diff --git a/include/osgParticle/ParticleSystem b/include/osgParticle/ParticleSystem
index 6617adbf6..ba7ccda96 100644
--- a/include/osgParticle/ParticleSystem
+++ b/include/osgParticle/ParticleSystem
@@ -30,7 +30,17 @@
 #include <osg/Vec3>
 #include <osg/BoundingBox>
 
-#include <OpenThreads/ReadWriteMutex>
+// 9th Febrary 2009, disabled the use of ReadWriteMutex as it looks like this
+// is introducing threading problems due to threading problems in OpenThreads::ReadWriteMutex.
+// #define OSGPARTICLE_USE_ReadWriteMutex
+
+#ifdef OSGPARTICLE_USE_ReadWriteMutex
+    #include <OpenThreads/ReadWriteMutex>
+#else
+    #include <OpenThreads/Mutex>
+    #include <OpenThreads/ScopedLock>
+#endif
+
 
 namespace osgParticle
 {
@@ -182,7 +192,17 @@ namespace osgParticle
 
         virtual osg::BoundingBox computeBound() const;
         
-        OpenThreads::ReadWriteMutex* getReadWriteMutex() const { return &_readWriteMutex; }
+#ifdef OSGPARTICLE_USE_ReadWriteMutex
+        typedef OpenThreads::ReadWriteMutex ReadWriterMutex;
+        typedef OpenThreads::ScopedReadLock ScopedReadLock;
+        typedef OpenThreads::ScopedWriteLock ScopedWriteLock;
+#else
+        typedef OpenThreads::Mutex ReadWriterMutex;
+        typedef OpenThreads::ScopedLock<OpenThreads::Mutex> ScopedReadLock;
+        typedef OpenThreads::ScopedLock<OpenThreads::Mutex> ScopedWriteLock;
+#endif
+
+        ReadWriterMutex* getReadWriteMutex() const { return &_readWriteMutex; }
 
     protected:
 
@@ -222,8 +242,7 @@ namespace osgParticle
         int _detail;
         mutable int _draw_count;
         
-        mutable OpenThreads::ReadWriteMutex _readWriteMutex;
-        
+        mutable ReadWriterMutex _readWriteMutex;
     };
     
     // INLINE FUNCTIONS
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp b/src/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp
index 2c673eb1b..9b2ef69e6 100644
--- a/src/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/osgParticle/ConnectedParticleSystem.cpp
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ void ConnectedParticleSystem::drawImplementation(osg::RenderInfo& renderInfo) co
 {
     osg::State& state = *renderInfo.getState();
 
-    OpenThreads::ScopedReadLock lock(_readWriteMutex);
+    ScopedReadLock lock(_readWriteMutex);
 
     const Particle* particle = (_startParticle != Particle::INVALID_INDEX) ? &_particles[_startParticle] : 0;
     if (!particle) return;
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/ParticleProcessor.cpp b/src/osgParticle/ParticleProcessor.cpp
index e19313ee7..47e8d9249 100644
--- a/src/osgParticle/ParticleProcessor.cpp
+++ b/src/osgParticle/ParticleProcessor.cpp
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ void osgParticle::ParticleProcessor::traverse(osg::NodeVisitor& nv)
         {
             if (nv.getFrameStamp())
             {
-                OpenThreads::ScopedWriteLock lock(*(_ps->getReadWriteMutex()));
+                ParticleSystem::ScopedWriteLock lock(*(_ps->getReadWriteMutex()));
 
                 //added- 1/17/06- bgandere@nps.edu 
                 //a check to make sure we havent updated yet this frame
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp b/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
index d768e0471..d37ea2ebf 100644
--- a/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ void osgParticle::ParticleSystem::drawImplementation(osg::RenderInfo& renderInfo
 {
     osg::State& state = *renderInfo.getState();
 
-    OpenThreads::ScopedReadLock lock(_readWriteMutex);
+    ScopedReadLock lock(_readWriteMutex);
 
     // update the frame count, so other objects can detect when
     // this particle system is culled
diff --git a/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystemUpdater.cpp b/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystemUpdater.cpp
index 04aa1990f..41e8f2f60 100644
--- a/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystemUpdater.cpp
+++ b/src/osgParticle/ParticleSystemUpdater.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ void osgParticle::ParticleSystemUpdater::traverse(osg::NodeVisitor& nv)
                     {
                         ParticleSystem* ps = i->get();
                         
-                        OpenThreads::ScopedWriteLock lock(*(ps->getReadWriteMutex()));
+                        ParticleSystem::ScopedWriteLock lock(*(ps->getReadWriteMutex()));
 
                         if (!ps->isFrozen() && (ps->getLastFrameNumber() >= (nv.getFrameStamp()->getFrameNumber() - 1) || !ps->getFreezeOnCull()))
                         {
diff --git a/src/osgWrappers/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp b/src/osgWrappers/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
index ff43b575d..315d27444 100644
--- a/src/osgWrappers/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
+++ b/src/osgWrappers/osgParticle/ParticleSystem.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 #include <osgIntrospection/StaticMethodInfo>
 #include <osgIntrospection/Attributes>
 
-#include <OpenThreads/ReadWriteMutex>
+#include <OpenThreads/Mutex>
 #include <osg/BoundingBox>
 #include <osg/CopyOp>
 #include <osg/Object>
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@
 #undef OUT
 #endif
 
+TYPE_NAME_ALIAS(OpenThreads::Mutex, osgParticle::ParticleSystem::ReadWriterMutex)
+
+TYPE_NAME_ALIAS(OpenThreads::ScopedLock< OpenThreads::Mutex >, osgParticle::ParticleSystem::ScopedReadLock)
+
+TYPE_NAME_ALIAS(OpenThreads::ScopedLock< OpenThreads::Mutex >, osgParticle::ParticleSystem::ScopedWriteLock)
+
 BEGIN_ENUM_REFLECTOR(osgParticle::ParticleSystem::Alignment)
 	I_DeclaringFile("osgParticle/ParticleSystem");
 	I_EnumLabel(osgParticle::ParticleSystem::BILLBOARD);
@@ -249,9 +255,9 @@ BEGIN_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgParticle::ParticleSystem)
 	          __osg_BoundingBox__computeBound,
 	          "Compute the bounding box around Drawables's geometry. ",
 	          "");
-	I_Method0(OpenThreads::ReadWriteMutex *, getReadWriteMutex,
+	I_Method0(osgParticle::ParticleSystem::ReadWriterMutex *, getReadWriteMutex,
 	          Properties::NON_VIRTUAL,
-	          __OpenThreads_ReadWriteMutex_P1__getReadWriteMutex,
+	          __ReadWriterMutex_P1__getReadWriteMutex,
 	          "",
 	          "");
 	I_ProtectedMethod2(void, update_bounds, IN, const osg::Vec3 &, p, IN, float, r,
@@ -299,8 +305,17 @@ BEGIN_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgParticle::ParticleSystem)
 	I_SimpleProperty(osgParticle::ParticleSystem::ParticleScaleReferenceFrame, ParticleScaleReferenceFrame, 
 	                 __ParticleScaleReferenceFrame__getParticleScaleReferenceFrame, 
 	                 __void__setParticleScaleReferenceFrame__ParticleScaleReferenceFrame);
-	I_SimpleProperty(OpenThreads::ReadWriteMutex *, ReadWriteMutex, 
-	                 __OpenThreads_ReadWriteMutex_P1__getReadWriteMutex, 
+	I_SimpleProperty(osgParticle::ParticleSystem::ReadWriterMutex *, ReadWriteMutex, 
+	                 __ReadWriterMutex_P1__getReadWriteMutex, 
 	                 0);
 END_REFLECTOR
 
+BEGIN_VALUE_REFLECTOR(OpenThreads::ScopedLock< OpenThreads::Mutex >)
+	I_DeclaringFile("OpenThreads/ScopedLock");
+	I_Constructor1(IN, OpenThreads::Mutex &, m,
+	               Properties::EXPLICIT,
+	               ____ScopedLock__M_R1,
+	               "",
+	               "");
+END_REFLECTOR
+