diff --git a/include/osg/Node b/include/osg/Node
index f8cb24eea..a54f37ac5 100644
--- a/include/osg/Node
+++ b/include/osg/Node
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 #include <osg/StateSet>
 #include <osg/BoundingSphere>
 #include <osg/NodeCallback>
-#include <osg/ref_ptr>
 
 #include <string>
 #include <vector>
@@ -148,20 +147,6 @@ class SG_EXPORT Node : public Object
         /** return true if this node is an OccluderNode or the subgraph below this node are OccluderNodes.*/
         const bool containsOccluderNodes() const;
 
-        /**
-         * Set user data, data must be subclased from Referenced to allow
-         * automatic memory handling.  If you own data isn't directly 
-         * subclassed from Referenced then create and adapter object
-         * which points to your own objects and handles the memory addressing.
-         */
-        inline void setUserData(osg::Referenced* obj) { _userData = obj; }
-        /** Get user data.*/
-        inline Referenced* getUserData() { return _userData.get(); }
-        
-        /** Get const user data.*/
-        inline const Referenced* getUserData() const { return _userData.get(); }
-
-
 
         typedef unsigned int NodeMask;
         /** Set the node mask. Note, node mask is will be replaced by TraversalMask.*/
@@ -258,8 +243,6 @@ class SG_EXPORT Node : public Object
         int _numChildrenWithOccluderNodes;        
         void setNumChildrenWithOccluderNodes(const int num);
 
-        osg::ref_ptr<Referenced> _userData;
-
         NodeMask _nodeMask;
         
         DescriptionList _descriptions;
diff --git a/include/osg/Object b/include/osg/Object
index 0083e4e8b..2a537f527 100644
--- a/include/osg/Object
+++ b/include/osg/Object
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <osg/Referenced>
 #include <osg/CopyOp>
+#include <osg/ref_ptr>
 
 namespace osg {
 
@@ -77,6 +78,21 @@ class SG_EXPORT Object : public Referenced
         inline const DataVariance getDataVariance() const { return _dataVariance; }
 
 
+        /**
+         * Set user data, data must be subclased from Referenced to allow
+         * automatic memory handling.  If you own data isn't directly 
+         * subclassed from Referenced then create and adapter object
+         * which points to your own objects and handles the memory addressing.
+         */
+        inline void setUserData(Referenced* obj) { _userData = obj; }
+        
+        /** Get user data.*/
+        inline Referenced* getUserData() { return _userData.get(); }
+        
+        /** Get const user data.*/
+        inline const Referenced* getUserData() const { return _userData.get(); }
+
+
     protected:
 
         /** Object destructor. Note, is protected so that Objects cannot
@@ -90,6 +106,8 @@ class SG_EXPORT Object : public Referenced
         
          DataVariance _dataVariance;
 
+        ref_ptr<Referenced> _userData;
+
     private:
 
         /** disallow any copy operator.*/
diff --git a/src/osg/Node.cpp b/src/osg/Node.cpp
index 760b928b8..c0de9a3f6 100644
--- a/src/osg/Node.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Node.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ Node::Node(const Node& node,const CopyOp& copyop):
         _cullingActive(node._cullingActive),
         _numChildrenWithCullingDisabled(0), // assume no children yet.
         _numChildrenWithOccluderNodes(0),
-        _userData(copyop(node._userData.get())),
         _nodeMask(node._nodeMask), 
         _descriptions(node._descriptions),
         _dstate(copyop(node._dstate.get()))
diff --git a/src/osg/Object.cpp b/src/osg/Object.cpp
index e7efa7548..594b744c9 100644
--- a/src/osg/Object.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/Object.cpp
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ Referenced::~Referenced()
 }
 
 
-Object::Object(const Object& obj,const CopyOp&): 
+Object::Object(const Object& obj,const CopyOp& copyop): 
     Referenced(),
-    _dataVariance(obj._dataVariance) {}
+    _dataVariance(obj._dataVariance),
+    _userData(copyop(obj._userData.get())) {}
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Geode.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Geode.cpp
index edaba6aee..ad36847b5 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/osg/Geode.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/osg/Geode.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ bool Geode_writeLocalData(const osg::Object& obj, Output& fw)
 
     fw.indent() << "num_drawables " << geode.getNumDrawables() << std::endl;
     
-    for(int i=0;i<geode.getNumDrawables();++i)
+    for(unsigned int i=0;i<geode.getNumDrawables();++i)
     {
         fw.writeObject(*geode.getDrawable(i));
     }