diff --git a/include/osgViewer/Viewer b/include/osgViewer/Viewer
index 5af75418f..c1db754cf 100644
--- a/include/osgViewer/Viewer
+++ b/include/osgViewer/Viewer
@@ -49,6 +49,15 @@ class OSGVIEWER_EXPORT Viewer : public osgViewer::View
         /** Get the threading model the rendering traversals will use.*/
         ThreadingModel getThreadingModel() const { return _threadingModel; }
 
+        /** Set the key value that the viewer checks on each frame to see if the viewer's done flag should be set to
+          * signal end of viewers main loop.
+          * Default value is Escape (osgGA::GUIEVentAdapter::KEY_Escape).
+          * Setting to 0 switches off the feature.*/
+        void setKeySetsDone(int key) { _keySetsDone = key; }
+
+        /** Set the key value that the viewer checks on each frame to see if the viewer's done flag.*/
+        int getKeySetsDone() const { return _keySetsDone; }
+
         /** Render a complete new frame.
           * Calls frameAdvance(), frameEventTraversal(), frameUpateTraversal(), frameRenderingTraversals(). */
         virtual void frame();
@@ -86,7 +95,9 @@ class OSGVIEWER_EXPORT Viewer : public osgViewer::View
         void checkWindowStatus();
         
         bool _firstFrame;
+        
         bool _done;
+        int _keySetsDone;
         
         ThreadingModel _threadingModel;
        
diff --git a/src/osgViewer/Viewer.cpp b/src/osgViewer/Viewer.cpp
index 80552dce6..3072fd746 100644
--- a/src/osgViewer/Viewer.cpp
+++ b/src/osgViewer/Viewer.cpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ using namespace osgViewer;
 Viewer::Viewer():
     _firstFrame(true),
     _done(false),
+    _keySetsDone(osgGA::GUIEventAdapter::KEY_Escape),
     _threadingModel(ThreadPerContext),
     _numThreadsOnBarrier(0)
 {
@@ -601,21 +602,25 @@ void Viewer::frameEventTraversal()
 #endif
 
     // osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Events "<<events.size()<<std::endl;
-    for(osgGA::EventQueue::Events::iterator itr = events.begin();
-        itr != events.end();
-        ++itr)
+    
+    if (_keySetsDone!=0)
     {
-        osgGA::GUIEventAdapter* event = itr->get();
-        switch(event->getEventType())
+        for(osgGA::EventQueue::Events::iterator itr = events.begin();
+            itr != events.end();
+            ++itr)
         {
-            case(osgGA::GUIEventAdapter::KEYUP):
-                if (event->getKey()==osgGA::GUIEventAdapter::KEY_Escape) _done = true;
-                break;
-            default:
-                break;
+            osgGA::GUIEventAdapter* event = itr->get();
+            switch(event->getEventType())
+            {
+                case(osgGA::GUIEventAdapter::KEYUP):
+                    if (event->getKey()==_keySetsDone) _done = true;
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    break;
+            }
         }
     }
-    
+        
     if (_done) return;
 
     for(osgGA::EventQueue::Events::iterator itr = events.begin();