diff --git a/include/osgUtil/RenderBin b/include/osgUtil/RenderBin
index c2e260bbd..b731a530d 100644
--- a/include/osgUtil/RenderBin
+++ b/include/osgUtil/RenderBin
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ class OSGUTIL_EXPORT RenderBin : public osg::Object
 
         virtual void reset();
         
+        void setStateSet(osg::StateSet* stateset) { _stateset = stateset; }
+        osg::StateSet* getStateSet() { return _stateset.get(); }
+        const osg::StateSet* getStateSet() const { return _stateset.get(); }
+        
+        
         RenderBin* getParent() { return _parent; }
         const RenderBin* getParent() const { return _parent; }
 
@@ -149,12 +154,12 @@ class OSGUTIL_EXPORT RenderBin : public osg::Object
         StateGraphList                  _stateGraphList;
         RenderLeafList                  _renderLeafList;
            
-
         SortMode                        _sortMode;
         osg::ref_ptr<SortCallback>      _sortCallback;
 
         osg::ref_ptr<DrawCallback>      _drawCallback;
 
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::StateSet>     _stateset;
 
 };
 
diff --git a/src/osg/AlphaFunc.cpp b/src/osg/AlphaFunc.cpp
index 5e941d941..b235c3302 100644
--- a/src/osg/AlphaFunc.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/AlphaFunc.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 */
 
 #include <osg/AlphaFunc>
+#include <osg/Notify>
 
 using namespace osg;
 
diff --git a/src/osg/StateSet.cpp b/src/osg/StateSet.cpp
index 6302cde33..fc39b1285 100644
--- a/src/osg/StateSet.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/StateSet.cpp
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ void StateSet::setGlobalDefaults()
 
 
     setMode(GL_DEPTH_TEST,StateAttribute::ON);
-    setAttributeAndModes(new AlphaFunc,StateAttribute::OFF);
+    // setAttributeAndModes(new AlphaFunc,StateAttribute::OFF);
     setAttributeAndModes(new BlendFunc,StateAttribute::OFF);
 
     Material *material       = new Material;
diff --git a/src/osgProducer/Viewer.cpp b/src/osgProducer/Viewer.cpp
index 8510594fb..6f444bf0d 100644
--- a/src/osgProducer/Viewer.cpp
+++ b/src/osgProducer/Viewer.cpp
@@ -398,11 +398,12 @@ void Viewer::setUpViewer(unsigned int options)
         // enable depth testing by default.
         globalStateSet->setMode(GL_DEPTH_TEST, osg::StateAttribute::ON);
 
-
+#if 0
         // set up an alphafunc by default to speed up blending operations.
         osg::AlphaFunc* alphafunc = new osg::AlphaFunc;
         alphafunc->setFunction(osg::AlphaFunc::GREATER,0.0f);
         globalStateSet->setAttributeAndModes(alphafunc, osg::StateAttribute::ON);
+#endif
     }
     
     if (options & HEAD_LIGHT_SOURCE || options & SKY_LIGHT_SOURCE)
diff --git a/src/osgUtil/RenderBin.cpp b/src/osgUtil/RenderBin.cpp
index e327a3bf2..4586e4ad6 100644
--- a/src/osgUtil/RenderBin.cpp
+++ b/src/osgUtil/RenderBin.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 #include <osg/Notify>
 #include <osg/ApplicationUsage>
+#include <osg/AlphaFunc>
 
 #include <algorithm>
 
@@ -128,6 +129,21 @@ RenderBin::RenderBin(SortMode mode)
     _parent = NULL;
     _stage = NULL;
     _sortMode = mode;
+
+#if 1
+    if (_sortMode==SORT_BACK_TO_FRONT)
+    {
+        _stateset  = new osg::StateSet;
+        _stateset->setThreadSafeRefUnref(true);
+        
+         // set up an alphafunc by default to speed up blending operations.
+        osg::AlphaFunc* alphafunc = new osg::AlphaFunc;
+        alphafunc->setFunction(osg::AlphaFunc::GREATER,0.0f);
+        alphafunc->setThreadSafeRefUnref(true);
+        
+        _stateset->setAttributeAndModes(alphafunc, osg::StateAttribute::ON);
+    }
+#endif    
 }
 
 RenderBin::RenderBin(const RenderBin& rhs,const CopyOp& copyop):
@@ -140,7 +156,8 @@ RenderBin::RenderBin(const RenderBin& rhs,const CopyOp& copyop):
         _renderLeafList(rhs._renderLeafList),
         _sortMode(rhs._sortMode),
         _sortCallback(rhs._sortCallback),
-        _drawCallback(rhs._drawCallback)
+        _drawCallback(rhs._drawCallback),
+        _stateset(rhs._stateset)
 {
 
 }
@@ -348,6 +365,11 @@ void RenderBin::drawImplementation(osg::State& state,RenderLeaf*& previous)
 {
     // osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"begin RenderBin::drawImplementation "<<className()<<" sortMode "<<getSortMode()<<std::endl;
 
+    if (_stateset.valid())
+    {
+        state.pushStateSet(_stateset.get());
+    }
+
     // draw first set of draw bins.
     RenderBinList::iterator rbitr;
     for(rbitr = _bins.begin();
@@ -395,6 +417,8 @@ void RenderBin::drawImplementation(osg::State& state,RenderLeaf*& previous)
         rbitr->second->draw(state,previous);
     }
 
+    if (_stateset.valid()) state.popStateSet();
+
     //osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"end RenderBin::drawImplementation "<<className()<<std::endl;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/osgUtil/SceneView.cpp b/src/osgUtil/SceneView.cpp
index d0c4c236d..a36c4a89a 100644
--- a/src/osgUtil/SceneView.cpp
+++ b/src/osgUtil/SceneView.cpp
@@ -194,10 +194,12 @@ void SceneView::setDefaults(unsigned int options)
     // enable depth testing by default.
     _globalStateSet->setMode(GL_DEPTH_TEST, osg::StateAttribute::ON);
 
+#if 0
     // set up an alphafunc by default to speed up blending operations.
     osg::AlphaFunc* alphafunc = new osg::AlphaFunc;
-    alphafunc->setFunction(osg::AlphaFunc::GREATER,0.0f);
-    _globalStateSet->setAttributeAndModes(alphafunc, osg::StateAttribute::ON);
+    alphafunc->setFunction(osg::AlphaFunc::GREATER,1.0f);
+    _globalStateSet->setAttributeAndModes(alphafunc, osg::StateAttribute::OFF);
+#endif
 
     // set up an texture environment by default to speed up blending operations.
      osg::TexEnv* texenv = new osg::TexEnv;
diff --git a/src/osgWrappers/osgUtil/RenderBin.cpp b/src/osgWrappers/osgUtil/RenderBin.cpp
index 809d43d34..e830f315a 100644
--- a/src/osgWrappers/osgUtil/RenderBin.cpp
+++ b/src/osgWrappers/osgUtil/RenderBin.cpp
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #include <osg/CopyOp>
 #include <osg/Object>
 #include <osg/State>
+#include <osg/StateSet>
 #include <osgUtil/RenderBin>
 #include <osgUtil/RenderLeaf>
 #include <osgUtil/RenderStage>
@@ -54,6 +55,9 @@ BEGIN_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgUtil::RenderBin)
 	I_Method0(const char *, libraryName);
 	I_Method0(const char *, className);
 	I_Method0(void, reset);
+	I_Method1(void, setStateSet, IN, osg::StateSet *, stateset);
+	I_Method0(osg::StateSet *, getStateSet);
+	I_Method0(const osg::StateSet *, getStateSet);
 	I_Method0(osgUtil::RenderBin *, getParent);
 	I_Method0(const osgUtil::RenderBin *, getParent);
 	I_Method0(osgUtil::RenderStage *, getStage);
@@ -94,6 +98,7 @@ BEGIN_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgUtil::RenderBin)
 	I_Property(osgUtil::RenderBin::SortMode, SortMode);
 	I_ReadOnlyProperty(osgUtil::RenderStage *, Stage);
 	I_ReadOnlyProperty(osgUtil::RenderBin::StateGraphList &, StateGraphList);
+	I_Property(osg::StateSet *, StateSet);
 END_REFLECTOR
 
 BEGIN_ABSTRACT_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgUtil::RenderBin::DrawCallback)