diff --git a/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasElement.cxx b/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasElement.cxx
index 0ca940d1..b20fbd4b 100644
--- a/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasElement.cxx
+++ b/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasElement.cxx
@@ -297,6 +297,18 @@ namespace canvas
     childChanged(child);
   }
 
+  //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  bool Element::setStyle(const SGPropertyNode* child)
+  {
+    StyleSetters::const_iterator setter =
+      _style_setters.find(child->getNameString());
+    if( setter == _style_setters.end() )
+      return false;
+
+    setter->second(child);
+    return true;
+  }
+
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   void Element::setBoundingBox(const osg::BoundingBox& bb)
   {
@@ -364,17 +376,5 @@ namespace canvas
       setStyle(style.second);
   }
 
-  //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-  bool Element::setStyle(const SGPropertyNode* child)
-  {
-    StyleSetters::const_iterator setter =
-      _style_setters.find(child->getNameString());
-    if( setter == _style_setters.end() )
-      return false;
-
-    setter->second(child);
-    return true;
-  }
-
 } // namespace canvas
 } // namespace simgear
diff --git a/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasElement.hxx b/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasElement.hxx
index 9067c729..0d70390e 100644
--- a/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasElement.hxx
+++ b/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasElement.hxx
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ namespace canvas
                                  SGPropertyNode * child );
       virtual void valueChanged(SGPropertyNode * child);
 
+      virtual bool setStyle(const SGPropertyNode* child);
+
       /**
        * Write the given bounding box to the property tree
        */
@@ -182,7 +184,6 @@ namespace canvas
       void setDrawable(osg::Drawable* drawable);
 
       void setupStyle();
-      bool setStyle(const SGPropertyNode* child);
 
     private:
 
diff --git a/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasGroup.cxx b/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasGroup.cxx
index e8158edf..176af793 100644
--- a/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasGroup.cxx
+++ b/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasGroup.cxx
@@ -132,6 +132,23 @@ namespace canvas
     return false;
   }
 
+  //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+  bool Group::setStyle(const SGPropertyNode* style)
+  {
+    if(    style->getParent() != _node
+        && _style.find(style->getNameString()) != _style.end() )
+      return false;
+
+    bool handled = false;
+    BOOST_FOREACH( ChildList::value_type child, _children )
+    {
+      if( child.second->setStyle(style) )
+        handled = true;
+    }
+
+    return handled;
+  }
+
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
   osg::BoundingBox Group::getTransformedBounds(const osg::Matrix& m) const
   {
@@ -174,6 +191,7 @@ namespace canvas
     }
 
     _style[ child->getNameString() ] = child;
+    setStyle(child);
   }
 
   //----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasGroup.hxx b/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasGroup.hxx
index 02ea7e8b..cd9c0bfd 100644
--- a/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasGroup.hxx
+++ b/simgear/canvas/elements/CanvasGroup.hxx
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ namespace canvas
 
       virtual bool traverse(EventVisitor& visitor);
 
+      virtual bool setStyle(const SGPropertyNode* child);
+
       virtual osg::BoundingBox getTransformedBounds(const osg::Matrix& m) const;
 
     protected: