diff --git a/include/osgDB/Output b/include/osgDB/Output
index f92e23305..0c43d22bc 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/Output
+++ b/include/osgDB/Output
@@ -34,6 +34,9 @@ class OSGDB_EXPORT Output : public std::ofstream
 
         Output& indent();
 
+    	/** wrap a string with "" quotes and use \" for any internal quotes.*/
+    	std::string wrapString(const std::string& str);
+
         inline void setIndentStep(int step) { _indentStep = step; }
         inline int getIndentStep() const { return _indentStep; }
 
diff --git a/src/osgDB/FieldReader.cpp b/src/osgDB/FieldReader.cpp
index cc7b3f428..77ae35f50 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/FieldReader.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/FieldReader.cpp
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ bool FieldReader::_readField(Field* fieldPtr)
             }
             _fin->ignore(1);
             char c;
+	    bool escape = false; // use the escape character sequence \" to allow " to included in strings.
             while (true)
             {
                 ch = _fin->peek();
@@ -170,15 +171,34 @@ bool FieldReader::_readField(Field* fieldPtr)
                     _eof = true;
                     return fieldPtr && fieldPtr->getNoCharacters()!=0;
                 }
-                c = ch;
-                if (ch=='"')
-                {
+                c = ch;	
+		if (ch=='\\' && !escape)
+		{
+    	    	    escape = true;
                     _fin->ignore(1);
-                    //return fieldPtr && fieldPtr->getNoCharacters()!=0;
-                    return fieldPtr!=NULL;
+		}
+                else if (ch=='"')
+                {
+		    if (escape)
+		    {
+		    	escape = false;
+                	_fin->get(c);
+                	if (fieldPtr) fieldPtr->addChar(c);
+		    }
+		    else
+		    {
+                	_fin->ignore(1);
+                	//return fieldPtr && fieldPtr->getNoCharacters()!=0;
+                	return fieldPtr!=NULL;
+		    }
                 }
                 else
                 {
+		    if (escape)
+		    {
+		    	escape = false;
+                        if (fieldPtr) fieldPtr->addChar('\\');
+		    }
                     _fin->get(c);
                     if (fieldPtr) fieldPtr->addChar(c);
                 }
@@ -193,6 +213,7 @@ bool FieldReader::_readField(Field* fieldPtr)
             }
             _fin->ignore(1);
             char c;
+	    bool escape = false; // use the escape character sequence \' to allow ' to included in strings.
             while (true)
             {
                 ch = _fin->peek();
@@ -202,14 +223,33 @@ bool FieldReader::_readField(Field* fieldPtr)
                     return fieldPtr && fieldPtr->getNoCharacters()!=0;
                 }
                 c = ch;
-                if (ch=='\'')
-                {
+		if (ch=='\\' && !escape)
+		{
+    	    	    escape = true;
                     _fin->ignore(1);
-                    //return fieldPtr && fieldPtr->getNoCharacters()!=0;
-                    return fieldPtr!=NULL;
+		}
+                else if (ch=='\'')
+                {
+		    if (escape)
+		    {
+		    	escape = false;
+                	_fin->get(c);
+                	if (fieldPtr) fieldPtr->addChar(c);
+		    }
+		    else
+		    {
+                	_fin->ignore(1);
+                	//return fieldPtr && fieldPtr->getNoCharacters()!=0;
+                	return fieldPtr!=NULL;
+		    }
                 }
                 else
                 {
+		    if (escape)
+		    {
+		    	escape = false;
+                        if (fieldPtr) fieldPtr->addChar('\\');
+		    }
                     _fin->get(c);
                     if (fieldPtr) fieldPtr->addChar(c);
                 }
diff --git a/src/osgDB/Output.cpp b/src/osgDB/Output.cpp
index c494421c9..2667233be 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/Output.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/Output.cpp
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ Output& Output::indent()
 }
 
 
+
 void Output::moveIn()
 {
     _indent += _indentStep;
@@ -74,6 +75,23 @@ void Output::moveOut()
     if (_indent<0) _indent=0;
 }
 
+std::string Output::wrapString(const std::string& str)
+{
+    std::string newstring;
+    newstring.push_back('"');
+    for(unsigned int i=0;i<str.size();++i)
+    {
+    	if (str[i]=='"')
+	{
+	    newstring.push_back('\\');
+	    newstring.push_back('"');
+	}
+	else newstring.push_back(str[i]);
+    }
+    newstring.push_back('"');
+    return newstring;
+}
+
 bool Output::writeObject(const osg::Object& obj)
 {
     return Registry::instance()->writeObject(obj,*this);
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Node.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Node.cpp
index 0db91a658..66e70d0db 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Node.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Node.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ bool Node_writeLocalData(const Object& obj, Output& fw)
 {
     const Node& node = static_cast<const Node&>(obj);
 
-    if (!node.getName().empty()) fw.indent() << "name "<<'"'<<node.getName()<<'"'<< std::endl;
+    if (!node.getName().empty()) fw.indent() << "name "<<fw.wrapString(node.getName())<< std::endl;
 
     fw.indent() << "cullingActive ";
     if (node.getCullingActive()) fw << "TRUE"<< std::endl;
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ bool Node_writeLocalData(const Object& obj, Output& fw)
     {
         if (node.getDescriptions().size()==1)
         {
-            fw.indent() << "description "<<'"'<<node.getDescriptions().front()<<'"'<< std::endl;
+            fw.indent() << "description "<<fw.wrapString(node.getDescriptions().front())<< std::endl;
         }
         else
         {
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ bool Node_writeLocalData(const Object& obj, Output& fw)
                 ditr!=node.getDescriptions().end();
                 ++ditr)
             {
-                fw.indent() << '"'<<*ditr<<'"'<< std::endl;
+                fw.indent() << fw.wrapString(*ditr)<< std::endl;
             }
             fw.moveOut();
             fw.indent() << "}"<< std::endl;
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture1D.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture1D.cpp
index 22abc3950..3fa9ee89c 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture1D.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture1D.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ bool Texture1D_writeLocalData(const Object& obj, Output& fw)
 
     if (texture.getImage() && !(texture.getImage()->getFileName().empty()))
     {
-        fw.indent() << "file \""<<fw.getFileNameForOutput(texture.getImage()->getFileName())<<"\""<< std::endl;
+        fw.indent() << "file "<<fw.wrapString(fw.getFileNameForOutput(texture.getImage()->getFileName()))<< std::endl;
     }
 
     return true;
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture2D.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture2D.cpp
index c0628b1f0..1794dbbcc 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture2D.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture2D.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ bool Texture2D_writeLocalData(const Object& obj, Output& fw)
 
     if (texture.getImage() && !(texture.getImage()->getFileName().empty()))
     {
-        fw.indent() << "file \""<<fw.getFileNameForOutput(texture.getImage()->getFileName())<<"\""<< std::endl;
+        fw.indent() << "file "<<fw.wrapString(fw.getFileNameForOutput(texture.getImage()->getFileName()))<< std::endl;
     }
 
     return true;
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture3D.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture3D.cpp
index 5912d519e..b725d83f0 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture3D.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Texture3D.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ bool Texture3D_writeLocalData(const Object& obj, Output& fw)
 
     if (texture.getImage() && !(texture.getImage()->getFileName().empty()))
     {
-        fw.indent() << "file \""<<fw.getFileNameForOutput(texture.getImage()->getFileName())<<"\""<< std::endl;
+        fw.indent() << "file "<<fw.wrapString(fw.getFileNameForOutput(texture.getImage()->getFileName()))<< std::endl;
     }
 
     return true;