diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeFont.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeFont.cpp
index afee9c914..dd36aa4fe 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeFont.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeFont.cpp
@@ -17,17 +17,19 @@
 #include <osg/Notify>  
 #include <osgDB/WriteFile>
 
-FreeTypeFont::FreeTypeFont(const std::string& filename, FT_Face face):
+FreeTypeFont::FreeTypeFont(const std::string& filename, FT_Face face, unsigned int flags):
     _filename(filename),
     _buffer(0),
-    _face(face)
+    _face(face),
+    _flags(flags)
 {
 }
 
-FreeTypeFont::FreeTypeFont(FT_Byte* buffer, FT_Face face):
+FreeTypeFont::FreeTypeFont(FT_Byte* buffer, FT_Face face, unsigned int flags):
     _filename(""),
     _buffer(buffer),
-    _face(face)
+    _face(face),
+    _flags(flags)
 {
 }
 
@@ -105,7 +107,7 @@ osgText::Font::Glyph* FreeTypeFont::getGlyph(unsigned int charcode)
         }
     }
 
-    FT_Error error = FT_Load_Char( _face, charindex, FT_LOAD_RENDER|FT_LOAD_NO_BITMAP );
+    FT_Error error = FT_Load_Char( _face, charindex, FT_LOAD_RENDER|FT_LOAD_NO_BITMAP|_flags );
     if (error)
     {
         osg::notify(osg::WARN) << "FT_Load_Char(...) error "<<error<<std::endl;
@@ -143,13 +145,33 @@ osgText::Font::Glyph* FreeTypeFont::getGlyph(unsigned int charcode)
     glyph->setInternalTextureFormat(GL_ALPHA);
 
     // copy image across to osgText::Glyph image.     
-    for(int r=sourceHeight-1;r>=0;--r)
+    switch(glyphslot->bitmap.pixel_mode)
     {
-        unsigned char* ptr = buffer+r*pitch;
-        for(unsigned int c=0;c<sourceWidth;++c,++ptr)
-        {
-            (*data++)=*ptr;
-        }
+        case FT_PIXEL_MODE_MONO:
+            for(int r=sourceHeight-1;r>=0;--r)
+            {
+                unsigned char* ptr = buffer+r*pitch;
+                for(unsigned int c=0;c<sourceWidth;++c)
+                {
+                    (*data++)= (ptr[c >> 3] & (1 << (~c & 7))) ? 255 : 0;
+                }
+            }
+            break;
+
+        
+        case FT_PIXEL_MODE_GRAY:
+            for(int r=sourceHeight-1;r>=0;--r)
+            {
+                unsigned char* ptr = buffer+r*pitch;
+                for(unsigned int c=0;c<sourceWidth;++c,++ptr)
+                {
+                    (*data++)=*ptr;
+                }
+            }
+            break;
+            
+        default:
+            osg::notify(osg::WARN) << "FT_Load_Char(...) returned bitmap with unknown pixel_mode " << glyphslot->bitmap.pixel_mode << std::endl;
     }
 
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeFont.h b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeFont.h
index 3cd85ffeb..b6839e217 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeFont.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeFont.h
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ class FreeTypeFont : public osgText::Font::FontImplementation
 // declare the interface to a font.
 public:
 
-    FreeTypeFont(const std::string& filename, FT_Face face);
-    FreeTypeFont(FT_Byte* buffer, FT_Face face);
+    FreeTypeFont(const std::string& filename, FT_Face face, unsigned int flags);
+    FreeTypeFont(FT_Byte* buffer, FT_Face face, unsigned int flags);
 
     virtual ~FreeTypeFont();
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ protected:
     std::string     _filename;
     FT_Byte*        _buffer;
     FT_Face         _face;
-
+    unsigned int    _flags;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeLibrary.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeLibrary.cpp
index 45bb52563..924b649a4 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeLibrary.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeLibrary.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ FreeTypeLibrary* FreeTypeLibrary::instance()
     return s_library.get();
 }
 
-osgText::Font* FreeTypeLibrary::getFont(const std::string& fontfile,unsigned int index)
+osgText::Font* FreeTypeLibrary::getFont(const std::string& fontfile,unsigned int index, unsigned int flags)
 {
 
     FT_Face face; /* handle to face object */
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ osgText::Font* FreeTypeLibrary::getFont(const std::string& fontfile,unsigned int
     //
     verifyCharacterMap(face);
     
-    FreeTypeFont* fontImp = new FreeTypeFont(fontfile,face);
+    FreeTypeFont* fontImp = new FreeTypeFont(fontfile,face,flags);
     osgText::Font* font = new osgText::Font(fontImp);
 
     _fontImplementationSet.insert(fontImp);
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ osgText::Font* FreeTypeLibrary::getFont(const std::string& fontfile,unsigned int
 
 }
 
-osgText::Font* FreeTypeLibrary::getFont(std::istream& fontstream, unsigned int index)
+osgText::Font* FreeTypeLibrary::getFont(std::istream& fontstream, unsigned int index, unsigned int flags)
 {
     FT_Face face;    /* handle to face object */
     FT_Open_Args args;
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ osgText::Font* FreeTypeLibrary::getFont(std::istream& fontstream, unsigned int i
     //
     verifyCharacterMap(face);
     
-    FreeTypeFont* fontImp = new FreeTypeFont(buffer,face);
+    FreeTypeFont* fontImp = new FreeTypeFont(buffer,face,flags);
     osgText::Font* font = new osgText::Font(fontImp);
     
     _fontImplementationSet.insert(fontImp);
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeLibrary.h b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeLibrary.h
index 18b8b870e..cee9b0436 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeLibrary.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/FreeTypeLibrary.h
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ public:
     /** get the singleton instance.*/
     static FreeTypeLibrary* instance();
 
-    osgText::Font* getFont(const std::string& fontfile,unsigned int index=0);
-    osgText::Font* getFont(std::istream& fontstream, unsigned int index=0);
+    osgText::Font* getFont(const std::string& fontfile,unsigned int index=0, unsigned int flags=0);
+    osgText::Font* getFont(std::istream& fontstream, unsigned int index=0, unsigned int flags=0);
     
     void removeFontImplmentation(FreeTypeFont* fontImpl) { _fontImplementationSet.erase(fontImpl); }
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/ReaderWriterFreeType.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/ReaderWriterFreeType.cpp
index 5b3b74d1f..b72f3165c 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/freetype/ReaderWriterFreeType.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/freetype/ReaderWriterFreeType.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,17 @@ class ReaderWriterFreeType : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
                    osgDB::equalCaseInsensitive(extension,"fnt");    // Windows bitmap fonts
         }
 
+        static unsigned int getFlags(const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options)
+        {
+            unsigned int flags = 0;
+            if (options && options->getOptionString().find("monochrome") != std::string::npos)
+            {
+                flags |= FT_LOAD_MONOCHROME;
+            }
+            
+            return flags;
+        }
+
         virtual ReadResult readObject(const std::string& file, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
         {
             std::string ext = osgDB::getLowerCaseFileExtension(file);
@@ -38,10 +49,10 @@ class ReaderWriterFreeType : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
                 return ReadResult::ERROR_IN_READING_FILE;
             }
 
-            return freeTypeLibrary->getFont(fileName,0);
+            return freeTypeLibrary->getFont(fileName,0,getFlags(options));
         }
 
-        virtual ReadResult readObject(std::istream& stream, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options*) const
+        virtual ReadResult readObject(std::istream& stream, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
         {
             FreeTypeLibrary* freeTypeLibrary = FreeTypeLibrary::instance();
             if (!freeTypeLibrary) 
@@ -50,7 +61,7 @@ class ReaderWriterFreeType : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
                 return ReadResult::ERROR_IN_READING_FILE;
             }
 
-            return freeTypeLibrary->getFont(stream, 0);
+            return freeTypeLibrary->getFont(stream, 0, getFlags(options));
         }
 };