diff --git a/include/osgShadow/ShadowSettings b/include/osgShadow/ShadowSettings
index db9354147..12f86d504 100644
--- a/include/osgShadow/ShadowSettings
+++ b/include/osgShadow/ShadowSettings
@@ -28,8 +28,11 @@ class OSGSHADOW_EXPORT ShadowSettings : public osg::Object
 
         META_Object(osgShadow, ShadowSettings);
 
-        void setLightNum(unsigned int lightNum) { _lightNum = lightNum; }
-        unsigned int getLightNum() const { return _lightNum; }
+        /** Set the LightNum of the light in the scene to assign a shadow for.
+          * Default value is -1, which signifies that shadow technique should automatically select an active light
+          * to assign a shadow, typically this will be the first active light found. */
+        void setLightNum(int lightNum) { _lightNum = lightNum; }
+        int getLightNum() const { return _lightNum; }
 
         void setBaseShadowTextureUnit(unsigned int unit) { _baseShadowTextureUnit = unit; }
         unsigned int getBaseShadowTextureUnit() const { return _baseShadowTextureUnit; }
@@ -79,7 +82,7 @@ class OSGSHADOW_EXPORT ShadowSettings : public osg::Object
 
         virtual ~ShadowSettings();
 
-        unsigned int                            _lightNum;
+        int                                     _lightNum;
         unsigned int                            _baseShadowTextureUnit;
         osg::Vec2s                              _textureSize;
 
diff --git a/src/osgShadow/ShadowSettings.cpp b/src/osgShadow/ShadowSettings.cpp
index e8ecdcf70..25c5e19e7 100644
--- a/src/osgShadow/ShadowSettings.cpp
+++ b/src/osgShadow/ShadowSettings.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 using namespace osgShadow;
 
 ShadowSettings::ShadowSettings():
+    _lightNum(-1),
     _baseShadowTextureUnit(1),
     _textureSize(2048,2048),
     _minimumShadowMapNearFarRatio(0.01),
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ ShadowSettings::ShadowSettings():
 
 ShadowSettings::ShadowSettings(const ShadowSettings& ss, const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
     Object(ss,copyop),
+    _lightNum(ss._lightNum),
     _baseShadowTextureUnit(ss._baseShadowTextureUnit),
     _textureSize(ss._textureSize),
     _minimumShadowMapNearFarRatio(ss._minimumShadowMapNearFarRatio),
diff --git a/src/osgShadow/ViewDependentShadowMap.cpp b/src/osgShadow/ViewDependentShadowMap.cpp
index 5ce83e9c8..352075fb9 100644
--- a/src/osgShadow/ViewDependentShadowMap.cpp
+++ b/src/osgShadow/ViewDependentShadowMap.cpp
@@ -790,6 +790,9 @@ bool ViewDependentShadowMap::selectActiveLights(osgUtil::CullVisitor* cv, ViewDe
     osgUtil::PositionalStateContainer::AttrMatrixList& aml =
         rs->getPositionalStateContainer()->getAttrMatrixList();
 
+
+    const ShadowSettings* settings = getShadowedScene()->getShadowSettings();
+        
     for(osgUtil::PositionalStateContainer::AttrMatrixList::reverse_iterator itr = aml.rbegin();
         itr != aml.rend();
         ++itr)
@@ -797,6 +800,9 @@ bool ViewDependentShadowMap::selectActiveLights(osgUtil::CullVisitor* cv, ViewDe
         const osg::Light* light = dynamic_cast<const osg::Light*>(itr->first.get());
         if (light)
         {
+            // is LightNum matched to that defined in settings
+            if (settings && settings->getLightNum()>=0 && light->getLightNum()!=settings->getLightNum()) break;
+            
             LightDataList::iterator pll_itr = pll.begin();
             for(; pll_itr != pll.end(); ++pll_itr)
             {