diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/obj/OBJWriterNodeVisitor.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/obj/OBJWriterNodeVisitor.cpp
index eaaec1187..81ce5fee6 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/obj/OBJWriterNodeVisitor.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/obj/OBJWriterNodeVisitor.cpp
@@ -384,7 +384,7 @@ void ObjPrimitiveIndexWriter::drawArrays(GLenum mode,GLint first,GLsizei count)
 
             for(GLsizei i=0;i<count;++i)
             {
-                writePoint(i);
+                writePoint(first + i);
             }
             break;
         }
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ void ObjPrimitiveIndexWriter::drawArrays(GLenum mode,GLint first,GLsizei count)
         {
             for(GLsizei i=0;i<count;i+=2)
             {
-                writeLine(i, i+1);
+                writeLine(first + i, first + i+1);
             }
             break;
         }
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ void ObjPrimitiveIndexWriter::drawArrays(GLenum mode,GLint first,GLsizei count)
         {
             for(GLsizei i=1;i<count;++i)
             {
-                writeLine(i-1, i);
+                writeLine(first + i-1, first + i);
             }
             break;
         }
@@ -409,9 +409,9 @@ void ObjPrimitiveIndexWriter::drawArrays(GLenum mode,GLint first,GLsizei count)
         {
             for(GLsizei i=1;i<count;++i)
             {
-                writeLine(i-1, i);
+                writeLine(first + i-1, first + i);
             }
-            writeLine(count-1, 0);
+            writeLine(first + count-1, first + 0);
             break;
         }
         default:
@@ -425,6 +425,7 @@ OBJWriterNodeVisitor::OBJMaterial::OBJMaterial(osg::Material* mat, osg::Texture*
     diffuse(1,1,1,1),
     ambient(0.2,0.2,0.2,1),
     specular(0,0,0,1),
+    shininess(-1),
     image("")
 {
     static unsigned int s_objmaterial_id = 0;
@@ -437,6 +438,7 @@ OBJWriterNodeVisitor::OBJMaterial::OBJMaterial(osg::Material* mat, osg::Texture*
         diffuse = mat->getDiffuse(osg::Material::FRONT);
         ambient = mat->getAmbient(osg::Material::FRONT);
         specular = mat->getSpecular(osg::Material::FRONT);
+        shininess = mat->getShininess(osg::Material::FRONT)*1000.0f/128.0f;
     }
 
     if (tex) {
@@ -454,6 +456,8 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& fout, const OBJWriterNodeVisitor::OBJMate
     fout << "       " << "Ka " << mat.ambient << std::endl;
     fout << "       " << "Kd " << mat.diffuse << std::endl;
     fout << "       " << "Ks " << mat.specular << std::endl;
+    if (mat.shininess != -1)
+        fout << "       " << "Ns " << mat.shininess<< std::endl;
 
     if(!mat.image.empty())
         fout << "       " << "map_Kd " << mat.image << std::endl;
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/obj/OBJWriterNodeVisitor.h b/src/osgPlugins/obj/OBJWriterNodeVisitor.h
index 8dc16a0d5..8a9cf8f6f 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/obj/OBJWriterNodeVisitor.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/obj/OBJWriterNodeVisitor.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ class OBJWriterNodeVisitor: public osg::NodeVisitor {
                 OBJMaterial(osg::Material* mat, osg::Texture* tex);
 
                 osg::Vec4  diffuse, ambient, specular;
+                float shininess;
                 std::string    image;
                 std::string name;
         };
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/obj/ReaderWriterOBJ.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/obj/ReaderWriterOBJ.cpp
index 00cc880dc..fc4cb993c 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/obj/ReaderWriterOBJ.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/obj/ReaderWriterOBJ.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ public:
         supportsOption("BUMP=<unit>", "Set texture unit for bumpmap texture");
         supportsOption("DISPLACEMENT=<unit>", "Set texture unit for displacement texture");
         supportsOption("REFLECTION=<unit>", "Set texture unit for reflection texture");
+        supportsOption("NsIfNotPresent=<value>", "set specular exponent if not present");
 
         supportsOption("precision=<digits>","Set the floating point precision when writing out files");
     }
@@ -156,6 +157,7 @@ protected:
         TextureAllocationMap textureUnitAllocation;
         /// Coordinates precision.
         int precision;
+        int specularExponent;
 
         ObjOptionsStruct()
         {
@@ -166,6 +168,7 @@ protected:
             fixBlackMaterials = true;
             noReverseFaces = false;
             precision = std::numeric_limits<double>::digits10 + 2;
+            specularExponent = -1;
         }
     };
 
@@ -356,12 +359,13 @@ void ReaderWriterOBJ::buildMaterialToStateSetMap(obj::Model& model, MaterialToSt
             osg_material->setDiffuse(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK,material.diffuse);
             osg_material->setEmission(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK,material.emissive);
 
-            if (material.illum == 2) {
+            if (material.illum >= 2) {
                 osg_material->setSpecular(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK,material.specular);
             } else {
                 osg_material->setSpecular(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK, osg::Vec4(0,0,0,1));
             }
-            osg_material->setShininess(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK,(material.Ns/1000.0f)*128.0f ); // note OBJ shiniess is 0..1000.
+            int ns = material.Ns != -1 ? material.Ns : localOptions.specularExponent != -1 ? localOptions.specularExponent : 0;
+            osg_material->setShininess(osg::Material::FRONT_AND_BACK,(ns/1000.0f)*128.0f ); // note OBJ shiniess is 0..1000.
 
             if (material.ambient[3]!=1.0 ||
                 material.diffuse[3]!=1.0 ||
@@ -887,6 +891,11 @@ ReaderWriterOBJ::ObjOptionsStruct ReaderWriterOBJ::parseOptions(const osgDB::Rea
                     localOptions.precision = val;
                 }
             }
+            else if (pre_equals == "NsIfNotPresent")
+            {
+                int value = atoi(post_equals.c_str());
+                localOptions.specularExponent = value ;
+            }
             else if (post_equals.length()>0)
             {
                 obj::Material::Map::TextureMapType type = obj::Material::Map::UNKNOWN;
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/obj/obj.h b/src/osgPlugins/obj/obj.h
index b100ac88d..9d79c533a 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/obj/obj.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/obj/obj.h
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public:
         illum(2),
         Tf(0.0f,0.0f,0.0f,1.0f),
         Ni(0),
-        Ns(0),
+        Ns(-1),
         // textureReflection(false),
         alpha(1.0f) {}