diff --git a/include/osgDB/ReadFile b/include/osgDB/ReadFile
index 0b9298a8a..f3ff3ca7e 100644
--- a/include/osgDB/ReadFile
+++ b/include/osgDB/ReadFile
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ inline T* readFile(const std::string& filename, const Options* options)
 {
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> object = readObjectFile(filename, options);
     osg::ref_ptr<T> t = dynamic_cast<T*>(object.get());
-    object = 0;    
+    object = 0;
     return t.release();
 }
 
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ inline osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node>  readRefNodeFile(const std::string& filename)
   * The osgDB::Registry is used to load the appropriate ReaderWriter plugin
   * for the filename extension, and this plugin then handles the request
   * to read the specified file.*/
-extern OSGDB_EXPORT osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader>  readRefShaderFile(const std::string& filename,const Options* options);
+extern OSGDB_EXPORT osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> readRefShaderFile(const std::string& filename,const Options* options);
 
 /** Read an osg::Shader from file.
   * Return an assigned osg::ref_ptr on success,
@@ -291,7 +291,32 @@ extern OSGDB_EXPORT osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader>  readRefShaderFile(const std::stri
   * to read the specified file.*/
 inline osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader>  readRefShaderFile(const std::string& filename)
 {
-    return readRefShaderFile(filename,Registry::instance()->getOptions());
+    return readRefShaderFile(filename, Registry::instance()->getOptions());
+}
+
+/** Read an osg::Shader from file and set to specified shader type.
+  * Return valid osg::Shader on success,
+  * return NULL on failure.
+  * Use the Options object to control cache operations and file search paths in osgDB::Registry.
+  * The osgDB::Registry is used to load the appropriate ReaderWriter plugin
+  * for the filename extension, and this plugin then handles the request
+  * to read the specified file.*/
+inline osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::Type type, const std::string& filename, const Options* options)
+{
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> shader = readShaderFile(filename, options);
+    if (shader.valid() && type != osg::Shader::UNDEFINED) shader->setType(type);
+    return shader;
+}
+
+/** Read an osg::Shader from file and set to specified shader type
+  * Return valid osg::Shader on success,
+  * return NULL on failure.
+  * The osgDB::Registry is used to load the appropriate ReaderWriter plugin
+  * for the filename extension, and this plugin then handles the request
+  * to read the specified file.*/
+inline osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::Type type, const std::string& filename)
+{
+    return readRefShaderFile(type, filename, Registry::instance()->getOptions());
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/osgVolume/RayTracedTechnique.cpp b/src/osgVolume/RayTracedTechnique.cpp
index bf7d4ba48..4ef618f7d 100644
--- a/src/osgVolume/RayTracedTechnique.cpp
+++ b/src/osgVolume/RayTracedTechnique.cpp
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
 
         // get shaders from source
 
-        osg::Shader* vertexShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::VERTEX, "shaders/volume.vert");
-        if (vertexShader)
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> vertexShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::VERTEX, "shaders/volume.vert");
+        if (vertexShader.valid())
         {
             program->addShader(vertexShader);
         }
@@ -287,10 +287,10 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
 
             if (tf)
             {
-                osg::Shader* fragmentShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_tf_mip.frag");
-                if (fragmentShader)
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_tf_mip.frag");
+                if (fragmentShader.valid())
                 {
-                    program->addShader(fragmentShader);
+                    program->addShader(fragmentShader.get());
                 }
                 else
                 {
@@ -304,10 +304,10 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
             }
             else
             {
-                osg::Shader* fragmentShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_mip.frag");
-                if (fragmentShader)
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_mip.frag");
+                if (fragmentShader.valid())
                 {
-                    program->addShader(fragmentShader);
+                    program->addShader(fragmentShader.get());
                 }
                 else
                 {
@@ -325,8 +325,8 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
 
             if (tf)
             {
-                osg::Shader* fragmentShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_tf_iso.frag");
-                if (fragmentShader)
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_tf_iso.frag");
+                if (fragmentShader.valid())
                 {
                     program->addShader(fragmentShader);
                 }
@@ -338,8 +338,8 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
             }
             else
             {
-                osg::Shader* fragmentShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_iso.frag");
-                if (fragmentShader)
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_iso.frag");
+                if (fragmentShader.valid())
                 {
                     OSG_INFO<<"Shader found"<<std::endl;
 
@@ -360,8 +360,8 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
 
             if (tf)
             {
-                osg::Shader* fragmentShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_lit_tf.frag");
-                if (fragmentShader)
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_lit_tf.frag");
+                if (fragmentShader.valid())
                 {
                     program->addShader(fragmentShader);
                 }
@@ -374,8 +374,8 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
             }
             else
             {
-                osg::Shader* fragmentShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_lit.frag");
-                if (fragmentShader)
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_lit.frag");
+                if (fragmentShader.valid())
                 {
                     program->addShader(fragmentShader);
                 }
@@ -392,8 +392,8 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
 
             if (tf)
             {
-                osg::Shader* fragmentShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_tf.frag");
-                if (fragmentShader)
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume_tf.frag");
+                if (fragmentShader.valid())
                 {
                     program->addShader(fragmentShader);
                 }
@@ -406,8 +406,8 @@ void RayTracedTechnique::init()
             }
             else
             {
-                osg::Shader* fragmentShader = osgDB::readShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume.frag");
-                if (fragmentShader)
+                osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader = osgDB::readRefShaderFile(osg::Shader::FRAGMENT, "shaders/volume.frag");
+                if (fragmentShader.valid())
                 {
                     program->addShader(fragmentShader);
                 }