diff --git a/include/osgDB/Options b/include/osgDB/Options
index ef843816c..fc6d91a01 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/Options
+++ b/include/osgDB/Options
@@ -104,7 +104,10 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Options : public osg::Object
             _str(str),
             _objectCacheHint(CACHE_ARCHIVES),
             _precisionHint(FLOAT_PRECISION_ALL),
-            _buildKdTreesHint(NO_PREFERENCE) {}
+            _buildKdTreesHint(NO_PREFERENCE)
+        {
+            parsePluginStringData(str);
+        }
 
         Options(const Options& options,const osg::CopyOp& copyop=osg::CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY);
 
@@ -113,7 +116,7 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Options : public osg::Object
         Options* cloneOptions() const { return new Options(*this); }
 
         /** Set the general Options string.*/
-        void setOptionString(const std::string& str) { _str = str; }
+        void setOptionString(const std::string& str) { _str = str; parsePluginStringData(str); }
 
         /** Get the general Options string.*/
         const std::string& getOptionString() const { return _str; }
@@ -169,6 +172,9 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Options : public osg::Object
 
         /** Remove a value from the PluginData */
         void removePluginData(const std::string& s) const { _pluginData.erase(s); }
+        
+        /** Get number of PluginData values */
+        unsigned int getNumPluginData() const { return _pluginData.size(); }
 
 
         /** Sets a plugindata value PluginData with a string */
@@ -187,6 +193,11 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Options : public osg::Object
         /** Remove a value from the PluginData */
         void removePluginStringData(const std::string& s) const { _pluginStringData.erase(s); }
 
+        /** Get number of PluginStrData values */
+        unsigned int getNumPluginStringData() const { return _pluginStringData.size(); }
+
+        /** Parse string into plugin string data. This will be automatically done in Options(const std::string&) */
+        void parsePluginStringData(const std::string& str, char separator1=' ', char separator2='=');
 
 
         /** Set the find callback to use in place of the default findFile calls.*/
diff --git a/src/osgDB/Options.cpp b/src/osgDB/Options.cpp
index f3248ed7a..430271cfb 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/Options.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/Options.cpp
@@ -30,3 +30,26 @@ Options::Options(const Options& options,const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
     _writeFileCallback(options._writeFileCallback),
     _fileLocationCallback(options._fileLocationCallback),
     _fileCache(options._fileCache) {}
+
+void Options::parsePluginStringData(const std::string& str, char separator1, char separator2)
+{
+    StringList valueList;
+    split(str, valueList, separator1);
+    if (valueList.size() > 0)
+    {
+        StringList keyAndValue;
+        for (StringList::iterator itr=valueList.begin(); itr!=valueList.end(); ++itr)
+        {
+            split(*itr, keyAndValue, separator2);
+            if (keyAndValue.size() > 1)
+            {
+                setPluginStringData(keyAndValue.front(), keyAndValue.back());
+            }
+            else if (keyAndValue.size() > 0)
+            {
+                setPluginStringData(keyAndValue.front(), "true");
+            }
+            keyAndValue.clear();
+        }
+    }
+}