diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osgTerrain/ReaderWriterOsgTerrain.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/osgTerrain/ReaderWriterOsgTerrain.cpp
index 06d3a240d..348d7b83f 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osgTerrain/ReaderWriterOsgTerrain.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osgTerrain/ReaderWriterOsgTerrain.cpp
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
 #include <osgDB/Input>
 #include <osgDB/Output>
 
+#include <osgTerrain/Terrain>
+
 class ReaderWriterTerrain : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
 {
     public:
@@ -29,6 +31,22 @@ class ReaderWriterTerrain : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
         virtual osgDB::ReaderWriter::ReadResult readNode(const std::string& file, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* opt) const
         {
             std::string ext = osgDB::getLowerCaseFileExtension(file);
+            
+            if (osgDB::equalCaseInsensitive(ext,"terrain"))
+            {
+                KeywordValueMap keywordValueMap;
+                parseTerrainString(osgDB::getNameLessExtension(file), keywordValueMap);
+            
+                for(KeywordValueMap::iterator itr = keywordValueMap.begin();
+                    itr != keywordValueMap.end();
+                    ++itr)
+                {
+                    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"["<<itr->first<<"] = "<<"["<<itr->second<<"]"<<std::endl;
+                }
+
+                return 0;
+            }
+
             if (!acceptsExtension(ext)) return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
 
             std::string fileName = osgDB::findDataFile( file, opt );
@@ -90,6 +108,89 @@ class ReaderWriterTerrain : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
             else return 0;
         }
 
+        typedef std::map<std::string, std::string> KeywordValueMap;
+        bool parseTerrainString(const std::string& str, KeywordValueMap& keywordValueMap) const
+        {
+            bool success = false;
+
+            std::string::size_type pos = 0;
+            while(pos != std::string::npos)
+            {
+                pos = str.find_first_not_of(' ',pos);
+                if (pos == std::string::npos) break;
+                
+                std::string::size_type semicolon = str.find_first_of(';', pos);
+                std::string::size_type startstatement = pos;
+                std::string::size_type endstatement = std::string::npos;
+                if (semicolon!=std::string::npos)
+                {
+                    endstatement = semicolon-1;
+                    pos = semicolon+1;
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    endstatement = str.length()-1;
+                    pos = std::string::npos;
+                }
+                
+                if (startstatement<endstatement) endstatement = str.find_last_not_of(' ',endstatement);
+
+                if (startstatement<=endstatement)
+                {
+                    // osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"statement = ["<<str.substr(startstatement, endstatement-startstatement+1)<<"]"<<std::endl;
+                    std::string::size_type assignment = str.find_first_of('=', startstatement);
+                    if (assignment!=std::string::npos && assignment>endstatement)
+                    {
+                        assignment = std::string::npos;
+                    }
+                    
+                    std::string::size_type startvariable = startstatement;
+                    std::string::size_type endvariable = startstatement;
+                    std::string::size_type startvalue = startstatement;
+                    std::string::size_type endvalue = endstatement;
+                    
+                    if (assignment!=std::string::npos)
+                    {
+                        endvariable = assignment-1;
+                        startvalue = assignment+1;
+
+                        if (startvariable<=endvariable)
+                        {
+                            endvariable = str.find_last_not_of(' ',endvariable);
+                        }
+
+                        if (startvariable<=endvariable)
+                        {
+                            ++endvariable;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    
+
+                    if (startvalue<=endvalue)
+                    {
+                        startvalue = str.find_first_not_of(' ',startvalue);
+                    }
+                    
+                    if (startvalue<=endvalue)
+                    {
+                        if (startvariable<endvariable)
+                        {
+                            keywordValueMap[str.substr(startvariable, endvariable-startvariable)] = str.substr(startvalue, endvalue-startvalue+1);
+                            success = true;
+                        } 
+                        else
+                        {
+                            keywordValueMap[""] = str.substr(startvalue, endvalue-startvalue+1);
+                            success = true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    
+                }
+            }
+            
+            return success;
+        }
+
 };
 
 // now register with Registry to instantiate the above