diff --git a/include/osgText/Font b/include/osgText/Font
index ae00c1ef9..aa9589e24 100644
--- a/include/osgText/Font
+++ b/include/osgText/Font
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ public:
 
     virtual std::string getFileName() const;
 
+
+    void setStateSet(osg::StateSet* stateset) { _stateset = stateset; }
+    osg::StateSet* getStateSet() { return _stateset.get(); }
+    const osg::StateSet* getStateSet() const { return _stateset.get(); }
+
     /** Set the pixel width and height hint.*/
     virtual void setFontResolution(unsigned int width, unsigned int height);
     
@@ -152,6 +157,8 @@ protected:
     typedef std::pair< unsigned int, unsigned int >         SizePair;
     typedef std::map< SizePair, GlyphMap >                  SizeGlyphMap;
     
+
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::StateSet>     _stateset;
     SizeGlyphMap                    _sizeGlyphMap;
     GlyphTextureList                _glyphTextureList;
     StateSetList                    _stateSetList;
diff --git a/src/osgText/Font.cpp b/src/osgText/Font.cpp
index 4149e045d..b3ef3f09b 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Font.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Font.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ std::string osgText::findFontFile(const std::string& str)
 {
     // try looking in OSGFILEPATH etc first for fonts.
     std::string filename = osgDB::findDataFile(str);
-    if (!filename.empty()) return std::string(filename);
+    if (!filename.empty()) return filename;
 
 
     static osgDB::FilePathList s_FontFilePath;
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ std::string osgText::findFontFile(const std::string& str)
         filename = osgDB::findFileInPath(filename,s_FontFilePath);
         if (!filename.empty()) return filename;
     }
+    else
+    {
+        filename = osgText::findFontFile(std::string("fonts/")+filename);
+        if (!filename.empty()) return filename;
+    }
 
     // Not found, return empty string
     osg::notify(osg::WARN)<<"Warning: font file \""<<str<<"\" not found."<<std::endl;    
@@ -76,6 +81,8 @@ std::string osgText::findFontFile(const std::string& str)
 
 osgText::Font* osgText::readFontFile(const std::string& filename)
 {
+    if (filename=="") return 0;
+
     std::string foundFile = findFontFile(filename);
     if (foundFile.empty()) return 0;
     
@@ -132,6 +139,9 @@ Font::Font(FontImplementation* implementation):
 {
     setImplementation(implementation);
     _texEnv = new osg::TexEnv(osg::TexEnv::BLEND);
+
+    _stateset = new osg::StateSet;
+    _stateset->setRenderingHint(osg::StateSet::TRANSPARENT_BIN);
 }
 
 Font::~Font()
diff --git a/src/osgText/Text.cpp b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
index 043f1bc56..c06929cb3 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
@@ -89,6 +89,14 @@ void Text::setFont(Font* font)
 {
     if (_font==font) return;
     
+    osg::StateSet* previousFontStateSet = _font.valid() ? _font->getStateSet() : 0;
+    osg::StateSet* newFontStateSet = font ? font->getStateSet() : 0;
+    
+    if (getStateSet() == previousFontStateSet)
+    {
+        setStateSet( newFontStateSet );
+    }
+    
     _font = font;
     
     computeGlyphRepresentation();
@@ -699,8 +707,6 @@ void Text::computeGlyphRepresentation()
 
     }
    
-    setStateSet(const_cast<osg::StateSet*>((*_textureGlyphQuadMap.begin()).first.get()));
-
     computePositions();
     computeColorGradients();
 }
@@ -1443,6 +1449,7 @@ void Text::drawImplementation(osg::State& state) const
             glPushAttrib(GL_POLYGON_OFFSET_FILL);
             glEnable(GL_POLYGON_OFFSET_FILL);
         }
+
         for(TextureGlyphQuadMap::iterator titr=_textureGlyphQuadMap.begin();
             titr!=_textureGlyphQuadMap.end();
             ++titr)
@@ -1505,8 +1512,13 @@ void Text::drawImplementation(osg::State& state) const
                     // Make sure that the main (foreground) text is on top
                     glPolygonOffset(-10, -10);
                 }
+
                 glDrawArrays(GL_QUADS,0,transformedCoords.size());
-                glPolygonOffset(0,0);
+
+                if(_backdropType != NONE)
+                {
+                    glPolygonOffset(0,0);
+                }
             }
         }