diff --git a/src/osgText/Text.cpp b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
index 798a23d7b..5cedc7cb0 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
@@ -733,6 +733,7 @@ void Text::computePositions(unsigned int contextID) const
         }
         
         GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedCoords = glyphquad._transformedCoords[contextID];
+        if (!transformedCoords) transformedCoords = new osg::Vec3Array;
 
         unsigned int numCoords = coords2->size();
         if (numCoords != transformedCoords->size())
@@ -818,6 +819,8 @@ void Text::computeBackdropPositions(unsigned int contextID) const
             }
                 
             GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedCoords = glyphquad._transformedBackdropCoords[backdrop_index][contextID];
+            if (!transformedCoords) transformedCoords = new osg::Vec3Array();
+            
             unsigned int numCoords = coords2->size();
             if (numCoords!=transformedCoords->size())
             {
@@ -1302,7 +1305,7 @@ void Text::drawImplementation(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMultiplie
     if ( !_textureGlyphQuadMap.empty() )
     {
         const GlyphQuads& glyphquad = (_textureGlyphQuadMap.begin())->second;
-        if ( glyphquad._transformedCoords[contextID]->empty() )
+        if (!glyphquad._transformedCoords[contextID].valid() || glyphquad._transformedCoords[contextID]->empty() )
         {
             computePositions(contextID);
         }
@@ -1477,8 +1480,12 @@ void Text::accept(osg::Drawable::ConstAttributeFunctor& af) const
         ++titr)
     {
         const GlyphQuads& glyphquad = titr->second;
-        af.apply(osg::Drawable::VERTICES, glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->size(), &(glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->front()));
-        af.apply(osg::Drawable::TEXTURE_COORDS_0, glyphquad._texcoords->size(), &(glyphquad._texcoords->front()));
+        if (!glyphquad._transformedCoords.empty() && glyphquad._transformedCoords[0].valid())
+        {
+            af.apply(osg::Drawable::VERTICES, glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->size(), &(glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->front()));
+            af.apply(osg::Drawable::TEXTURE_COORDS_0, glyphquad._texcoords->size(), &(glyphquad._texcoords->front()));
+        }
+        
     }
 }
 
@@ -1489,9 +1496,11 @@ void Text::accept(osg::PrimitiveFunctor& pf) const
         ++titr)
     {
         const GlyphQuads& glyphquad = titr->second;
-
-        pf.setVertexArray(glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->size(), &(glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->front()));
-        pf.drawArrays(GL_QUADS, 0, glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->size());
+        if (!glyphquad._transformedCoords.empty() && glyphquad._transformedCoords[0].valid())
+        {
+            pf.setVertexArray(glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->size(), &(glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->front()));
+            pf.drawArrays(GL_QUADS, 0, glyphquad._transformedCoords[0]->size());
+        }
 
     }
 
@@ -1604,7 +1613,7 @@ void Text::drawForegroundText(osg::State& state, const GlyphQuads& glyphquad, co
     unsigned int contextID = state.getContextID();
 
     const GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedCoords = glyphquad._transformedCoords[contextID];
-    if (!transformedCoords->empty())
+    if (transformedCoords.valid() && !transformedCoords->empty())
     {
         state.setVertexPointer(transformedCoords.get());
         state.setTexCoordPointer(0, glyphquad._texcoords.get());
@@ -1701,7 +1710,7 @@ void Text::drawTextWithBackdrop(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMultipl
             for( ; backdrop_index < max_backdrop_index; backdrop_index++)
             {
                 const GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedBackdropCoords = glyphquad._transformedBackdropCoords[backdrop_index][contextID];
-                if (!transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
+                if (transformedBackdropCoords.valid() && !transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
                 {
                     state.setVertexPointer(transformedBackdropCoords.get());
                     glyphquad._quadIndices->draw(state, _useVertexBufferObjects);
@@ -1757,7 +1766,7 @@ void Text::renderWithPolygonOffset(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMult
         for( ; backdrop_index < max_backdrop_index; backdrop_index++)
         {
             const GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedBackdropCoords = glyphquad._transformedBackdropCoords[backdrop_index][contextID];
-            if (!transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
+            if (transformedBackdropCoords.valid() && !transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
             {
                 state.setVertexPointer( 3, GL_FLOAT, 0, &(transformedBackdropCoords->front()));
                 glPolygonOffset(0.1f * osg::PolygonOffset::getFactorMultiplier(),
@@ -1816,7 +1825,7 @@ void Text::renderWithNoDepthBuffer(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMult
         for( ; backdrop_index < max_backdrop_index; backdrop_index++)
         {
             const GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedBackdropCoords = glyphquad._transformedBackdropCoords[backdrop_index][contextID];
-            if (!transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
+            if (transformedBackdropCoords.valid() && !transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
             {
                 state.setVertexPointer( 3, GL_FLOAT, 0, &(transformedBackdropCoords->front()));
                 state.drawQuads(0,transformedBackdropCoords->size());
@@ -1872,7 +1881,7 @@ void Text::renderWithDepthRange(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMultipl
         for( ; backdrop_index < max_backdrop_index; backdrop_index++)
         {
             const GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedBackdropCoords = glyphquad._transformedBackdropCoords[backdrop_index][contextID];
-            if (!transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
+            if (transformedBackdropCoords.valid() && !transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
             {
                 state.setVertexPointer( 3, GL_FLOAT, 0, &(transformedBackdropCoords->front()));
                 double offset = double(max_backdrop_index-backdrop_index)*0.0001;
@@ -1970,7 +1979,7 @@ void Text::renderWithStencilBuffer(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMult
         for( ; backdrop_index < max_backdrop_index; backdrop_index++)
         {
             const GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedBackdropCoords = glyphquad._transformedBackdropCoords[backdrop_index][contextID];
-            if (!transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
+            if (transformedBackdropCoords.valid() && !transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
             {
                 state.setVertexPointer( 3, GL_FLOAT, 0, &(transformedBackdropCoords->front()));
                 state.drawQuads(0,transformedBackdropCoords->size());
@@ -1979,7 +1988,7 @@ void Text::renderWithStencilBuffer(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMult
 
         // Draw the foreground text
         const GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedCoords = glyphquad._transformedCoords[contextID];
-        if (!transformedCoords->empty())
+        if (transformedCoords.valid() && !transformedCoords->empty())
         {
             state.setVertexPointer( 3, GL_FLOAT, 0, &(transformedCoords->front()));
             state.setTexCoordPointer( 0, 2, GL_FLOAT, 0, &(glyphquad._texcoords->front()));
@@ -2038,7 +2047,7 @@ void Text::renderWithStencilBuffer(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMult
         for( ; backdrop_index < max_backdrop_index; backdrop_index++)
         {
             const GlyphQuads::Coords3& transformedBackdropCoords = glyphquad._transformedBackdropCoords[backdrop_index][contextID];
-            if (!transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
+            if (transformedBackdropCoords.valid() && !transformedBackdropCoords->empty())
             {
                 state.setVertexPointer( 3, GL_FLOAT, 0, &(transformedBackdropCoords->front()));
                 state.drawQuads(0,transformedBackdropCoords->size());
@@ -2116,15 +2125,21 @@ void Text::GlyphQuads::initGPUBufferObjects()
     _colorCoords->setVertexBufferObject(vbo);
     for (size_t i = 0; i < _transformedCoords.size(); i++)
     {
-        _transformedCoords[i]->setBinding(osg::Array::BIND_PER_VERTEX);
-        _transformedCoords[i]->setVertexBufferObject(vbo);
+        if (_transformedCoords[i].valid())
+        {
+            _transformedCoords[i]->setBinding(osg::Array::BIND_PER_VERTEX);
+            _transformedCoords[i]->setVertexBufferObject(vbo);
+        }
     }
     for (int j = 0; j < 8; j++)
     {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < _transformedBackdropCoords[j].size(); i++)
         {
-            _transformedBackdropCoords[j][i]->setBinding(osg::Array::BIND_PER_VERTEX);
-            _transformedBackdropCoords[j][i]->setVertexBufferObject(vbo);
+            if (_transformedBackdropCoords[j][i].valid())
+            {
+                _transformedBackdropCoords[j][i]->setBinding(osg::Array::BIND_PER_VERTEX);
+                _transformedBackdropCoords[j][i]->setVertexBufferObject(vbo);
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -2140,7 +2155,10 @@ void Text::GlyphQuads::resizeGLObjectBuffers(unsigned int maxSize)
     {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < _transformedBackdropCoords[j].size(); i++)
         {
-            _transformedBackdropCoords[j][i]->resizeGLObjectBuffers(maxSize);    
+            if (_transformedBackdropCoords[j][i].valid())
+            {
+                _transformedBackdropCoords[j][i]->resizeGLObjectBuffers(maxSize);
+            }
         }
     }
     
@@ -2155,7 +2173,10 @@ void Text::GlyphQuads::releaseGLObjects(osg::State* state) const
     {
         for (size_t i = 0; i < _transformedBackdropCoords[j].size(); i++)
         {
-            _transformedBackdropCoords[j][i]->releaseGLObjects(state);    
+            if (_transformedBackdropCoords[j][i].valid())
+            {
+                _transformedBackdropCoords[j][i]->releaseGLObjects(state);
+            }
         }
     }