diff --git a/include/osgDB/FileNameUtils b/include/osgDB/FileNameUtils
index 234bec22f..7f9310cb0 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/FileNameUtils
+++ b/include/osgDB/FileNameUtils
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ extern OSGDB_EXPORT bool equalCaseInsensitive(const std::string& lhs,const std::
 extern OSGDB_EXPORT bool equalCaseInsensitive(const std::string& lhs,const char* rhs);
 
 extern OSGDB_EXPORT bool containsServerAddress(const std::string& filename);
+extern OSGDB_EXPORT std::string getServerProtocol(const std::string& filename);
 extern OSGDB_EXPORT std::string getServerAddress(const std::string& filename);
 extern OSGDB_EXPORT std::string getServerFileName(const std::string& filename);
 
diff --git a/include/osgDB/Registry b/include/osgDB/Registry
index e79a727ee..b4e98a654 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/Registry
+++ b/include/osgDB/Registry
@@ -478,7 +478,13 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Registry : public osg::Referenced
 
         /** Add an Archive extension.*/
         void addArchiveExtension(const std::string ext);
-
+        
+        /** registers a protocol */
+        void registerProtocol(const std::string& protocol);
+        
+        /** returns true, if named protocol is registered */
+        bool isProtocolRegistered(const std::string& protocol);
+        
     protected:
 
         virtual ~Registry();
@@ -491,6 +497,8 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Registry : public osg::Referenced
         typedef std::pair<osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object>, double >           ObjectTimeStampPair;
         typedef std::map<std::string, ObjectTimeStampPair >             ObjectCache;
         typedef std::map<std::string, osg::ref_ptr<osgDB::Archive> >    ArchiveCache;
+        
+        typedef std::set<std::string>                                   RegisteredProtocolsSet;
 
         /** constructor is private, as its a singleton, preventing
             construction other than via the instance() method and
@@ -508,6 +516,8 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Registry : public osg::Referenced
         osg::ref_ptr<AuthenticationMap>             _authenticationMap;
         
         bool                                        _createNodeFromImage;
+        
+        RegisteredProtocolsSet                      _registeredProtocols;
 
         osg::Object*       readObject(DotOsgWrapperMap& dowMap,Input& fr);
 
diff --git a/src/osgDB/FileNameUtils.cpp b/src/osgDB/FileNameUtils.cpp
index 605fc94dc..99af0f249 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/FileNameUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/FileNameUtils.cpp
@@ -179,26 +179,42 @@ bool osgDB::equalCaseInsensitive(const std::string& lhs,const char* rhs)
     return true;
 }
 
+
+
 bool osgDB::containsServerAddress(const std::string& filename)
 {
-    // need to check for http://
-    if (filename.size()<7) return false;
-    if (filename.compare(0,7,"http://")==0) return true;
-    return false;
+    // need to check for ://
+    std::string::size_type pos(filename.find_first_of("://"));
+    if (pos == std::string::npos) 
+        return false;
+    std::string proto(filename.substr(0, pos));
+    
+    return Registry::instance()->isProtocolRegistered(proto);
+}
+
+std::string osgDB::getServerProtocol(const std::string& filename)
+{
+    std::string::size_type pos(filename.find_first_of("://"));
+    if (pos != std::string::npos)
+        return filename.substr(0,pos);
+
+    return "";
 }
 
 std::string osgDB::getServerAddress(const std::string& filename)
 {
-    if (filename.size()>=7 && filename.compare(0,7,"http://")==0)
+    std::string::size_type pos(filename.find_first_of("://"));
+    
+    if (pos != std::string::npos)
     {
-        std::string::size_type pos_slash = filename.find_first_of('/',7);
+        std::string::size_type pos_slash = filename.find_first_of('/',pos+3);
         if (pos_slash!=std::string::npos)
         {
-            return filename.substr(7,pos_slash-7);
+            return filename.substr(pos+3,pos_slash-pos-3);
         }
         else
         {
-            return filename.substr(7,std::string::npos);
+            return filename.substr(pos+3,std::string::npos);
         }
     }
     return "";
@@ -206,9 +222,11 @@ std::string osgDB::getServerAddress(const std::string& filename)
 
 std::string osgDB::getServerFileName(const std::string& filename)
 {
-    if (filename.size()>=7 && filename.compare(0,7,"http://")==0)
+    std::string::size_type pos(filename.find_first_of("://"));
+
+    if (pos != std::string::npos)
     {
-        std::string::size_type pos_slash = filename.find_first_of('/',7);
+        std::string::size_type pos_slash = filename.find_first_of('/',pos+3);
         if (pos_slash!=std::string::npos)
         {
             return filename.substr(pos_slash+1,std::string::npos);
diff --git a/src/osgDB/ReaderWriter.cpp b/src/osgDB/ReaderWriter.cpp
index 105e955f8..ac1705309 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/ReaderWriter.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/ReaderWriter.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ bool ReaderWriter::acceptsExtension(const std::string& extension) const
 
 void ReaderWriter::supportsProtocol(const std::string& fmt, const std::string& description)
 {
+    Registry::instance()->registerProtocol(fmt);
     _supportedProtocols[convertToLowerCase(fmt)] = description;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/osgDB/Registry.cpp b/src/osgDB/Registry.cpp
index 8376e58ca..b41c618af 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/Registry.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/Registry.cpp
@@ -331,6 +331,9 @@ Registry::Registry()
     addFileExtensionAlias("pgm", "pnm");
     addFileExtensionAlias("ppm", "pnm");
     
+    // register http-protocol, so the curl can handle it, if necessary
+    registerProtocol("http"); 
+    
 }
 
 
@@ -2092,3 +2095,15 @@ SharedStateManager* Registry::getOrCreateSharedStateManager()
     
     return _sharedStateManager.get();
 }
+
+
+void Registry::registerProtocol(const std::string& protocol) 
+{  
+    _registeredProtocols.insert( convertToLowerCase(protocol) ); 
+}
+        
+bool Registry::isProtocolRegistered(const std::string& protocol) 
+{ 
+    return (_registeredProtocols.find( convertToLowerCase(protocol) ) != _registeredProtocols.end()); 
+}
+