diff --git a/include/osgText/Text b/include/osgText/Text
index e9f141f7e..1f29019b7 100644
--- a/include/osgText/Text
+++ b/include/osgText/Text
@@ -38,10 +38,6 @@ public:
     virtual const char* libraryName() const { return "osgText"; }
 
 
-    void setColor(const osg::Vec4& color);
-    const osg::Vec4& getColor() const { return _color; }
-
-
     /**
      * Turns off writing to the depth buffer when rendering text. This only affects text
      * with no backdrop or text using the DELAYED_DEPTH_WRITES implementation, since
@@ -351,7 +347,6 @@ protected:
     String::iterator computeLastCharacterOnLine(osg::Vec2& cursor, String::iterator first,String::iterator last);
     
     // members which have public access.
-    osg::Vec4                               _color;
 
     // iternal map used for rendering. Set up by the computeGlyphRepresentation() method.
     mutable TextureGlyphQuadMap            _textureGlyphQuadMap;
diff --git a/include/osgText/TextBase b/include/osgText/TextBase
index 4aef20479..3e4ad6566 100644
--- a/include/osgText/TextBase
+++ b/include/osgText/TextBase
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ public:
     virtual const char* className() const { return "TextBase"; }
     virtual const char* libraryName() const { return "osgText"; }
 
-
+    void setColor(const osg::Vec4& color);
+    const osg::Vec4& getColor() const { return _color; }
 
     /** Set the Font to use to render the text.
       * setFont(0) sets the use of the default font.*/
@@ -279,6 +280,7 @@ protected:
     
     
     // members which have public access.
+    osg::Vec4                               _color;
     osg::ref_ptr<Font>                      _font;
     osg::ref_ptr<Style>                     _style;
     FontResolution                          _fontSize;
diff --git a/src/osgText/Text.cpp b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
index 6ef6a1b0f..f262c9410 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ using namespace osgText;
 //#define TREES_CODE_FOR_MAKING_SPACES_EDITABLE
 
 Text::Text():
-    _color(1.0f,1.0f,1.0f,1.0f),
     _enableDepthWrites(true),
     _backdropType(NONE),
     _backdropImplementation(DELAYED_DEPTH_WRITES),
@@ -46,7 +45,6 @@ Text::Text():
 
 Text::Text(const Text& text,const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
     osgText::TextBase(text,copyop),
-    _color(text._color),
     _enableDepthWrites(text._enableDepthWrites),
     _backdropType(text._backdropType),
     _backdropImplementation(text._backdropImplementation),
@@ -67,12 +65,6 @@ Text::~Text()
 }
 
 
-void Text::setColor(const osg::Vec4& color)
-{
-    _color = color;
-}
-
-
 Font* Text::getActiveFont()
 {
     return _font.valid() ? _font.get() : Font::getDefaultFont().get();
diff --git a/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp b/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
index fbfdefffd..af6b2dc69 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text3D.cpp
@@ -534,6 +534,8 @@ void Text3D::drawImplementation(osg::RenderInfo& renderInfo) const
     osg::State & state = *renderInfo.getState();
     unsigned int contextID = state.getContextID();
 
+    state.disableColorPointer();
+    state.Color(_color.r(),_color.g(),_color.b(),_color.a());
 
     // ** save the previous modelview matrix
     osg::Matrix previous(state.getModelViewMatrix());
diff --git a/src/osgText/TextBase.cpp b/src/osgText/TextBase.cpp
index cc89ba9ea..04be9ba58 100644
--- a/src/osgText/TextBase.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/TextBase.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ using namespace osgText;
 //#define TREES_CODE_FOR_MAKING_SPACES_EDITABLE
 
 TextBase::TextBase():
+    _color(1.0f,1.0f,1.0f,1.0f),
     _fontSize(32,32),
     _characterHeight(32),
     _characterSizeMode(OBJECT_COORDS),
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@ TextBase::TextBase():
 
 TextBase::TextBase(const TextBase& textBase,const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
     osg::Drawable(textBase,copyop),
+    _color(textBase._color),
     _font(textBase._font),
     _style(textBase._style),
     _fontSize(textBase._fontSize),
@@ -81,6 +83,12 @@ TextBase::~TextBase()
 {
 }
 
+void TextBase::setColor(const osg::Vec4& color)
+{
+    _color = color;
+}
+
+
 void TextBase::setFont(osg::ref_ptr<Font> font)
 {
     if (_font==font) return;