diff --git a/include/osg/Geode b/include/osg/Geode
index 2c00d2ffe..a21047ec3 100644
--- a/include/osg/Geode
+++ b/include/osg/Geode
@@ -103,12 +103,21 @@ class SG_EXPORT Geode : public Node
         /** compile OpenGL Display List for each drawable.*/
         void compileDrawables(State& state);
         
+        /** return the Geode's bounding box, which the union of all the
+          * bounding boxes of the geode's drawables.*/
+        inline const BoundingBox& getBoundingBox() const
+        {
+            if(!_bsphere_computed) computeBound();
+            return _bbox;
+        }
+        
     protected:
 
         virtual ~Geode();
 
         virtual bool computeBound() const;
 
+        mutable osg::BoundingBox        _bbox;
         DrawableList                    _drawables;
 
 };
diff --git a/src/osg/Geode.cpp b/src/osg/Geode.cpp
index ddbd10998..5abf1a93e 100644
--- a/src/osg/Geode.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Geode.cpp
@@ -161,19 +161,19 @@ bool Geode::computeBound() const
 {
     _bsphere.init();
 
-    BoundingBox bb;
+   _bbox.init();
 
     DrawableList::const_iterator itr;
     for(itr=_drawables.begin();
         itr!=_drawables.end();
         ++itr)
     {
-        bb.expandBy((*itr)->getBound());
+        _bbox.expandBy((*itr)->getBound());
     }
 
-    if (bb.valid())
+    if (_bbox.valid())
     {
-        _bsphere.expandBy(bb);
+        _bsphere.expandBy(_bbox);
         _bsphere_computed=true;
         return true;
     }