diff --git a/VisualStudio/osg/osg.dsp b/VisualStudio/osg/osg.dsp
index 1ccf2c34e..e3b21f185 100755
--- a/VisualStudio/osg/osg.dsp
+++ b/VisualStudio/osg/osg.dsp
@@ -333,6 +333,10 @@ SOURCE=..\..\src\osg\Projection.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
 
+SOURCE=..\..\src\osg\Referenced.cpp
+# End Source File
+# Begin Source File
+
 SOURCE=..\..\src\osg\ShapeDrawable.cpp
 # End Source File
 # Begin Source File
diff --git a/include/osg/Object b/include/osg/Object
index 494c07f78..bf84ca6f6 100644
--- a/include/osg/Object
+++ b/include/osg/Object
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ namespace osg {
   * the standard pure virtual clone, isSameKindAs and className methods 
   * which are required for all Object subclasses.*/
 #define META_Object(library,name) \
-        virtual osg::Object* cloneType() const { return osgNew name (); } \
+        virtual osg::Object* cloneType() const { return new name (); } \
         virtual osg::Object* clone(const osg::CopyOp& copyop) const { return osgNew name (*this,copyop); } \
         virtual bool isSameKindAs(const osg::Object* obj) const { return dynamic_cast<const name *>(obj)!=NULL; } \
         virtual const char* libraryName() const { return #library; }\
diff --git a/include/osg/Referenced b/include/osg/Referenced
index eb7b2fb8e..5cf827788 100644
--- a/include/osg/Referenced
+++ b/include/osg/Referenced
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
 
 namespace osg {
 
+
+// forward declar, declared after Refenced below.
+class DeleteHandler;
+
+
 /** Base class from providing referencing counted objects.*/
 class SG_EXPORT Referenced
 {
@@ -31,6 +36,13 @@ class SG_EXPORT Referenced
 
         inline Referenced& operator = (Referenced&) { return *this; }
 
+        friend DeleteHandler;
+
+        static void setDeleteHandler(DeleteHandler* handler);
+
+        static DeleteHandler* getDeleteHandler();
+
+
         /** increment the reference count by one, indicating that 
             this object has another pointer which is referencing it.*/
         inline void ref() const { ++_refCount; }
@@ -39,7 +51,7 @@ class SG_EXPORT Referenced
             a pointer to this object is referencing it.  If the
             reference count goes to zero, it is assumed that this object
             is no longer referenced and is automatically deleted.*/
-        inline void unref() const { --_refCount; if (_refCount<=0) delete this; }
+        inline void unref() const;
         
         /** decrement the reference count by one, indicating that 
             a pointer to this object is referencing it.  However, do
@@ -60,9 +72,13 @@ class SG_EXPORT Referenced
         inline static int deletedCount() { return _deletedCount; }
 #endif
 
+
+        
     protected:
         virtual ~Referenced();
         mutable int _refCount;
+        
+        
 #ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
         static int  _createdCount;  // incremented in the constructor
         static int  _deletedCount;  // incremented in the destructor
@@ -70,6 +86,38 @@ class SG_EXPORT Referenced
 
 };
 
+
+/** Class for override the default delete behavior so that users can implment their own object
+  * deletion schemes.  This might be done to help implement protection of multiple threads from deleting
+  * objects unintentionally.*/
+class DeleteHandler
+{
+    public:
+
+        virtual ~DeleteHandler() {}
+
+        /** flush any cache of objects that need to be deleted by doing an actual delete.*/
+        virtual void flush() {}
+        
+        inline void doDelete(const Referenced* object) { delete object; }
+         
+        /** Request the deletion of an object. 
+          * Depending on users implementation of DeleteHandler, the delete of the object may occur 
+          * straight away or be delayed until doDelete is called.
+          * The default implementation does a delete straight away.*/
+        virtual void requestDelete(const Referenced* object) { doDelete(object); }
+};
+
+inline void Referenced::unref() const
+{
+    --_refCount;
+    if (_refCount<=0)
+    {
+        if (getDeleteHandler()) getDeleteHandler()->requestDelete(this);
+        else delete this;
+    }
+}
+
 }
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/osg/Object.cpp b/src/osg/Object.cpp
index 4ef343d23..802ff5f9d 100644
--- a/src/osg/Object.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Object.cpp
@@ -1,28 +1,12 @@
 #include <osg/Object>
-#include <osg/Notify>
-#include <typeinfo>
 
-using namespace osg;
-
-#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
-int Referenced::_createdCount = 0;
-int Referenced::_deletedCount = 0;
-#endif
-
-Referenced::~Referenced()
+namespace osg
 {
-    if (_refCount>0)
-    {
-        notify(WARN)<<"Warning: deleting still referenced object "<<this<<" of type '"<<typeid(this).name()<<"'"<<std::endl;
-        notify(WARN)<<"         the final reference count was "<<_refCount<<", memory corruption possible."<<std::endl;
-    }
-#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
-    _deletedCount ++;
-#endif
-}
-
 
 Object::Object(const Object& obj,const CopyOp& copyop): 
     Referenced(),
     _dataVariance(obj._dataVariance),
     _userData(copyop(obj._userData.get())) {}
+
+
+}; // end of namespace osg
diff --git a/src/osg/Referenced.cpp b/src/osg/Referenced.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a868a7f4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osg/Referenced.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+#include <osg/Referenced>
+#include <osg/Notify>
+#include <typeinfo>
+
+namespace osg
+{
+
+static std::auto_ptr<DeleteHandler> s_deleteHandler(0);
+
+void Referenced::setDeleteHandler(DeleteHandler* handler)
+{
+    s_deleteHandler.reset(handler);
+}
+
+DeleteHandler* Referenced::getDeleteHandler()
+{
+    return s_deleteHandler.get();
+}
+
+
+#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
+int Referenced::_createdCount = 0;
+int Referenced::_deletedCount = 0;
+#endif
+
+Referenced::~Referenced()
+{
+    if (_refCount>0)
+    {
+        notify(WARN)<<"Warning: deleting still referenced object "<<this<<" of type '"<<typeid(this).name()<<"'"<<std::endl;
+        notify(WARN)<<"         the final reference count was "<<_refCount<<", memory corruption possible."<<std::endl;
+    }
+#ifdef OSG_COMPILE_UNIT_TESTS
+    _deletedCount ++;
+#endif
+}
+
+}; // end of namespace osg