ) {
+                        if ( local ) {
+                            return new ActiveXObject( "Microsoft.XMLHTTP" );
+                        }
+                        return new XMLHttpRequest();
+                    };
+                } else {
+                    $.createAjaxRequest = function() {
+                        return new ActiveXObject( "Microsoft.XMLHTTP" );
+                    };
+                }
+            } else if ( window.XMLHttpRequest ) {
+                $.createAjaxRequest = function() {
+                    return new XMLHttpRequest();
+                };
+            } else {
+                throw new Error( "Browser doesn't support XMLHttpRequest." );
+            }
+            return $.createAjaxRequest( local );
+        },
 
         /**
          * Makes an AJAX request.
@@ -1844,7 +1870,8 @@ window.OpenSeadragon = window.OpenSeadragon || function( options ){
          * @throws {Error}
          */
         makeAjaxRequest: function( url, onSuccess, onError ) {
-            var request = $.createAjaxRequest();
+            var protocol = $.getUrlProtocol( url );
+            var request = $.createAjaxRequest( protocol === "file:" );
 
             if ( !$.isFunction( onSuccess ) ) {
                 throw new Error( "makeAjaxRequest requires a success callback" );
@@ -1855,10 +1882,12 @@ window.OpenSeadragon = window.OpenSeadragon || function( options ){
                 if ( request.readyState == 4 ) {
                     request.onreadystatechange = function(){};
 
-                    if ( request.status == 200 ) {
+                    var successStatus =
+                        protocol === "http:" || protocol === "https:" ? 200 : 0;
+                    if ( request.status === successStatus ) {
                         onSuccess( request );
                     } else {
-                        $.console.log( "AJAX request returned %s: %s", request.status, url );
+                        $.console.log( "AJAX request returned %d: %s", request.status, url );
 
                         if ( $.isFunction( onError ) ) {
                             onError( request );
@@ -1995,23 +2024,9 @@ window.OpenSeadragon = window.OpenSeadragon || function( options ){
          * @returns {Document}
          */
         parseXml: function( string ) {
-            //TODO: yet another example where we can determine the correct
-            //      implementation once at start-up instead of everytime we use
-            //      the function. DONE.
-            if ( window.ActiveXObject ) {
+            if ( window.DOMParser ) {
 
-                $.parseXml = function( string ){
-                    var xmlDoc = null;
-
-                    xmlDoc = new ActiveXObject( "Microsoft.XMLDOM" );
-                    xmlDoc.async = false;
-                    xmlDoc.loadXML( string );
-                    return xmlDoc;
-                };
-
-            } else if ( window.DOMParser ) {
-
-                $.parseXml = function( string ){
+                $.parseXml = function( string ) {
                     var xmlDoc = null,
                         parser;
 
@@ -2020,6 +2035,17 @@ window.OpenSeadragon = window.OpenSeadragon || function( options ){
                     return xmlDoc;
                 };
 
+            } else if ( window.ActiveXObject ) {
+
+                $.parseXml = function( string ) {
+                    var xmlDoc = null;
+
+                    xmlDoc = new ActiveXObject( "Microsoft.XMLDOM" );
+                    xmlDoc.async = false;
+                    xmlDoc.loadXML( string );
+                    return xmlDoc;
+                };
+
             } else {
                 throw new Error( "Browser doesn't support XML DOM." );
             }
@@ -2060,12 +2086,7 @@ window.OpenSeadragon = window.OpenSeadragon || function( options ){
     };
 
 
-    var ACTIVEX = [
-            "Msxml2.XMLHTTP",
-            "Msxml3.XMLHTTP",
-            "Microsoft.XMLHTTP"
-        ],
-        FILEFORMATS = {
+    var FILEFORMATS = {
             "bmp":  false,
             "jpeg": true,
             "jpg":  true,
diff --git a/test/basic.js b/test/basic.js
index 946a8ff3..969f492f 100644
--- a/test/basic.js
+++ b/test/basic.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@
 
             equal($(".openseadragon-message").length, 1, "Open failures should display a message");
 
-            ok(testLog.log.contains('["AJAX request returned %s: %s",404,"/test/data/not-a-real-file"]'),
+            ok(testLog.log.contains('["AJAX request returned %d: %s",404,"/test/data/not-a-real-file"]'),
                "AJAX failures should be logged to the console");
 
             start();
diff --git a/test/utils.js b/test/utils.js
index f46f9a84..92538375 100644
--- a/test/utils.js
+++ b/test/utils.js
@@ -87,6 +87,30 @@
         );
     });
 
+    test("getUrlProtocol", function() {
+
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getUrlProtocol("test"), window.location.protocol,
+            "'test' url protocol should be window.location.protocol");
+
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getUrlProtocol("/test"), window.location.protocol,
+            "'/test' url protocol should be window.location.protocol");
+
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getUrlProtocol("//test"), window.location.protocol,
+            "'//test' url protocol should be window.location.protocol");
+
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getUrlProtocol("http://test"), "http:",
+            "'http://test' url protocol should be http:");
+
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getUrlProtocol("https://test"), "https:",
+            "'https://test' url protocol should be https:");
+
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getUrlProtocol("file://test"), "file:",
+            "'file://test' url protocol should be file:");
+
+        equal(OpenSeadragon.getUrlProtocol("FTP://test"), "ftp:",
+            "'FTP://test' url protocol should be ftp:");
+    });
+
     // ----------
     asyncTest("requestAnimationFrame", function() {
         var timeWatcher = Util.timeWatcher();