diff --git a/include/osg/Geometry b/include/osg/Geometry
index a8c0a43cf..de819fe23 100644
--- a/include/osg/Geometry
+++ b/include/osg/Geometry
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ class SG_EXPORT Geometry : public Drawable
         virtual Geometry* asGeometry() { return this; }
         virtual const Geometry* asGeometry() const { return this; }
 
+        bool empty() const;
+
         enum AttributeBinding
         {
             BIND_OFF=0,
@@ -83,6 +85,8 @@ class SG_EXPORT Geometry : public Drawable
                 offset = rhs.offset;
                 return *this;
             }
+            
+            inline bool empty() const { return !array.valid(); } 
 
             ref_ptr<Array>          array;
             ref_ptr<IndexArray>     indices;
@@ -124,6 +128,8 @@ class SG_EXPORT Geometry : public Drawable
                 return *this;
             }
 
+            inline bool empty() const { return !array.valid(); } 
+
             ref_ptr<Vec3Array>          array;
             ref_ptr<IndexArray>     indices;
             AttributeBinding        binding;
diff --git a/src/osg/Geometry.cpp b/src/osg/Geometry.cpp
index 63b8fbcbd..117e30a3d 100644
--- a/src/osg/Geometry.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Geometry.cpp
@@ -420,6 +420,19 @@ Geometry::~Geometry()
     // no need to delete, all automatically handled by ref_ptr :-)
 }
 
+bool Geometry::empty() const
+{
+    if (!_primitives.empty()) return false;
+    if (!_vertexData.empty()) return false;
+    if (!_normalData.empty()) return false;
+    if (!_colorData.empty()) return false;
+    if (!_secondaryColorData.empty()) return false;
+    if (!_fogCoordData.empty()) return false;
+    if (!_texCoordList.empty()) return false;
+    if (!_vertexAttribList.empty()) return false;
+    return true;
+}
+
 void Geometry::setTexCoordData(unsigned int unit,const ArrayData& arrayData)
 {
 	if (_texCoordList.size()<=unit)
diff --git a/src/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp b/src/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
index b92b4b3f5..0065b7524 100644
--- a/src/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
+++ b/src/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
@@ -1018,6 +1018,16 @@ bool Optimizer::CombineStaticTransformsVisitor::removeTransforms(osg::Node* node
 
 void Optimizer::RemoveEmptyNodesVisitor::apply(osg::Geode& geode)
 {
+    for(int i=geode.getNumDrawables()-1;i>=0;--i)
+    {
+        osg::Geometry* geom = geode.getDrawable(i)->asGeometry();
+        if (geom && geom->empty())
+        {
+           geode.removeDrawable(i);
+        }
+    }
+
+
     if (geode.getNumParents()>0)
     {
         if (geode.getNumDrawables()==0 && isNodeEmpty(geode)) _redundantNodeList.insert(&geode);