diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/QuicktimeImageStream.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/QuicktimeImageStream.cpp
index 16c042e19..429923ce6 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/QuicktimeImageStream.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/QuicktimeImageStream.cpp
@@ -60,9 +60,6 @@ QuicktimeImageStream::QuicktimeImageStream(std::string fileName) : ImageStream()
 
     if (!fileName.empty())
         setFileName(fileName);
-
-    startThread();
-    start();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/QuicktimeImageStream.h b/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/QuicktimeImageStream.h
index 23307b118..23c46870a 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/QuicktimeImageStream.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/QuicktimeImageStream.h
@@ -51,7 +51,12 @@ namespace osg {
         virtual const char* className() const { return "QuicktimeImageStream"; }
 
         /// Start or continue stream.
-        virtual void play() { setCmd(THREAD_START); }
+        virtual void play()
+        {
+            if (!isRunning()) start();
+            
+            setCmd(THREAD_START);
+        }
 
         /// Pause stream at current position.
         virtual void pause() { setCmd(THREAD_STOP); }
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/ReaderWriterQT.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/ReaderWriterQT.cpp
index 8a307b5f3..09824e8bc 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/ReaderWriterQT.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/quicktime/ReaderWriterQT.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ class ReaderWriterQT : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
                 // state on the ImageStream... will integrated as is right now
                 // to get things off the ground.
                 osg::QuicktimeImageStream* moov = new osg::QuicktimeImageStream(fileName);
-                moov->start();
+                moov->play();
                 return moov;
             }