diff --git a/include/osg/Program b/include/osg/Program
index 4d5991ac6..d899e05e9 100644
--- a/include/osg/Program
+++ b/include/osg/Program
@@ -243,16 +243,17 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Program : public osg::StateAttribute
         class OSG_EXPORT PerContextProgram : public osg::Referenced
         {
             public:
-                PerContextProgram(const Program* program, unsigned int contextID);
+                /** Use "0" as programHandle to let the PeContextProgram execute "glCreateProgram"and "glDeleteProgram" */
+                PerContextProgram(const Program* program, unsigned int contextID, GLuint programHandle=0);
 
                 GLuint getHandle() const {return _glProgramHandle;}
 
                 void requestLink();
-                void linkProgram(osg::State& state);
-                bool validateProgram();
+                virtual void linkProgram(osg::State& state);
+                virtual bool validateProgram();
                 bool needsLink() const {return _needsLink;}
                 bool isLinked() const {return _isLinked;}
-                bool getInfoLog( std::string& infoLog ) const;
+                virtual bool getInfoLog( std::string& infoLog ) const;
 
                 /** Was glProgramBinary called successfully? */
                 bool loadedBinary() const {return _loadedBinary;}
@@ -263,9 +264,9 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Program : public osg::StateAttribute
                  * compileProgramBinary should be called after the program has been
                  * "exercised" by rendering with it. The ProgramBinary can then be saved
                  * to disk for faster subsequent compiling. */
-                ProgramBinary* compileProgramBinary(osg::State& state);
+                virtual ProgramBinary* compileProgramBinary(osg::State& state);
 
-                void useProgram() const;
+                virtual void useProgram() const;
 
                 void resetAppliedUniforms() const
                 {
@@ -324,7 +325,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Program : public osg::StateAttribute
                 }
 
             protected:        /*methods*/
-                ~PerContextProgram();
+                virtual ~PerContextProgram();
 
             protected:        /*data*/
                 /** Pointer to our parent Program */
@@ -339,7 +340,11 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Program : public osg::StateAttribute
                 bool _isLinked;
                 /** Was glProgramBinary called successfully? */
                 bool _loadedBinary;
+
                 const unsigned int _contextID;
+                
+                /** Does the glProgram handle belongs to this class? */
+                bool _ownsProgramHandle;
 
                 ActiveUniformMap _uniformInfoMap;
                 ActiveVarInfoMap _attribInfoMap;
@@ -382,7 +387,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT Program : public osg::StateAttribute
         GLint _geometryInputType;
         GLint _geometryOutputType;
 
-        
+
         /** Parameter maintained with glDispatchCompute */
         GLint _numGroupsX;
         GLint _numGroupsY;
diff --git a/src/osg/Program.cpp b/src/osg/Program.cpp
index 012ee1530..cb1b44e1f 100644
--- a/src/osg/Program.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Program.cpp
@@ -205,10 +205,10 @@ int Program::compare(const osg::StateAttribute& sa) const
 
     if( _numGroupsX < rhs._numGroupsX ) return -1;
     if( rhs._numGroupsX < _numGroupsX ) return 1;
-    
+
     if( _numGroupsY < rhs._numGroupsY ) return -1;
     if( rhs._numGroupsY < _numGroupsY ) return 1;
-    
+
     if( _numGroupsZ < rhs._numGroupsZ ) return -1;
     if( rhs._numGroupsZ < _numGroupsZ ) return 1;
 
@@ -513,20 +513,29 @@ const Program::UniformBlockMap& Program::getUniformBlocks(unsigned contextID) co
 // PCP is an OSG abstraction of the per-context glProgram
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-Program::PerContextProgram::PerContextProgram(const Program* program, unsigned int contextID ) :
+Program::PerContextProgram::PerContextProgram(const Program* program, unsigned int contextID, GLuint programHandle ) :
         osg::Referenced(),
         _loadedBinary(false),
-        _contextID( contextID )
+        _glProgramHandle(programHandle),
+        _contextID( contextID ),
+        _ownsProgramHandle(false)
 {
     _program = program;
     _extensions = GL2Extensions::Get( _contextID, true );
-    _glProgramHandle = _extensions->glCreateProgram();
+    if (_glProgramHandle == 0)
+    {
+        _glProgramHandle = _extensions->glCreateProgram();
+        _ownsProgramHandle = true;
+    }
     requestLink();
 }
 
 Program::PerContextProgram::~PerContextProgram()
 {
-    Program::deleteGlProgram( _contextID, _glProgramHandle );
+    if (_ownsProgramHandle)
+    {
+        Program::deleteGlProgram( _contextID, _glProgramHandle );
+    }
 }
 
 
@@ -567,7 +576,7 @@ void Program::PerContextProgram::linkProgram(osg::State& state)
             _extensions->glProgramParameteri( _glProgramHandle, GL_GEOMETRY_INPUT_TYPE_EXT, _program->_geometryInputType );
             _extensions->glProgramParameteri( _glProgramHandle, GL_GEOMETRY_OUTPUT_TYPE_EXT, _program->_geometryOutputType );
         }
-        
+
         // Detach removed shaders
         for( unsigned int i=0; i < _shadersToDetach.size(); ++i )
         {
@@ -759,7 +768,7 @@ void Program::PerContextProgram::linkProgram(osg::State& state)
 
     // print atomic counter
 
-    if (_extensions->isShaderAtomicCounterSupported() && !atomicCounterMap.empty()) 
+    if (_extensions->isShaderAtomicCounterSupported() && !atomicCounterMap.empty())
     {
         std::vector<GLint> bufferIndex( atomicCounterMap.size(), 0 );
         std::vector<GLuint> uniformIndex;