diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 57cee6cb5f9e..2a8d1bf01348 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Change Log
 * Deprecated
   *
 * Fix issue where extruded `PolygonGeometry` was always extruding to the ellipsoid surface instead of specified height.
- 
+* Fix an issue where non-feature nodes prevented KML documents from loading. [#2945](https://github.com/AnalyticalGraphicsInc/cesium/pull/2945).
 
 ### 1.12 - 2015-08-03
 
diff --git a/Source/DataSources/KmlDataSource.js b/Source/DataSources/KmlDataSource.js
index 8a4c30f88ca8..096299d6e8dd 100644
--- a/Source/DataSources/KmlDataSource.js
+++ b/Source/DataSources/KmlDataSource.js
@@ -1544,7 +1544,14 @@ define([
         return when.all(processStyles(dataSource, kml, styleCollection, sourceUri, false, uriResolver), function() {
             var element = kml.documentElement;
             if (element.localName === 'kml') {
-                element = element.firstElementChild;
+                var childNodes = element.childNodes;
+                for (var i = 0; i < childNodes.length; i++) {
+                    var tmp = childNodes[i];
+                    if (defined(featureTypes[tmp.localName])) {
+                        element = tmp;
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
             }
             processFeatureNode(dataSource, element, undefined, entityCollection, styleCollection, sourceUri, uriResolver);
 
diff --git a/Specs/DataSources/KmlDataSourceSpec.js b/Specs/DataSources/KmlDataSourceSpec.js
index 66f2096f0c0b..57097bf62da4 100644
--- a/Specs/DataSources/KmlDataSourceSpec.js
+++ b/Specs/DataSources/KmlDataSourceSpec.js
@@ -2833,4 +2833,22 @@ defineSuite([
             expect(entity.polygon.perPositionHeight.getValue()).toEqual(true);
         });
     });
+
+    it('Properly finds the root feature node when it is not the first child of the KML node', function() {
+        var kml = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>\
+            <kml xmlns="http://www.opengis.net/kml/2.2">\
+            <NetworkLinkControl>\
+            </NetworkLinkControl>\
+            <Placemark>\
+            <name>bob</name>\
+            </Placemark>\
+            </kml>';
+
+        return KmlDataSource.load(parser.parseFromString(kml, "text/xml")).then(function(dataSource) {
+            var entity = dataSource.entities.values[0];
+            expect(entity.name).toBe('bob');
+            expect(entity.label).toBeDefined();
+            expect(entity.label.text.getValue()).toBe('bob');
+        });
+    });
 });
\ No newline at end of file