diff --git a/VisualStudio/osgParticle/osgParticle.dsp b/VisualStudio/osgParticle/osgParticle.dsp
index bc6611e24..b092f77cc 100644
--- a/VisualStudio/osgParticle/osgParticle.dsp
+++ b/VisualStudio/osgParticle/osgParticle.dsp
@@ -147,6 +147,10 @@ SOURCE=..\..\src\osgParticle\ParticleSystem.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
 
+SOURCE=..\..\src\osgParticle\ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp
+# End Source File
+# Begin Source File
+
 SOURCE=..\..\src\osgParticle\ParticleSystemUpdater.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
@@ -255,6 +259,10 @@ SOURCE=..\..\include\osgParticle\ParticleSystem
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
 
+SOURCE=..\..\include\osgParticle\ConnectedParticleSystem
+# End Source File
+# Begin Source File
+
 SOURCE=..\..\include\osgParticle\ParticleSystemUpdater
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
diff --git a/include/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem b/include/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1f12d1dd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/* -*-c++-*- OpenSceneGraph - Copyright (C) 1998-2005 Robert Osfield 
+ *
+ * This library is open source and may be redistributed and/or modified under  
+ * the terms of the OpenSceneGraph Public License (OSGPL) version 0.0 or 
+ * (at your option) any later version.  The full license is in LICENSE file
+ * included with this distribution, and on the openscenegraph.org website.
+ * 
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the 
+ * OpenSceneGraph Public License for more details.
+*/
+
+#ifndef OSGPARTICLE_CONNECTEDPARTICLESYSTEM
+#define OSGPARTICLE_CONNECTEDPARTICLESYSTEM 1
+
+#include <osgParticle/ParticleSystem>
+
+namespace osgParticle
+{
+
+    /** ConnectConnectedParticleSystem is a specialise ConnectedParticleSystem for effects 
+      * like missle trails, where the individual particles are rendered as
+      * single ribbon. 
+    */
+    class OSGPARTICLE_EXPORT ConnectedParticleSystem: public osgParticle::ParticleSystem
+    {
+    public:
+    
+        ConnectedParticleSystem();
+        ConnectedParticleSystem(const ConnectedParticleSystem& copy, const osg::CopyOp& copyop = osg::CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY);
+
+        META_Object(osgParticle, ConnectedParticleSystem);
+        
+        /// Create a new particle from the specified template (or the default one if <CODE>ptemplate</CODE> is null).
+        virtual Particle* createParticle(const Particle* ptemplate);
+        
+        /// Destroy the i-th particle.
+        virtual void destroyParticle(int i);
+        
+        /// Update the particles. Don't call this directly, use a <CODE>ConnectedParticleSystemUpdater</CODE> instead.
+        virtual void update(double dt);
+
+        virtual void drawImplementation(osg::State& state) const;
+
+    protected:
+
+        virtual ~ConnectedParticleSystem();
+
+        ConnectedParticleSystem& operator=(const ConnectedParticleSystem&) { return *this; }
+
+        Particle* _startParticle;
+        Particle* _lastParticleCreated;
+    };
+
+}
+
+#endif
diff --git a/include/osgParticle/Particle b/include/osgParticle/Particle
index 7a4b2b93a..1b5b2a407 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/Particle
+++ b/include/osgParticle/Particle
@@ -257,6 +257,10 @@ namespace osgParticle
         int _cur_tile;
         float _s_coord;
         float _t_coord;
+        
+        // previous and next Particles are only used in ConnectedParticleSystems
+        Particle* _previousParticle;
+        Particle* _nextParticle;
     };
 
     // INLINE FUNCTIONS
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp b/src/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ba70e3ffd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/* -*-c++-*- OpenSceneGraph - Copyright (C) 1998-2005 Robert Osfield 
+ *
+ * This library is open source and may be redistributed and/or modified under  
+ * the terms of the OpenSceneGraph Public License (OSGPL) version 0.0 or 
+ * (at your option) any later version.  The full license is in LICENSE file
+ * included with this distribution, and on the openscenegraph.org website.
+ * 
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the 
+ * OpenSceneGraph Public License for more details.
+*/
+
+#include <osg/Notify>
+#include <osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem>
+
+using namespace osgParticle;
+
+ConnectedParticleSystem::ConnectedParticleSystem():
+    _startParticle(0),
+    _lastParticleCreated(0)
+{
+}
+
+ConnectedParticleSystem::ConnectedParticleSystem(const ConnectedParticleSystem& copy, const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
+    ParticleSystem(copy,copyop),
+    _startParticle(0),
+    _lastParticleCreated(0)
+{
+    // need to think about how to copy _startParticle and _lastParticleCreated...
+    // should we just use indices?  Should we compute offsets into the particle system?
+    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Warning: ConnectedParticleSystem copy constructor incomplete."<<std::endl;
+}
+
+ConnectedParticleSystem::~ConnectedParticleSystem()
+{
+}
+
+Particle* ConnectedParticleSystem::createParticle(const Particle* ptemplate)
+{
+    return ParticleSystem::createParticle(ptemplate);
+}
+        
+void ConnectedParticleSystem::destroyParticle(int i)
+{
+    return ParticleSystem::destroyParticle(i);
+}
+        
+void ConnectedParticleSystem::update(double dt)
+{
+    ParticleSystem::update(dt);
+}
+
+void ConnectedParticleSystem::drawImplementation(osg::State& state) const
+{
+    ParticleSystem::drawImplementation(state);
+}
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/GNUmakefile b/src/osgParticle/GNUmakefile
index 527d8d6b9..caaed636d 100644
--- a/src/osgParticle/GNUmakefile
+++ b/src/osgParticle/GNUmakefile
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ CXXFILES =\
 	ParticleEffect.cpp\
 	ParticleProcessor.cpp\
 	ParticleSystem.cpp\
+	ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp\
 	ParticleSystemUpdater.cpp\
 	Program.cpp\
 	Version.cpp\
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/Particle.cpp b/src/osgParticle/Particle.cpp
index ba2e588c5..92b18f9cc 100644
--- a/src/osgParticle/Particle.cpp
+++ b/src/osgParticle/Particle.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ osgParticle::Particle::Particle()
     _num_tile(1),
     _cur_tile(-1),
     _s_coord(0.0f),
-    _t_coord(0.0f)
+    _t_coord(0.0f),
+    _previousParticle(0),
+    _nextParticle(0)
 {
 }