diff --git a/include/osgDB/DatabasePager b/include/osgDB/DatabasePager
index 5856c2bf9..d0e6c558f 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/DatabasePager
+++ b/include/osgDB/DatabasePager
@@ -216,6 +216,13 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT DatabasePager : public osg::NodeVisitor::DatabaseRequestHandl
         DrawablePolicy getDrawablePolicy() const { return _drawablePolicy; }
 
 
+        /** Set whether newly loaded textures should have a PixelBufferObject assigned to them to aid download to the GPU.*/
+        void setApplyPBOToImages(bool assignPBOToImages) { _assignPBOToImages = assignPBOToImages; }
+
+        /** Get whether newly loaded textures should have a PixelBufferObject assigned to them..*/
+        bool getApplyPBOToImages() const { return _assignPBOToImages; }
+
+
         /** Set whether newly loaded textures should have their UnrefImageDataAfterApply set to a specified value.*/
         void setUnrefImageDataAfterApplyPolicy(bool changeAutoUnRef, bool valueAutoUnRef) { _changeAutoUnRef = changeAutoUnRef; _valueAutoUnRef = valueAutoUnRef; }
 
@@ -439,6 +446,7 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT DatabasePager : public osg::NodeVisitor::DatabaseRequestHandl
 
         DrawablePolicy                  _drawablePolicy;
 
+        bool                            _assignPBOToImages;
         bool                            _changeAutoUnRef;
         bool                            _valueAutoUnRef;
         bool                            _changeAnisotropy;
diff --git a/src/osgDB/DatabasePager.cpp b/src/osgDB/DatabasePager.cpp
index 77f35b89e..5733e2d7b 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/DatabasePager.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/DatabasePager.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ static osg::ApplicationUsageProxy DatabasePager_e0(osg::ApplicationUsage::ENVIRO
 static osg::ApplicationUsageProxy DatabasePager_e3(osg::ApplicationUsage::ENVIRONMENTAL_VARIABLE,"OSG_DATABASE_PAGER_DRAWABLE <mode>","Set the drawable policy for setting of loaded drawable to specified type.  mode can be one of DoNotModify, DisplayList, VBO or VertexArrays>.");
 static osg::ApplicationUsageProxy DatabasePager_e4(osg::ApplicationUsage::ENVIRONMENTAL_VARIABLE,"OSG_DATABASE_PAGER_PRIORITY <mode>", "Set the thread priority to DEFAULT, MIN, LOW, NOMINAL, HIGH or MAX.");
 static osg::ApplicationUsageProxy DatabasePager_e11(osg::ApplicationUsage::ENVIRONMENTAL_VARIABLE,"OSG_MAX_PAGEDLOD <num>","Set the target maximum number of PagedLOD to maintain.");
+static osg::ApplicationUsageProxy DatabasePager_e12(osg::ApplicationUsage::ENVIRONMENTAL_VARIABLE,"OSG_ASSIGN_PBO_TO_IMAGES <ON/OFF>","Set whether PixelBufferObjects should be assigned to Images to aid download to the GPU.");
 
 // Convert function objects that take pointer args into functions that a
 // reference to an osg::ref_ptr. This is quite useful for doing STL
@@ -297,6 +298,8 @@ public:
             _changeAutoUnRef(false), _valueAutoUnRef(false),
             _changeAnisotropy(false), _valueAnisotropy(1.0)
     {
+        _assignPBOToImages = _pager->_assignPBOToImages;
+
         _changeAutoUnRef = _pager->_changeAutoUnRef;
         _valueAutoUnRef = _pager->_valueAutoUnRef;
         _changeAnisotropy = _pager->_changeAnisotropy;
@@ -988,35 +991,43 @@ DatabasePager::DatabasePager()
         } 
     }
 
+    _assignPBOToImages = false;
+    if( (str = getenv("OSG_ASSIGN_PBO_TO_IMAGES")) != 0)
+    {
+        _assignPBOToImages = strcmp(str,"yes")==0 || strcmp(str,"YES")==0 ||
+                             strcmp(str,"on")==0 || strcmp(str,"ON")==0;
+
+        OSG_NOTICE<<"OSG_ASSIGN_PBO_TO_IMAGES set to "<<_assignPBOToImages<<std::endl;
+    }
+
     _changeAutoUnRef = true;
     _valueAutoUnRef = false;
  
     _changeAnisotropy = false;
     _valueAnisotropy = 1.0f;
 
-    const char* ptr=0;
 
     _deleteRemovedSubgraphsInDatabaseThread = true;
-    if( (ptr = getenv("OSG_DELETE_IN_DATABASE_THREAD")) != 0)
+    if( (str = getenv("OSG_DELETE_IN_DATABASE_THREAD")) != 0)
     {
-        _deleteRemovedSubgraphsInDatabaseThread = strcmp(ptr,"yes")==0 || strcmp(ptr,"YES")==0 ||
-                        strcmp(ptr,"on")==0 || strcmp(ptr,"ON")==0;
+        _deleteRemovedSubgraphsInDatabaseThread = strcmp(str,"yes")==0 || strcmp(str,"YES")==0 ||
+                                                  strcmp(str,"on")==0 || strcmp(str,"ON")==0;
 
     }
 
     _targetMaximumNumberOfPageLOD = 300;
-    if( (ptr = getenv("OSG_MAX_PAGEDLOD")) != 0)
+    if( (str = getenv("OSG_MAX_PAGEDLOD")) != 0)
     {
-        _targetMaximumNumberOfPageLOD = atoi(ptr);
+        _targetMaximumNumberOfPageLOD = atoi(str);
         OSG_NOTICE<<"_targetMaximumNumberOfPageLOD = "<<_targetMaximumNumberOfPageLOD<<std::endl;
     }
 
 
     _doPreCompile = true;
-    if( (ptr = getenv("OSG_DO_PRE_COMPILE")) != 0)
+    if( (str = getenv("OSG_DO_PRE_COMPILE")) != 0)
     {
-        _doPreCompile = strcmp(ptr,"yes")==0 || strcmp(ptr,"YES")==0 ||
-                        strcmp(ptr,"on")==0 || strcmp(ptr,"ON")==0;
+        _doPreCompile = strcmp(str,"yes")==0 || strcmp(str,"YES")==0 ||
+                        strcmp(str,"on")==0 || strcmp(str,"ON")==0;
     }
 
     // initialize the stats variables
@@ -1079,6 +1090,8 @@ DatabasePager::DatabasePager(const DatabasePager& rhs)
 
     _drawablePolicy = rhs._drawablePolicy;
 
+    _assignPBOToImages = rhs._assignPBOToImages;
+
     _changeAutoUnRef = rhs._changeAutoUnRef;
     _valueAutoUnRef = rhs._valueAutoUnRef;
     _changeAnisotropy = rhs._changeAnisotropy;