diff --git a/include/osgDB/PluginQuery b/include/osgDB/PluginQuery
index e144c83b0..1a392f56d 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/PluginQuery
+++ b/include/osgDB/PluginQuery
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ class ReaderWriterInfo : public osg::Referenced
         ReaderWriter::FormatDescriptionMap  protocols;
         ReaderWriter::FormatDescriptionMap  extensions;
         ReaderWriter::FormatDescriptionMap  options;
+        ReaderWriter::Features              features;
 
     protected:
         
diff --git a/include/osgDB/ReaderWriter b/include/osgDB/ReaderWriter
index 237d74298..e638ddc95 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/ReaderWriter
+++ b/include/osgDB/ReaderWriter
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT ReaderWriter : public osg::Object
         META_Object(osgDB,ReaderWriter);
 
         typedef std::map<std::string, std::string> FormatDescriptionMap;
+        typedef std::list<std::string> FeatureList;
 
         /** return which protocols are supported by ReaderWriter. */
         virtual const FormatDescriptionMap& supportedProtocols() const { return _supportedProtocols; }
@@ -61,6 +62,37 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT ReaderWriter : public osg::Object
         /** return true if ReaderWriter accepts specified file extension.*/
         virtual bool acceptsExtension(const std::string& /*extension*/) const;
 
+        /// bit mask for setting up which feature types are available for read and/or write
+        enum Features
+        {
+            FEATURE_NONE               = 0,
+            FEATURE_READ_OBJECT        = 1<<0,
+            FEATURE_READ_IMAGE         = 1<<1, 
+            FEATURE_READ_HEIGHT_FIELD  = 1<<2,
+            FEATURE_READ_NODE          = 1<<3, 
+            FEATURE_READ_SHADER        = 1<<4, 
+            FEATURE_WRITE_OBJECT       = 1<<5,
+            FEATURE_WRITE_IMAGE        = 1<<6,
+            FEATURE_WRITE_HEIGHT_FIELD = 1<<7,
+            FEATURE_WRITE_NODE         = 1<<8,
+            FEATURE_WRITE_SHADER       = 1<<9,
+            FEATURE_ALL                = FEATURE_READ_OBJECT        |
+                                         FEATURE_READ_IMAGE         |
+                                         FEATURE_READ_HEIGHT_FIELD  |
+                                         FEATURE_READ_NODE          |
+                                         FEATURE_READ_SHADER        |
+                                         FEATURE_WRITE_OBJECT       |
+                                         FEATURE_WRITE_IMAGE        |
+                                         FEATURE_WRITE_HEIGHT_FIELD |
+                                         FEATURE_WRITE_NODE         |
+                                         FEATURE_WRITE_SHADER       
+        };    
+        /** return available features*/
+        virtual Features supportedFeatures() const;
+
+        /** return feature as string */
+        static FeatureList featureAsString(Features feature);
+
         /** Options base class used for passing options into plugins to control their operation.*/
         class Options : public osg::Object
         {
diff --git a/src/osgDB/PluginQuery.cpp b/src/osgDB/PluginQuery.cpp
index becaff0a7..e13d1b16c 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/PluginQuery.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/PluginQuery.cpp
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ bool osgDB::queryPlugin(const std::string& fileName, ReaderWriterInfoList& infoL
                 rwi->protocols = rw->supportedProtocols();
                 rwi->extensions = rw->supportedExtensions();
                 rwi->options = rw->supportedOptions();
+                rwi->features = rw->supportedFeatures();
 
                 infoList.push_back(rwi.get());
             }
@@ -116,7 +117,17 @@ bool osgDB::outputPluginDetails(std::ostream& out, const std::string& fileName)
             osgDB::ReaderWriterInfo& info = *(*rwi_itr);
             out<<"    ReaderWriter : "<<info.description<<std::endl;
             out<<"    {"<<std::endl;
-
+            out<<"        features   : ";
+            osgDB::ReaderWriter::FeatureList fl = ReaderWriter::featureAsString(info.features);
+            osgDB::ReaderWriter::FeatureList::iterator fl_itr;
+            for(fl_itr = fl.begin();
+                fl_itr != fl.end();
+                ++fl_itr)
+            {
+                out << *fl_itr << " ";
+            }    
+            out << std::endl;
+            
             unsigned int longestOptionLength = 0;
             osgDB::ReaderWriter::FormatDescriptionMap::iterator fdm_itr;
             for(fdm_itr = info.protocols.begin();
diff --git a/src/osgDB/ReaderWriter.cpp b/src/osgDB/ReaderWriter.cpp
index ac1705309..57f856fb1 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/ReaderWriter.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/ReaderWriter.cpp
@@ -60,3 +60,40 @@ void ReaderWriter::supportsOption(const std::string& fmt, const std::string& des
 {
     _supportedOptions[fmt] = description;
 }
+
+ReaderWriter::Features ReaderWriter::supportedFeatures() const
+{
+    Features features = FEATURE_ALL;
+    return features;
+}
+
+ReaderWriter::FeatureList ReaderWriter::featureAsString(ReaderWriter::Features feature)
+{
+    typedef struct {
+        ReaderWriter::Features feature;
+        const char *s;
+    } FeatureStringList;
+
+    FeatureStringList list[] = { 
+        { FEATURE_READ_OBJECT, "readObject" },
+        { FEATURE_READ_IMAGE,  "readImage" },        
+        { FEATURE_READ_HEIGHT_FIELD, "readHeightField" },
+        { FEATURE_READ_NODE, "readNode" },          
+        { FEATURE_READ_SHADER, "readShader" },        
+        { FEATURE_WRITE_OBJECT, "writeObject" },
+        { FEATURE_WRITE_IMAGE, "writeImage" },        
+        { FEATURE_WRITE_HEIGHT_FIELD, "writeHeightField" },
+        { FEATURE_WRITE_NODE, "writeNode" },         
+        { FEATURE_WRITE_SHADER, "writeShader" },
+        { FEATURE_NONE,0 }
+    };
+
+    FeatureList result; 
+    
+    for(FeatureStringList *p=list; p->feature != 0; p++)
+    {
+        if ((feature & p->feature) != 0)
+            result.push_back(p->s);
+    }
+    return result;
+}