diff --git a/changelog.txt b/changelog.txt
index fb81ebef..e3c57618 100644
--- a/changelog.txt
+++ b/changelog.txt
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ OPENSEADRAGON CHANGELOG
 * Fixed a bug where the ajaxHeaders provided per-image were not being used for image requests (#1968 @maxshuty)
 * MouseTracker: Added workaround for WebKit Pointer Event Implicit Capture Bug (#1972 @msalsbery)
 * Removed test for move-leave (fly-over, no enter event)...not a valid, handleable event state, no longer supported (#1972 @msalsbery)
+* Added OpenSeadragon.setElementPointerEvents() for setting pointer-events to other values besides 'none' on DOM elements (#1972 @msalsbery)
 
 2.4.2:
 
diff --git a/src/button.js b/src/button.js
index ecf3101f..7abee6a7 100644
--- a/src/button.js
+++ b/src/button.js
@@ -140,10 +140,10 @@ $.Button = function( options ) {
 
         // Allow pointer events to pass through the img elements so implicit
         //   pointer capture works on touch devices
-        $.setElementPointerEvents( this.imgRest, 'none' );
-        $.setElementPointerEvents( this.imgGroup, 'none' );
-        $.setElementPointerEvents( this.imgHover, 'none' );
-        $.setElementPointerEvents( this.imgDown, 'none' );
+        $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.imgRest );
+        $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.imgGroup );
+        $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.imgHover );
+        $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.imgDown );
 
         this.element.style.position = "relative";
         $.setElementTouchActionNone( this.element );
diff --git a/src/drawer.js b/src/drawer.js
index a022850a..fca4b956 100644
--- a/src/drawer.js
+++ b/src/drawer.js
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ $.Drawer = function( options ) {
     $.setElementOpacity( this.canvas, this.opacity, true );
     // Allow pointer events to pass through the canvas element so implicit
     //   pointer capture works on touch devices
-    $.setElementPointerEvents( this.canvas, 'none' );
+    $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.canvas );
     $.setElementTouchActionNone( this.canvas );
 
     // explicit left-align
diff --git a/src/navigator.js b/src/navigator.js
index bb79be7e..5414a53e 100644
--- a/src/navigator.js
+++ b/src/navigator.js
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ $.Navigator = function( options ){
         style.zIndex        = 999999999;
         style.cursor        = 'default';
     }( this.displayRegion.style, this.borderWidth ));
-    $.setElementPointerEvents( this.displayRegion, 'none' );
+    $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.displayRegion );
     $.setElementTouchActionNone( this.displayRegion );
 
     this.displayRegionContainer = $.makeNeutralElement("div");
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ $.Navigator = function( options ){
     this.displayRegionContainer.className = "displayregioncontainer";
     this.displayRegionContainer.style.width = "100%";
     this.displayRegionContainer.style.height = "100%";
-    $.setElementPointerEvents( this.displayRegionContainer, 'none' );
+    $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.displayRegionContainer );
     $.setElementTouchActionNone( this.displayRegionContainer );
 
     viewer.addControl(
@@ -246,8 +246,8 @@ $.Navigator = function( options ){
     //   pointer capture works on touch devices
     //TODO an alternative is to attach the new MouseTracker to this.canvas...not
     //   sure why it isn't already (see MouseTracker constructor call above)
-    $.setElementPointerEvents( this.canvas, 'none' );
-    $.setElementPointerEvents( this.container, 'none' );
+    $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.canvas );
+    $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.container );
 
     this.addHandler("reset-size", function() {
         if (_this.viewport) {
diff --git a/src/openseadragon.js b/src/openseadragon.js
index 5a9814b9..01cfc864 100644
--- a/src/openseadragon.js
+++ b/src/openseadragon.js
@@ -1924,6 +1924,16 @@ function OpenSeadragon( options ){
         },
 
 
+        /**
+         * Sets the specified element's pointer-events style attribute to 'none'.
+         * @function
+         * @param {Element|String} element
+         */
+        setElementPointerEventsNone: function( element ) {
+            $.setElementPointerEvents( element, 'none' );
+        },
+
+
         /**
          * Add the specified CSS class to the element if not present.
          * @function
diff --git a/src/referencestrip.js b/src/referencestrip.js
index 7e27519f..20dd9ea9 100644
--- a/src/referencestrip.js
+++ b/src/referencestrip.js
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ $.ReferenceStrip = function ( options ) {
         element.style.styleFloat    = 'left'; //IE
         element.style.padding       = '2px';
         $.setElementTouchActionNone( element );
-        $.setElementPointerEvents( element, 'none' );
+        $.setElementPointerEventsNone( element );
 
         this.element.appendChild( element );
 
@@ -458,8 +458,8 @@ function loadPanels( strip, viewerSize, scroll ) {
             } );
             // Allow pointer events to pass through miniViewer's canvas/container
             //   elements so implicit pointer capture works on touch devices
-            $.setElementPointerEvents( miniViewer.canvas, 'none' );
-            $.setElementPointerEvents( miniViewer.container, 'none' );
+            $.setElementPointerEventsNone( miniViewer.canvas );
+            $.setElementPointerEventsNone( miniViewer.container );
             // We'll use event delegation from the reference strip element instead of
             //   handling events on every miniViewer
             miniViewer.innerTracker.setTracking( false );
diff --git a/src/viewer.js b/src/viewer.js
index 77458d6d..ba3c1e2a 100644
--- a/src/viewer.js
+++ b/src/viewer.js
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ $.Viewer = function( options ) {
 
     // Overlay container
     this.overlaysContainer    = $.makeNeutralElement( "div" );
-    $.setElementPointerEvents( this.overlaysContainer, 'none' );
+    $.setElementPointerEventsNone( this.overlaysContainer );
     $.setElementTouchActionNone( this.overlaysContainer );
     this.canvas.appendChild( this.overlaysContainer );