diff --git a/examples/osgtext3D/osgtext3D_orig.cpp b/examples/osgtext3D/osgtext3D_orig.cpp
index 7ff252775..6fbc2f7f4 100644
--- a/examples/osgtext3D/osgtext3D_orig.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgtext3D/osgtext3D_orig.cpp
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ osg::Group* create3DText(const osg::Vec3& center,float radius)
     osg::ref_ptr<osgText::Bevel> bevel = new osgText::Bevel;
     bevel->roundedBevel2(0.25);
     style->setBevel(bevel.get());
+    style->setWidthRatio(0.4f);
 
     osgText::Text3D* text7 = new osgText::Text3D;
     text7->setFont("fonts/times.ttf");
diff --git a/include/osgText/Text3D b/include/osgText/Text3D
index 08e82ee21..eb5a59df3 100644
--- a/include/osgText/Text3D
+++ b/include/osgText/Text3D
@@ -43,14 +43,6 @@ public:
 
     META_Object(osgText,Text3D)
 
-
-    /** Set the text style.*/
-    void setStyle(Style* style) { _style = style; }
-    /** Get the text style.*/
-    Style* getStyle() { return _style.get(); }
-    /** Get the const text style.*/
-    const Style* getStyle() const { return _style.get(); }
-
     /** Get the Charactere Depth of text. */
     float getCharacterDepth() const;
 
@@ -148,7 +140,6 @@ protected:
 
     TextRenderInfo _textRenderInfo;
 
-    osg::ref_ptr<Style> _style;
 
     RenderMode _renderMode;
 
diff --git a/include/osgText/TextBase b/include/osgText/TextBase
index fcf825d49..4aef20479 100644
--- a/include/osgText/TextBase
+++ b/include/osgText/TextBase
@@ -36,6 +36,8 @@ public:
     virtual const char* className() const { return "TextBase"; }
     virtual const char* libraryName() const { return "osgText"; }
 
+
+
     /** Set the Font to use to render the text.
       * setFont(0) sets the use of the default font.*/
     inline void setFont(Font* font=0) { setFont(osg::ref_ptr<Font>(font)); };
@@ -51,6 +53,17 @@ public:
     /** Get the font. Return 0 if default is being used.*/
     const Font* getFont() const { return _font.get(); }
 
+
+    /** Set the text style.*/
+    void setStyle(Style* style) { _style = style; }
+    /** Get the text style.*/
+    Style* getStyle() { return _style.get(); }
+    /** Get the const text style.*/
+    const Style* getStyle() const { return _style.get(); }
+
+    /** Get or create the text style.*/
+    Style* getOrCreateStyle() { if (!_style) _style = new Style; return _style.get(); }
+
     /** Set the Font reference width and height resolution in texels.
       * Note, the size may not be supported by current font, 
       * the closest supported font size will be selected.*/
@@ -89,10 +102,13 @@ public:
 
 
     /** Set the rendered character size in object coordinates.*/
-    void setCharacterSize(float height,float aspectRatio=1.0f);
-    
+    void setCharacterSize(float height);
+
+    /** Set the rendered character size in object coordinates.*/
+    void setCharacterSize(float height, float aspectRatio);
+
     float getCharacterHeight() const { return _characterHeight; }
-    float getCharacterAspectRatio() const { return _characterAspectRatio; }
+    float getCharacterAspectRatio() const { return _style.valid()? _style->getWidthRatio() : 1.0f; }
 
     enum CharacterSizeMode
     {
@@ -264,9 +280,9 @@ protected:
     
     // members which have public access.
     osg::ref_ptr<Font>                      _font;
+    osg::ref_ptr<Style>                     _style;
     FontResolution                          _fontSize;
     float                                   _characterHeight;
-    float                                   _characterAspectRatio;
     CharacterSizeMode                       _characterSizeMode;
     float                                   _maximumWidth;
     float                                   _maximumHeight;
diff --git a/src/osgText/Text.cpp b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
index 7e1c03aa7..25f343e1b 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ String::iterator Text::computeLastCharacterOnLine(osg::Vec2& cursor, String::ite
     if (!activefont) return last;
 
     float hr = _characterHeight/getFontHeight();
-    float wr = hr/_characterAspectRatio;
+    float wr = hr/getCharacterAspectRatio();
 
     bool kerning = true;
     unsigned int previous_charcode = 0;
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ void Text::computeGlyphRepresentation()
     unsigned int lineNumber = 0;
 
     float hr = _characterHeight/getFontHeight();
-    float wr = hr/_characterAspectRatio;
+    float wr = hr/getCharacterAspectRatio();
 
     for(String::iterator itr=_text.begin();
         itr!=_text.end();
@@ -509,7 +509,7 @@ void Text::computeGlyphRepresentation()
           }
           case VERTICAL:
           {
-            startOfLine_coords.x() += _characterHeight/_characterAspectRatio * (1.0 + _lineSpacing);
+            startOfLine_coords.x() += _characterHeight/getCharacterAspectRatio() * (1.0 + _lineSpacing);
             cursor = startOfLine_coords;
             previous_charcode = 0;
             // because _lineCount is the max vertical no. of characters....
@@ -662,7 +662,7 @@ void Text::computePositions(unsigned int contextID) const
             float pixelSizeVector_w = M(3,2)*P23 + M(3,3)*P33;
 
             float pixelSizeVert=(_characterHeight*sqrtf(scale_10.length2()))/(pixelSizeVector_w*0.701f);
-            float pixelSizeHori=(_characterHeight/_characterAspectRatio*sqrtf(scale_00.length2()))/(pixelSizeVector_w*0.701f);
+            float pixelSizeHori=(_characterHeight/getCharacterAspectRatio()*sqrtf(scale_00.length2()))/(pixelSizeVector_w*0.701f);
 
             // avoid nasty math by preventing a divide by zero
             if (pixelSizeVert == 0.0f)
@@ -673,7 +673,7 @@ void Text::computePositions(unsigned int contextID) const
             if (_characterSizeMode==SCREEN_COORDS)
             {
                 float scale_font_vert=_characterHeight/pixelSizeVert;
-                float scale_font_hori=_characterHeight/_characterAspectRatio/pixelSizeHori;
+                float scale_font_hori=_characterHeight/getCharacterAspectRatio()/pixelSizeHori;
 
                 if (P10<0)
                    scale_font_vert=-scale_font_vert;
diff --git a/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp b/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
index 589add2c2..8abcfc762 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
@@ -19,14 +19,12 @@ namespace osgText
 {
 
 Text3D::Text3D():
-    _style(0),
     _renderMode(PER_GLYPH)
 {
 }
 
 Text3D::Text3D(const Text3D & text3D, const osg::CopyOp & copyop):
     osgText::TextBase(text3D, copyop),
-    _style(text3D._style),
     _renderMode(text3D._renderMode)
 {
     computeGlyphRepresentation();
@@ -40,8 +38,7 @@ float Text3D::getCharacterDepth() const
 
 void Text3D::setCharacterDepth(float characterDepth)
 {
-    if (!_style) _style = new Style;
-    _style->setThicknessRatio(characterDepth / _characterHeight);
+    getOrCreateStyle()->setThicknessRatio(characterDepth / _characterHeight);
 
     computeGlyphRepresentation();
 }
@@ -434,7 +431,7 @@ void Text3D::computeGlyphRepresentation()
             }
             case VERTICAL:
             {
-                startOfLine_coords.x() += _characterHeight / _characterAspectRatio * (1.0 + _lineSpacing);
+                startOfLine_coords.x() += _characterHeight / getCharacterAspectRatio() * (1.0 + _lineSpacing);
                 // because _lineCount is the max vertical no. of characters....
                 _lineCount = (_lineCount >linelength)?_lineCount:linelength;
                 break;
@@ -503,7 +500,7 @@ void Text3D::computePositions(unsigned int contextID) const
     osg::Matrix& matrix = atc._matrix;
 
 
-    osg::Vec3 scaleVec(_characterHeight, _characterHeight / _characterAspectRatio, _characterHeight);
+    osg::Vec3 scaleVec(_characterHeight, _characterHeight / getCharacterAspectRatio(), _characterHeight);
 
     matrix.makeTranslate(-_offset);
     matrix.postMultScale(scaleVec);
diff --git a/src/osgText/TextBase.cpp b/src/osgText/TextBase.cpp
index 29e781812..cc89ba9ea 100644
--- a/src/osgText/TextBase.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/TextBase.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ using namespace osgText;
 TextBase::TextBase():
     _fontSize(32,32),
     _characterHeight(32),
-    _characterAspectRatio(1.0f),
     _characterSizeMode(OBJECT_COORDS),
     _maximumWidth(0.0f),
     _maximumHeight(0.0f),
@@ -56,9 +55,9 @@ TextBase::TextBase():
 TextBase::TextBase(const TextBase& textBase,const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
     osg::Drawable(textBase,copyop),
     _font(textBase._font),
+    _style(textBase._style),
     _fontSize(textBase._fontSize),
     _characterHeight(textBase._characterHeight),
-    _characterAspectRatio(textBase._characterAspectRatio),
     _characterSizeMode(textBase._characterSizeMode),
     _maximumWidth(textBase._maximumWidth),
     _maximumHeight(textBase._maximumHeight),
@@ -104,20 +103,27 @@ void TextBase::setFont(const std::string& fontfile)
     setFont(readRefFontFile(fontfile));
 }
 
-
 void TextBase::setFontResolution(unsigned int width, unsigned int height)
 {
     _fontSize = FontResolution(width,height);
     computeGlyphRepresentation();
 }
 
-void TextBase::setCharacterSize(float height,float aspectRatio)
+void TextBase::setCharacterSize(float height)
 {
     _characterHeight = height;
-    _characterAspectRatio = aspectRatio;
     computeGlyphRepresentation();
 }
 
+void TextBase::setCharacterSize(float height, float aspectRatio)
+{
+    if (getCharacterAspectRatio()!=aspectRatio)
+    {
+        getOrCreateStyle()->setWidthRatio(aspectRatio);
+    }
+    setCharacterSize(height);
+}
+
 void TextBase::setMaximumWidth(float maximumWidth)
 {
     _maximumWidth = maximumWidth;