diff --git a/VisualStudio/osgPlugins/osg/dot_osg.dsp b/VisualStudio/osgPlugins/osg/dot_osg.dsp
index 07c91b0f9..77a69e17c 100755
--- a/VisualStudio/osgPlugins/osg/dot_osg.dsp
+++ b/VisualStudio/osgPlugins/osg/dot_osg.dsp
@@ -328,6 +328,10 @@ SOURCE=..\..\..\src\osgPlugins\osg\MatrixTransform.cpp
 
 SOURCE=..\..\..\src\osgPlugins\osg\BlendFunc.cpp
 # End Source File
+# Begin Source File
+
+SOURCE=..\..\..\src\osgPlugins\osg\VertexProgram.cpp
+# End Source File
 # End Group
 # Begin Group "Header Files"
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osg/GNUmakefile b/src/osgPlugins/osg/GNUmakefile
index db20bdd22..880d6f5dc 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osg/GNUmakefile
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osg/GNUmakefile
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ CXXFILES =\
         TextureRectangle.cpp\
         TextureCubeMap.cpp\
         Transform.cpp\
+        VertexProgram.cpp\
 
 
 LIBS   += $(OSG_LIBS) $(OTHER_LIBS)
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osg/VertexProgram.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/osg/VertexProgram.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6c4695ca8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osg/VertexProgram.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+#include "osg/VertexProgram"
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <sstream>
+#include "osgDB/Registry"
+#include "osgDB/Input"
+#include "osgDB/Output"
+
+using namespace osg;
+using namespace osgDB;
+using namespace std;
+
+// forward declare functions to use later.
+bool VertexProgram_readLocalData(Object& obj, Input& fr);
+bool VertexProgram_writeLocalData(const Object& obj, Output& fw);
+
+// register the read and write functions with the osgDB::Registry.
+RegisterDotOsgWrapperProxy g_VertexProgramProxy
+(
+    new osg::VertexProgram,
+    "VertexProgram",
+    "Object StateAttribute VertexProgram",
+    &VertexProgram_readLocalData,
+    &VertexProgram_writeLocalData
+);
+
+
+bool VertexProgram_readLocalData(Object& obj, Input& fr)
+{
+    bool iteratorAdvanced = false;
+
+    VertexProgram& vertexProgram = static_cast<VertexProgram&>(obj);
+
+    if (fr.matchSequence("code {")) {
+	std::string code;
+	fr += 2;
+	iteratorAdvanced = true;
+	int entry = fr[0].getNoNestedBrackets();
+	while (!fr.eof() && fr[0].getNoNestedBrackets() >= entry) {
+	    if (fr[0].getStr()) {
+		code.append(std::string(fr[0].getStr()));
+		code.push_back('\n');
+	    }
+	    ++fr;
+	}
+        vertexProgram.setVertexProgram(code);
+    }
+    return iteratorAdvanced;
+}
+
+
+bool VertexProgram_writeLocalData(const Object& obj,Output& fw)
+{
+    const VertexProgram& vertexProgram = static_cast<const VertexProgram&>(obj);
+
+    std::vector<std::string> lines;
+    std::istringstream iss(vertexProgram.getVertexProgram());
+    std::string line;
+    while (std::getline(iss, line)) {
+	lines.push_back(line);
+    }
+
+    fw.indent() << "code {\n";
+    fw.moveIn();
+
+    std::vector<std::string>::const_iterator j;
+    for (j=lines.begin(); j!=lines.end(); ++j) {
+	fw.indent() << "\"" << *j << "\"\n";
+    }
+
+    fw.moveOut();
+    fw.indent() << "}\n";
+
+    return true;
+}