diff --git a/include/osg/State b/include/osg/State
index 569251ddb..a2fb20886 100644
--- a/include/osg/State
+++ b/include/osg/State
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced, public Observer
         inline const osg::Matrix& getProjectionMatrix() const { return *_projection; }
 
         void applyModelViewMatrix(const osg::RefMatrix* matrix);
+        void applyModelViewMatrix(const osg::Matrix&);
 
         const osg::Matrix& getModelViewMatrix() const { return *_modelView; }
 
@@ -1344,6 +1345,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced, public Observer
         ref_ptr<const RefMatrix>    _initialViewMatrix;
         ref_ptr<const RefMatrix>    _projection;
         ref_ptr<const RefMatrix>    _modelView;
+        ref_ptr<RefMatrix>          _modelViewCache;
 
         bool                        _useModelViewAndProjectionUniforms;
         ref_ptr<Uniform>            _modelViewMatrixUniform;
@@ -1647,6 +1649,8 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced, public Observer
         bool getLastAppliedMode(const ModeMap& modeMap,StateAttribute::GLMode mode) const;
         const StateAttribute* getLastAppliedAttribute(const AttributeMap& attributeMap,StateAttribute::Type type, unsigned int member) const;
 
+        void loadModelViewMatrix();
+
 
         mutable bool _isSecondaryColorSupportResolved;
         mutable bool _isSecondaryColorSupported;
diff --git a/src/osg/State.cpp b/src/osg/State.cpp
index 6db766df4..9fd21148f 100644
--- a/src/osg/State.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/State.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ State::State():
     _initialViewMatrix = _identity;
     _projection = _identity;
     _modelView = _identity;
+    _modelViewCache = new osg::RefMatrix;
 
     #if !defined(OSG_GL_FIXED_FUNCTION_AVAILABLE)
         _useModelViewAndProjectionUniforms = true;
@@ -1296,6 +1297,19 @@ void State::applyProjectionMatrix(const osg::RefMatrix* matrix)
     }
 }
 
+void State::loadModelViewMatrix()
+{
+    if (_useModelViewAndProjectionUniforms)
+    {
+        if (_modelViewMatrixUniform.valid()) _modelViewMatrixUniform->set(*_modelView);
+        updateModelViewAndProjectionMatrixUniforms();
+    }
+
+#ifdef OSG_GL_MATRICES_AVAILABLE
+    glLoadMatrix(_modelView->ptr());
+#endif
+}
+
 void State::applyModelViewMatrix(const osg::RefMatrix* matrix)
 {
     if (_modelView!=matrix)
@@ -1309,18 +1323,18 @@ void State::applyModelViewMatrix(const osg::RefMatrix* matrix)
             _modelView=_identity;
         }
 
-        if (_useModelViewAndProjectionUniforms)
-        {
-            if (_modelViewMatrixUniform.valid()) _modelViewMatrixUniform->set(*_modelView);
-            updateModelViewAndProjectionMatrixUniforms();
-        }
-
-#ifdef OSG_GL_MATRICES_AVAILABLE
-        glLoadMatrix(_modelView->ptr());
-#endif
+        loadModelViewMatrix();
     }
 }
 
+void State::applyModelViewMatrix(const osg::Matrix& matrix)
+{
+    _modelViewCache->set(matrix);
+    _modelView = _modelViewCache;
+
+    loadModelViewMatrix();
+}
+
 #include <osg/io_utils>
 
 void State::updateModelViewAndProjectionMatrixUniforms()
diff --git a/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp b/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
index 000429edb..d0a0dc7b0 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
@@ -505,16 +505,16 @@ void Text3D::drawImplementation(osg::RenderInfo& renderInfo) const
 
 
     // ** save the previous modelview matrix
-    osg::ref_ptr<osg::RefMatrix> previous(new osg::RefMatrix(state.getModelViewMatrix()));
+    osg::Matrix previous(state.getModelViewMatrix());
 
     // ** get the modelview for this context
-    osg::ref_ptr<osg::RefMatrix> modelview(new osg::RefMatrix(_autoTransformCache[contextID]._matrix));
+    osg::Matrix modelview(_autoTransformCache[contextID]._matrix);
 
     // ** mult previous by the modelview for this context
-    modelview->postMult(*previous.get());
+    modelview.postMult(previous);
 
     // ** apply this new modelview matrix
-    state.applyModelViewMatrix(modelview.get());
+    state.applyModelViewMatrix(modelview);
 
     osg::GLBeginEndAdapter& gl = (state.getGLBeginEndAdapter());
 
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ void Text3D::drawImplementation(osg::RenderInfo& renderInfo) const
 
 
     // restore the previous modelview matrix
-    state.applyModelViewMatrix(previous.get());
+    state.applyModelViewMatrix(previous);
 }
 
 void Text3D::renderPerGlyph(osg::State & state) const
@@ -619,9 +619,9 @@ void Text3D::renderPerGlyph(osg::State & state) const
         for (it = itLine->begin(); it!=end; ++it)
         {
 
-            osg::ref_ptr<osg::RefMatrix> matrix = new osg::RefMatrix(original_modelview);
-            matrix->preMultTranslate(osg::Vec3d(it->_position.x(), it->_position.y(), it->_position.z()));
-            state.applyModelViewMatrix(matrix.get());
+            osg::Matrix matrix(original_modelview);
+            matrix.preMultTranslate(osg::Vec3d(it->_position.x(), it->_position.y(), it->_position.z()));
+            state.applyModelViewMatrix(matrix);
 
             // ** apply the vertex array
             state.setVertexPointer(it->_glyph->getVertexArray());
@@ -670,9 +670,9 @@ void Text3D::renderPerFace(osg::State & state) const
         LineRenderInfo::const_iterator it, end = itLine->end();
         for (it = itLine->begin(); it!=end; ++it)
         {
-            osg::ref_ptr<osg::RefMatrix> matrix = new osg::RefMatrix(original_modelview);
-            matrix->preMultTranslate(osg::Vec3d(it->_position.x(), it->_position.y(), it->_position.z()));
-            state.applyModelViewMatrix(matrix.get());
+            osg::Matrix matrix(original_modelview);
+            matrix.preMultTranslate(osg::Vec3d(it->_position.x(), it->_position.y(), it->_position.z()));
+            state.applyModelViewMatrix(matrix);
 
             state.setVertexPointer(it->_glyph->getVertexArray());
 
@@ -693,9 +693,9 @@ void Text3D::renderPerFace(osg::State & state) const
         LineRenderInfo::const_iterator it, end = itLine->end();
         for (it = itLine->begin(); it!=end; ++it)
         {
-            osg::ref_ptr<osg::RefMatrix> matrix = new osg::RefMatrix(original_modelview);
-            matrix->preMultTranslate(osg::Vec3d(it->_position.x(), it->_position.y(), it->_position.z()));
-            state.applyModelViewMatrix(matrix.get());
+            osg::Matrix matrix(original_modelview);
+            matrix.preMultTranslate(osg::Vec3d(it->_position.x(), it->_position.y(), it->_position.z()));
+            state.applyModelViewMatrix(matrix);
 
             state.setVertexPointer(it->_glyph->getVertexArray());
             state.setNormalPointer(it->_glyph->getNormalArray());
@@ -707,7 +707,7 @@ void Text3D::renderPerFace(osg::State & state) const
             }
         }
     }
-
+    state.disableNormalPointer();
 
     // ** render all back face of the text
     state.Normal(0.0f,0.0f,-1.0f);
@@ -718,9 +718,9 @@ void Text3D::renderPerFace(osg::State & state) const
         LineRenderInfo::const_iterator it, end = itLine->end();
         for (it = itLine->begin(); it!=end; ++it)
         {
-            osg::ref_ptr<osg::RefMatrix> matrix = new osg::RefMatrix(state.getModelViewMatrix());
-            matrix->preMultTranslate(osg::Vec3d(it->_position.x(), it->_position.y(), it->_position.z()));
-            state.applyModelViewMatrix(matrix.get());
+            osg::Matrix matrix(original_modelview);
+            matrix.preMultTranslate(osg::Vec3d(it->_position.x(), it->_position.y(), it->_position.z()));
+            state.applyModelViewMatrix(matrix);
 
             state.setVertexPointer(it->_glyph->getVertexArray());