diff --git a/applications/osgviewer/osgviewer.cpp b/applications/osgviewer/osgviewer.cpp
index 0d7919687..0bdcc3681 100644
--- a/applications/osgviewer/osgviewer.cpp
+++ b/applications/osgviewer/osgviewer.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("-p <filename>","Play specified camera path animation file, previously saved with 'z' key.");
     arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("--speed <factor>","Speed factor for animation playing (1 == normal speed).");
     arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("--device <device-name>","add named device to the viewer");
+    arguments.getApplicationUsage()->addCommandLineOption("--stats","print out load and compile timing stats");
 
     osgViewer::Viewer viewer(arguments);
 
@@ -71,6 +72,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         return 1;
     }
 
+    bool printStats = arguments.read("--stats");
+
     std::string url, username, password;
     while(arguments.read("--login",url, username, password))
     {
@@ -147,6 +150,8 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     // add the screen capture handler
     viewer.addEventHandler(new osgViewer::ScreenCaptureHandler);
 
+    osg::ElapsedTime elapsedTime;
+
     // load the data
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readRefNodeFiles(arguments);
     if (!loadedModel)
@@ -155,6 +160,15 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
         return 1;
     }
 
+    if (printStats)
+    {
+        double loadTime = elapsedTime.elapsedTime_m();
+        std::cout<<"Load time "<<loadTime<<"ms"<<std::endl;
+
+        viewer.getStats()->collectStats("compile", true);
+    }
+
+
     // any option left unread are converted into errors to write out later.
     arguments.reportRemainingOptionsAsUnrecognized();
 
diff --git a/src/osgViewer/Renderer.cpp b/src/osgViewer/Renderer.cpp
index 59775885e..ab9330818 100644
--- a/src/osgViewer/Renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/osgViewer/Renderer.cpp
@@ -588,7 +588,29 @@ void Renderer::compile()
     {
         osgUtil::GLObjectsVisitor glov;
         glov.setState(sceneView->getState());
-        glov.compile(*(sceneView->getSceneData()));
+
+        // collect stats if required
+        osg::View* view = _camera.valid() ? _camera->getView() : 0;
+        osg::Stats* stats = view ? view->getStats() : 0;
+        if (stats && stats->collectStats("compile"))
+        {
+            osg::ElapsedTime elapsedTime;
+
+            glov.compile(*(sceneView->getSceneData()));
+
+            double compileTime = elapsedTime.elapsedTime();
+
+            const osg::FrameStamp* fs = sceneView->getFrameStamp();
+            unsigned int frameNumber = fs ? fs->getFrameNumber() : 0;
+
+            stats->setAttribute(frameNumber, "compile", compileTime);
+
+            OSG_NOTICE<<"Compile time "<<compileTime*1000.0<<"ms"<<std::endl;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            glov.compile(*(sceneView->getSceneData()));
+        }
     }
 
     sceneView->getState()->checkGLErrors("After Renderer::compile");