diff --git a/simgear/structure/SGBinding.cxx b/simgear/structure/SGBinding.cxx
index a96307cc..62d1b3c5 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/SGBinding.cxx
+++ b/simgear/structure/SGBinding.cxx
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ SGBinding::~SGBinding()
     _arg->getParent()->removeChild(_arg->getName(), _arg->getIndex(), false);
 }
 
+void
+SGBinding::clear()
+{
+    _command = NULL;
+    _arg.clear();
+    _setting.clear();
+}
+
 void
 SGBinding::read(const SGPropertyNode* node, SGPropertyNode* root)
 {
@@ -149,3 +157,11 @@ SGBindingList readBindingList(const simgear::PropertyList& aNodes, SGPropertyNod
     
     return result;
 }
+
+void clearBindingList(const SGBindingList& aBindings)
+{
+    BOOST_FOREACH(SGBinding_ptr b, aBindings) {
+        b->clear();
+    }
+}
+
diff --git a/simgear/structure/SGBinding.hxx b/simgear/structure/SGBinding.hxx
index 23e921c4..15757fae 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/SGBinding.hxx
+++ b/simgear/structure/SGBinding.hxx
@@ -58,6 +58,14 @@ public:
    */
   virtual ~SGBinding ();
 
+  
+  /**
+   * clear internal state of the binding back to empty. This is useful
+   * if you don't want the 'remove on delete' behaviour of the 
+   * destructor.
+   */
+  void clear();
+
 
   /**
    * Get the command name.
@@ -154,4 +162,9 @@ void fireBindingListWithOffset(const SGBindingList& aBindings, double offset, do
  */
 SGBindingList readBindingList(const simgear::PropertyList& aNodes, SGPropertyNode* aRoot);
 
+/**
+ * call clear() on every binding in a list
+ */
+void clearBindingList(const SGBindingList& aBindings);
+
 #endif