diff --git a/simgear/scene/material/matmodel.cxx b/simgear/scene/material/matmodel.cxx
index f1d8ac08..314f1403 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/material/matmodel.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/material/matmodel.cxx
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ SGMatModel::load_models ( SGModelLib *modellib,
   if (!_models_loaded) {
     for (unsigned int i = 0; i < _paths.size(); i++) {
       ssgEntity *entity = modellib->load_model( fg_root, _paths[i],
-                                                prop_root, sim_time_sec );
+                                                prop_root, sim_time_sec,
+                                                /*cache_object*/ true );
       if (entity != 0) {
                                 // FIXME: this stuff can be handled
                                 // in the XML wrapper as well (at least,
diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/model.cxx b/simgear/scene/model/model.cxx
index 48adc59f..fe3c5c5b 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/model.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/model.cxx
@@ -245,7 +245,8 @@ static void makeDList( ssgBranch *b, const set<ssgBranch *> &ignore )
 ssgBranch *
 sgLoad3DModel( const string &fg_root, const string &path,
                SGPropertyNode *prop_root,
-               double sim_time_sec, ssgEntity *(*load_panel)(SGPropertyNode *) )
+               double sim_time_sec, ssgEntity *(*load_panel)(SGPropertyNode *),
+               SGModelData *data )
 {
   ssgBranch * model = 0;
   SGPropertyNode props;
@@ -336,6 +337,11 @@ sgLoad3DModel( const string &fg_root, const string &path,
         model->addKid(panel);
     }
   }
+
+  if (data) {
+    data->modelLoaded(path, &props, model);
+    model->setUserData(data);
+  }
                                 // Load animations
   set<ssgBranch *> ignore_branches;
   vector<SGPropertyNode_ptr> animation_nodes = props.getChildren("animation");
@@ -353,6 +359,9 @@ sgLoad3DModel( const string &fg_root, const string &path,
   }
 #endif
 
+  int m = props.getIntValue("dump", 0);
+  if (m > 0)
+    model->print(stderr, "", m - 1);
 
   return alignmainmodel;
 }
diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/model.hxx b/simgear/scene/model/model.hxx
index a2ecc522..2f8648e2 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/model.hxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/model.hxx
@@ -32,6 +32,19 @@ SG_USING_STD(set);
 #endif
 
 
+/**
+ * Abstract class for adding data to the scene graph.  modelLoaded() is
+ * called by sgLoad3DModel() after the model was loaded, and the destructor
+ * when the branch is removed from the graph.
+ */
+class SGModelData : public ssgBase {
+public:
+    virtual ~SGModelData() {}
+    virtual void modelLoaded( const string& path, SGPropertyNode *prop,
+                              ssgBranch *branch) {}
+};
+
+
 /**
  * Load a 3D model with or without XML wrapper.  Note, this version
  * Does not know about or load the panel/cockpit information.  Use the
@@ -47,7 +60,8 @@ SG_USING_STD(set);
 ssgBranch *
 sgLoad3DModel( const string& fg_root, const string &path,
                           SGPropertyNode *prop_root, double sim_time_sec,
-                          ssgEntity *(*load_panel)(SGPropertyNode *) = 0 );
+                          ssgEntity *(*load_panel)(SGPropertyNode *) = 0,
+                          SGModelData *data = 0 );
 
 
 /**
diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/modellib.cxx b/simgear/scene/model/modellib.cxx
index 735625a4..bd28d43d 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/modellib.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/modellib.cxx
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ ssgEntity *
 SGModelLib::load_model( const string &fg_root,
                            const string &path,
                            SGPropertyNode *prop_root,
-                           double sim_time_sec )
+                           double sim_time_sec,
+                           bool cache_object,
+                           SGModelData *data )
 {
     ssgBranch *personality_branch = new SGPersonalityBranch;
     personality_branch->setTravCallback(SSG_CALLBACK_PRETRAV, personality_pretrav_callback);
@@ -90,10 +92,12 @@ SGModelLib::load_model( const string &fg_root,
                                 // FIXME: normalize path to
                                 // avoid duplicates.
     map<string, ssgSharedPtr<ssgEntity> >::iterator it = _table.find(path);
-    if (it == _table.end()) {
+    if (!cache_object || it == _table.end()) {
         ssgSharedPtr<ssgEntity> model = sgLoad3DModel(fg_root, path, prop_root,
-                                                      sim_time_sec );
-        _table[path] = model;      // add one reference to keep it around
+                                                      sim_time_sec, 0, data );
+        if (cache_object)
+            _table[path] = model;      // add one reference to keep it around
+
         personality_branch->addKid( model );
     } else {
         personality_branch->addKid( it->second );
diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/modellib.hxx b/simgear/scene/model/modellib.hxx
index 18e304ea..73866f20 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/modellib.hxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/modellib.hxx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #include <simgear/structure/ssgSharedPtr.hxx>
 #include <simgear/props/props.hxx>
+#include "model.hxx"
 
 SG_USING_STD(map);
 SG_USING_STD(string);
@@ -36,7 +37,9 @@ public:
     virtual ssgEntity *load_model( const string &fg_root,
                                    const string &path,
                                    SGPropertyNode *prop_root,
-                                   double sim_time_sec );
+                                   double sim_time_sec,
+                                   bool cache_object,
+                                   SGModelData *data = 0 );
 protected:
 
     map<string,ssgSharedPtr<ssgEntity> > _table;