diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeParser.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeParser.cpp
index 299fbe5d2..4245f2232 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeParser.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeParser.cpp
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@
 
 using namespace ESRIShape;
 
-ESRIShapeParser::ESRIShapeParser( const std::string fileName, bool useDouble ):
+ESRIShapeParser::ESRIShapeParser(const std::string fileName, bool useDouble, bool keepSeparatePoints) :
     _valid(false),
-    _useDouble(useDouble)
+    _useDouble(useDouble),
+    _keepSeparatePoints(keepSeparatePoints)
 {
     int fd = 0;
     if( !fileName.empty() )
@@ -215,7 +216,7 @@ osg::Geode *ESRIShapeParser::getGeode()
 
 void ESRIShapeParser::_combinePointToMultipoint()
 {
-    if( !_valid ) return;
+    if (!_valid || _keepSeparatePoints) return;
 
     OSG_NOTICE<<"_combinePointToMultipoint()"<<std::endl;
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeParser.h b/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeParser.h
index f980520cc..b047b8d38 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeParser.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeParser.h
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class ESRIShapeParser
 {
     public:
 
-        ESRIShapeParser( const std::string fileName, bool useDouble);
+        ESRIShapeParser( const std::string fileName, bool useDouble, bool keepSeparatePoints);
 
         osg::Geode *getGeode();
 
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ class ESRIShapeParser
 
         bool _valid;
         bool _useDouble;
+        bool _keepSeparatePoints;
 
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Geode> _geode;
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeReaderWriter.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeReaderWriter.cpp
index faa997a13..abe9de05a 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeReaderWriter.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/shp/ESRIShapeReaderWriter.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ class ESRIShapeReaderWriter : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
         {
             supportsExtension("shp","Geospatial Shape file format");
             supportsOption("double","Read x,y,z data as double an stored as geometry in osg::Vec3dArray's.");
+            supportsOption("keepSeparatePoints", "Avoid combining point features into multi-point.");
         }
 
         virtual const char* className() const { return "ESRI Shape ReaderWriter"; }
@@ -47,8 +48,14 @@ class ESRIShapeReaderWriter : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
                 useDouble = true;
             }
 
+            bool keepSeparatePoints = false;
+            if (options && options->getOptionString().find("keepSeparatePoints") != std::string::npos)
+            {
+              keepSeparatePoints = true;
+            }
 
-            ESRIShape::ESRIShapeParser sp(fileName, useDouble);
+
+            ESRIShape::ESRIShapeParser sp(fileName, useDouble, keepSeparatePoints);
 
 
             std::string xbaseFileName(osgDB::getNameLessExtension(fileName) + ".dbf");
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/shp/XBaseParser.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/shp/XBaseParser.cpp
index ca06da466..61119ec9e 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/shp/XBaseParser.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/shp/XBaseParser.cpp
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ bool XBaseParser::parse(int fd)
                 char* number = new char[it->_fieldLength + 1];
                 memcpy(number, recordPtr, it->_fieldLength);
                 number[it->_fieldLength] = 0;
-                shapeAttributeList->push_back(osgSim::ShapeAttribute((const char *) it->_name, (int) atoi(number)));
+                shapeAttributeList->push_back(osgSim::ShapeAttribute((const char *) it->_name, atof(number)));
                 delete [] number;
                 break;
             }