diff --git a/examples/osgAndroidExampleGLES1/jni/OsgMainApp.cpp b/examples/osgAndroidExampleGLES1/jni/OsgMainApp.cpp
index c1d930c55..bddcb75df 100644
--- a/examples/osgAndroidExampleGLES1/jni/OsgMainApp.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgAndroidExampleGLES1/jni/OsgMainApp.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ void OsgMainApp::loadModels(){
         newModel = _vModelsToLoad[i];
         osg::notify(osg::ALWAYS)<<"Loading: "<<newModel.filename<<std::endl;
 
-        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readNodeFile(newModel.filename);
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readRefNodeFile(newModel.filename);
         if (loadedModel == 0) {
             osg::notify(osg::ALWAYS)<<"Model not loaded"<<std::endl;
         } else {
diff --git a/examples/osgAndroidExampleGLES2/jni/OsgMainApp.cpp b/examples/osgAndroidExampleGLES2/jni/OsgMainApp.cpp
index 45bdec4d6..8d11fb14d 100644
--- a/examples/osgAndroidExampleGLES2/jni/OsgMainApp.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgAndroidExampleGLES2/jni/OsgMainApp.cpp
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ void OsgMainApp::loadModels(){
         newModel = _vModelsToLoad[i];
         osg::notify(osg::ALWAYS)<<"Loading: "<<newModel.filename<<std::endl;
 
-        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readNodeFile(newModel.filename);
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readRefNodeFile(newModel.filename);
         if (loadedModel == 0) {
             osg::notify(osg::ALWAYS)<<"Model not loaded"<<std::endl;
         } else {
diff --git a/examples/osgframerenderer/osgframerenderer.cpp b/examples/osgframerenderer/osgframerenderer.cpp
index baf8f2c9c..7c0eddaf9 100644
--- a/examples/osgframerenderer/osgframerenderer.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgframerenderer/osgframerenderer.cpp
@@ -196,7 +196,11 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
             newCameraProperty = true;
             cp = new gsc::CameraProperty;
 
-            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> node = fc->getInputFileName().empty() ? 0 : osgDB::readNodeFile(fc->getInputFileName());
+            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> node;
+            if (!fc->getInputFileName().empty())
+            {
+                osgDB::readRefNodeFile(fc->getInputFileName());
+            }
             if (node.valid())
             {
                 cp->setToModel(node.get());
@@ -522,7 +526,7 @@ int main( int argc, char **argv )
         gsc::CaptureSettings* fc = itr->get();
         screenShot->_frameCapture = fc;
 
-        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> model = osgDB::readNodeFile(fc->getInputFileName());
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> model = osgDB::readRefNodeFile(fc->getInputFileName());
         if (!model) break;
 
         viewer.setSceneData(model.get());
diff --git a/examples/osgstaticviewer/osgstaticviewer.cpp b/examples/osgstaticviewer/osgstaticviewer.cpp
index 80983bc70..e01a99cbe 100644
--- a/examples/osgstaticviewer/osgstaticviewer.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgstaticviewer/osgstaticviewer.cpp
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv)
     }
 
     // load the data
-    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readNodeFiles(arguments);
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readRefNodeFiles(arguments);
     if (!loadedModel) 
     {
         std::cout << arguments.getApplicationName() <<": No data loaded" << std::endl;
diff --git a/examples/osgviewerCocoa/ViewerCocoa.mm b/examples/osgviewerCocoa/ViewerCocoa.mm
index 84333c449..ea24ba825 100644
--- a/examples/osgviewerCocoa/ViewerCocoa.mm
+++ b/examples/osgviewerCocoa/ViewerCocoa.mm
@@ -1193,7 +1193,7 @@ A -respondsToSelector: check has been used to provide compatibility with previou
 //        int number_of_files = [file_names count];
         // Exercise for the reader: Try loading all files in the array
         NSString* single_file = [file_names objectAtIndex:0];
-        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loaded_model = osgDB::readNodeFile([single_file fileSystemRepresentation]);
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loaded_model = osgDB::readRefNodeFile([single_file fileSystemRepresentation]);
         if(!loaded_model)
         {
             NSLog(@"File: %@ failed to load", single_file);
@@ -1212,7 +1212,7 @@ A -respondsToSelector: check has been used to provide compatibility with previou
             return NO;
         }
         NSString* file_path = [file_url path];
-        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loaded_model = osgDB::readNodeFile([file_path fileSystemRepresentation]);
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loaded_model = osgDB::readRefNodeFile([file_path fileSystemRepresentation]);
         if(!loaded_model)
         {
             NSLog(@"URL: %@ failed to load, %@", file_url, file_path);
diff --git a/examples/osgviewerFOX/FOX_OSG_MDIView.cpp b/examples/osgviewerFOX/FOX_OSG_MDIView.cpp
index df6124e2e..9dccc0791 100644
--- a/examples/osgviewerFOX/FOX_OSG_MDIView.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgviewerFOX/FOX_OSG_MDIView.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ FOX_OSG_MDIView::FOX_OSG_MDIView(FXMDIClient *p, const FXString &name,
     viewer->setKeyEventSetsDone(0);
 
     // load the scene.
-    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readNodeFile("cow.osgt");
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> loadedModel = osgDB::readRefNodeFile("cow.osgt");
     if (!loadedModel)
     {
         return ;
diff --git a/examples/osgviewerGTK/osgviewerGTK.cpp b/examples/osgviewerGTK/osgviewerGTK.cpp
index 8c77071d5..810ba3b82 100644
--- a/examples/osgviewerGTK/osgviewerGTK.cpp
+++ b/examples/osgviewerGTK/osgviewerGTK.cpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ class ExampleOSGGTKDrawingArea : public OSGGTKDrawingArea {
             if(gtk_dialog_run(GTK_DIALOG(of)) == GTK_RESPONSE_ACCEPT) {
                 char* file = gtk_file_chooser_get_filename(GTK_FILE_CHOOSER(of));
 
-                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> model = osgDB::readNodeFile(file);
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> model = osgDB::readRefNodeFile(file);
 
                 if(model.valid()) {
                     setSceneData(model.get());
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ int main(int argc, char** argv) {
 
     if(da.createWidget(640, 480)) {
         if(argc >= 2) {
-            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> model = osgDB::readNodeFile(argv[1]);
+            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> model = osgDB::readRefNodeFile(argv[1]);
 
             if(model.valid()) da.setSceneData(model.get());
         }
diff --git a/examples/osgviewerIPhone/iphoneViewerAppDelegate.mm b/examples/osgviewerIPhone/iphoneViewerAppDelegate.mm
index 05654eee9..fc328b2c3 100644
--- a/examples/osgviewerIPhone/iphoneViewerAppDelegate.mm
+++ b/examples/osgviewerIPhone/iphoneViewerAppDelegate.mm
@@ -337,7 +337,7 @@ private:
     _root->getOrCreateStateSet()->setMode(GL_LIGHTING, osg::StateAttribute::OFF | osg::StateAttribute::OVERRIDE);
     
     //load and attach scene model
-    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> model = osgDB::readNodeFile(osgDB::findDataFile("lz.osg"));
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> model = osgDB::readRefNodeFile(osgDB::findDataFile("lz.osg"));
     if (!model) {
         osg::Geode* geode = new osg::Geode();
         osg::ShapeDrawable* drawable = new osg::ShapeDrawable(new osg::Box(osg::Vec3(0,0,0), 1));