diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/gz/CMakeLists.txt b/src/osgPlugins/gz/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6e14d6d3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/gz/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#this file is automatically generated 
+INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES( ${ZLIB_INCLUDE_DIRS} )
+
+SET(TARGET_SRC 
+    ReaderWriterGZ.cpp
+)
+
+SET(TARGET_LIBRARIES_VARS ZLIB_LIBRARY )
+
+
+#### end var setup  ###
+SETUP_PLUGIN(gz)
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/gz/ReaderWriterGZ.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/gz/ReaderWriterGZ.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f1fdc9ee0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/gz/ReaderWriterGZ.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,275 @@
+/* -*-c++-*- OpenSceneGraph - Copyright (C) 1998-2008 Robert Osfield 
+ *
+ * This library is open source and may be redistributed and/or modified under  
+ * the terms of the OpenSceneGraph Public License (OSGPL) version 0.0 or 
+ * (at your option) any later version.  The full license is in LICENSE file
+ * included with this distribution, and on the openscenegraph.org website.
+ * 
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the 
+ * OpenSceneGraph Public License for more details.
+*/
+
+#include <osgDB/FileUtils>
+#include <osgDB/FileNameUtils>
+#include <osgDB/ReadFile>
+#include <osgDB/WriteFile>
+#include <osgDB/Registry>
+
+#include <iostream>
+#include <sstream>
+#include <fstream>
+#include <iterator>
+
+#include <zlib.h>
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//
+//  ReaderWriterGZ
+//
+class ReaderWriterGZ : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
+{
+    public:
+    
+        enum ObjectType
+        {
+            OBJECT,
+            ARCHIVE,
+            IMAGE,
+            HEIGHTFIELD,
+            NODE
+        };
+
+        ReaderWriterGZ();
+      
+        ~ReaderWriterGZ();
+
+        virtual const char* className() const { return "HTTP Protocol Model Reader"; }
+                                                                                            
+        virtual ReadResult openArchive(const std::string& fileName,ArchiveStatus status, unsigned int , const Options* options) const
+        {
+            if (status!=READ) return ReadResult(ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED);
+            else return readFile(ARCHIVE,fileName,options);
+        }
+
+        virtual ReadResult readObject(const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            return readFile(OBJECT,fileName,options);
+        }
+                                                                                            
+        virtual ReadResult readImage(const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            return readFile(IMAGE,fileName,options);
+        }
+
+        virtual ReadResult readHeightField(const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            return readFile(HEIGHTFIELD,fileName,options);
+        }
+
+        virtual ReadResult readNode(const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            return readFile(NODE,fileName,options);
+        }
+
+        ReadResult readFile(ObjectType objectType, osgDB::ReaderWriter* rw, std::istream& fin, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const;
+        
+        ReadResult readFile(ObjectType objectType, const std::string& fullFileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const;
+
+
+
+        virtual WriteResult writeObject(const osg::Object& obj, const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            return writeFile(OBJECT, &obj, fileName, options);
+        }
+                                                                                            
+        virtual WriteResult writeImage(const osg::Image& image, const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            return writeFile(IMAGE, &image, fileName, options);
+        }
+
+        virtual WriteResult writeHeightField(const osg::HeightField& hf, const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            return writeFile(HEIGHTFIELD, &hf, fileName, options);
+        }
+
+        virtual WriteResult writeNode(const osg::Node& node, const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            return writeFile(NODE, &node, fileName,options);
+        }
+
+        WriteResult writeFile(ObjectType objectType, const osg::Object* object, osgDB::ReaderWriter* rw, std::ostream& fin, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const;
+        
+        WriteResult writeFile(ObjectType objectType, const osg::Object* object, const std::string& fullFileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const;
+
+};
+
+ReaderWriterGZ::ReaderWriterGZ()
+{
+    // osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"ReaderWriterGZ::ReaderWriterGZ()"<<std::endl;
+
+    supportsExtension("osgz","Compressed .osg file extension.");
+    supportsExtension("ivez","Compressed .ive file extension.");
+    supportsExtension("gz","Compressed file extension.");
+}
+
+ReaderWriterGZ::~ReaderWriterGZ()
+{
+    // osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"ReaderWriterGZ::~ReaderWriterGZ()"<<std::endl;
+}
+
+osgDB::ReaderWriter::ReadResult ReaderWriterGZ::readFile(ObjectType objectType, osgDB::ReaderWriter* rw, std::istream& fin, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options *options) const
+{
+    switch(objectType)
+    {
+        case(OBJECT): return rw->readObject(fin,options);
+        case(ARCHIVE): return rw->openArchive(fin,options);
+        case(IMAGE): return rw->readImage(fin,options);
+        case(HEIGHTFIELD): return rw->readHeightField(fin,options);
+        case(NODE): return rw->readNode(fin,options);
+        default: break;
+    }
+    return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
+}
+
+osgDB::ReaderWriter::ReadResult ReaderWriterGZ::readFile(ObjectType objectType, const std::string& fullFileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options *options) const
+{
+    std::string ext = osgDB::getLowerCaseFileExtension(fullFileName);
+    if (!acceptsExtension(ext)) return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
+
+    osgDB::ReaderWriter* rw = 0;
+
+    if (osgDB::equalCaseInsensitive(ext,"osgz"))
+    {  
+        rw = osgDB::Registry::instance()->getReaderWriterForExtension("osg");
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"osgz ReaderWriter "<<rw<<std::endl;
+    }
+    else if (osgDB::equalCaseInsensitive(ext,"ivez"))
+    {
+        rw = osgDB::Registry::instance()->getReaderWriterForExtension("ive");
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"ivez ReaderWriter "<<rw<<std::endl;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        std::string baseFileName = osgDB::getNameLessExtension(fullFileName);        
+        std::string baseExt = osgDB::getLowerCaseFileExtension(baseFileName);
+        rw = osgDB::Registry::instance()->getReaderWriterForExtension(baseExt);
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<baseExt<<" ReaderWriter "<<rw<<std::endl;
+    }
+
+
+    std::string fileName = osgDB::findDataFile( fullFileName, options );
+    if (fileName.empty()) return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_FOUND;
+
+    // code for setting up the database path so that internally referenced file are searched for on relative paths. 
+    osg::ref_ptr<Options> local_opt = options ? static_cast<Options*>(options->clone(osg::CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY)) : new Options;
+    local_opt->getDatabasePathList().push_front(osgDB::getFilePath(fileName));
+
+    std::ifstream fin(fileName.c_str());
+    if (!fin) return ReadResult::ERROR_IN_READING_FILE;
+    
+    std::streampos start = fin.tellg();
+    fin.seekg(0, std::ios::end);
+    std::streampos end = fin.tellg();
+    fin.seekg(start, std::ios::beg);
+    std::streampos sourceLen = end - start;
+
+    /* empty stream into memory, open that, and keep the pointer in a FreeTypeFont for cleanup */
+    char* buffer = new char[sourceLen];
+    fin.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(buffer), sourceLen);
+    if (!fin || (static_cast<std::streampos>(fin.gcount()) != sourceLen))
+    {
+        osg::notify(osg::WARN)<<" .... the compressed file could not be read from its stream"<<std::endl;
+        return 0;
+    }
+    
+    uLongf destLen = 1000000;
+    
+    std::string dest;
+    dest.resize(destLen);
+        
+    int result = uncompress ((Bytef *)(&(*dest.begin())), &destLen,
+                             (const Bytef *)buffer, sourceLen);
+                                   
+    delete [] buffer;
+
+    std::stringstream strstream(dest);
+
+    return readFile(objectType, rw, strstream, local_opt.get());
+}
+
+
+osgDB::ReaderWriter::WriteResult ReaderWriterGZ::writeFile(ObjectType objectType, const osg::Object* object, osgDB::ReaderWriter* rw, std::ostream& fout, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options *options) const
+{
+    switch(objectType)
+    {
+        case(OBJECT): return rw->writeObject(*object, fout, options);
+        case(IMAGE): return rw->writeImage(*(dynamic_cast<const osg::Image*>(object)), fout, options);
+        case(HEIGHTFIELD): return rw->writeHeightField(*(dynamic_cast<const osg::HeightField*>(object)), fout, options);
+        case(NODE): return rw->writeNode(*(dynamic_cast<const osg::Node*>(object)), fout,options);
+        default: break;
+    }
+    return WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
+}
+
+osgDB::ReaderWriter::WriteResult ReaderWriterGZ::writeFile(ObjectType objectType, const osg::Object* object, const std::string& fullFileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options *options) const
+{
+    std::string ext = osgDB::getLowerCaseFileExtension(fullFileName);
+    if (!acceptsExtension(ext)) return WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
+
+    osgDB::ReaderWriter* rw = 0;
+
+    if (osgDB::equalCaseInsensitive(ext,"osgz"))
+    {  
+        rw = osgDB::Registry::instance()->getReaderWriterForExtension("osg");
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"osgz ReaderWriter "<<rw<<std::endl;
+    }
+    else if (osgDB::equalCaseInsensitive(ext,"ivez"))
+    {
+        rw = osgDB::Registry::instance()->getReaderWriterForExtension("ive");
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"ivez ReaderWriter "<<rw<<std::endl;
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        std::string baseFileName = osgDB::getNameLessExtension(fullFileName);        
+        std::string baseExt = osgDB::getLowerCaseFileExtension(baseFileName);
+        rw = osgDB::Registry::instance()->getReaderWriterForExtension(baseExt);
+        osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<baseExt<<" ReaderWriter "<<rw<<std::endl;
+    }
+    
+    std::stringstream strstream;
+    osgDB::ReaderWriter::WriteResult writeResult = writeFile(objectType, object, rw, strstream, options);
+    
+    
+    std::string str(strstream.str());
+    
+    uLong destLen = compressBound(str.size());
+    
+    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"compressBound("<<str.size()<<") = "<<destLen<<std::endl;
+    
+    std::string output;
+    output.resize(destLen);
+    
+    int level = 6;
+    
+    char* source = new char[str.size()];
+    char* dest = new char[destLen];
+
+    int result = compress2( (Bytef *)(&(*output.begin())), &destLen,
+                            (const Bytef *)(&(*str.begin())), str.size(),
+                             level);
+
+    osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"compress2()"<<result<<", destLen="<<destLen<<std::endl;
+    
+    output.resize(destLen);
+    
+    std::ofstream fout(fullFileName.c_str());    
+    fout<<output;
+
+    return writeResult;
+}
+
+// now register with Registry to instantiate the above
+// reader/writer.
+REGISTER_OSGPLUGIN(GZ, ReaderWriterGZ)