diff --git a/include/osg/State b/include/osg/State
index 89bde2a73..26c59cbd8 100644
--- a/include/osg/State
+++ b/include/osg/State
@@ -708,8 +708,26 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced
           * if true steps should be taken to complete rendering early.*/
         bool getAbortRendering() const { return _abortRenderingPtr!=0?(*_abortRenderingPtr):false; }
 
-        void setReportGLErrors(bool flag) { _reportGLErrors = flag; }
-        bool getReportGLErrors() const { return _reportGLErrors; }
+        enum CheckForGLErrors
+        {
+            /** NEVER_CHECK_GL_ERRORS hints that OpenGL need not be checked for, this 
+                is the fastest option since checking for errors does incurr a small overhead.*/
+            NEVER_CHECK_GL_ERRORS,
+            /** ONCE_PER_FRAME means that OpenGl errors will be checked for once per
+                frame, the overhead is still small, but at least OpenGL errors that are occurring
+                will be caught, the reporting isn't fine grained enough for debugging purposes.*/
+            ONCE_PER_FRAME,
+            /** ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE means that OpenGL errors will be checked for after
+                every attribute is applied, allow errors to be directly associated with
+                particular operations which makes debugging much easier.*/
+            ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE
+        };
+
+        /** Set whether and how often OpenGL errors should be checked for.*/
+        void setCheckForGLErrors(CheckForGLErrors check) { _checkGLErrors = check; }
+
+        /** Get whether and how often OpenGL errors should be checked for.*/
+        CheckForGLErrors getCheckForGLErrors() const { return _checkGLErrors; }
 
         bool checkGLErrors(const char* str) const;
         bool checkGLErrors(StateAttribute::GLMode mode) const;
@@ -732,7 +750,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced
         ref_ptr<DisplaySettings>    _displaySettings;
 
         bool*                       _abortRenderingPtr;
-        bool                        _reportGLErrors;
+        CheckForGLErrors            _checkGLErrors;
 
         struct ModeStack
         {
@@ -827,7 +845,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced
                 if (enabled) glEnable(mode);
                 else glDisable(mode);
 
-                if (_reportGLErrors) checkGLErrors(mode);
+                if (_checkGLErrors==ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE) checkGLErrors(mode);
 
                 return true;
             }
@@ -846,7 +864,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced
                 as.last_applied_attribute = attribute;
                 attribute->apply(*this);
 
-                if (_reportGLErrors) checkGLErrors(attribute);
+                if (_checkGLErrors==ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE) checkGLErrors(attribute);
 
                 return true;
             }
@@ -862,7 +880,7 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced
                 if (as.global_default_attribute.valid())
                 {
                     as.global_default_attribute->apply(*this);
-                    if (_reportGLErrors) checkGLErrors(as.global_default_attribute.get());
+                    if (_checkGLErrors==ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE) checkGLErrors(as.global_default_attribute.get());
                 }
                 return true;
             }
diff --git a/src/osg/State.cpp b/src/osg/State.cpp
index 742f28006..2c11640a0 100644
--- a/src/osg/State.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/State.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ State::State()
     _modelView = _identity;
 
     _abortRenderingPtr = false;    
-    _reportGLErrors = false;
+    _checkGLErrors = ONCE_PER_FRAME;
 
     _currentActiveTextureUnit=0;
     _currentClientActiveTextureUnit=0;
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ void State::captureCurrentState(StateSet& stateset) const
 
 void State::apply(const StateSet* dstate)
 {
-    if (_reportGLErrors) checkGLErrors("start of State::apply(StateSet*)");
+    if (_checkGLErrors==ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE) checkGLErrors("start of State::apply(StateSet*)");
 
     // equivilant to:
     //pushStateSet(dstate);
@@ -312,13 +312,13 @@ void State::apply(const StateSet* dstate)
         apply();
     }
 
-    if (_reportGLErrors) checkGLErrors("end of State::apply(StateSet*)");
+    if (_checkGLErrors==ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE) checkGLErrors("end of State::apply(StateSet*)");
 }
 
 void State::apply()
 {
 
-    if (_reportGLErrors) checkGLErrors("start of State::apply()");
+    if (_checkGLErrors==ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE) checkGLErrors("start of State::apply()");
 
     // go through all active OpenGL modes, enabling/disable where
     // appropriate.
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ void State::apply()
         }
     }
 
-    if (_reportGLErrors) checkGLErrors("end of State::apply()");
+    if (_checkGLErrors==ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE) checkGLErrors("end of State::apply()");
 }
 
 void State::haveAppliedMode(StateAttribute::GLMode mode,StateAttribute::GLModeValue value)
diff --git a/src/osgUtil/SceneView.cpp b/src/osgUtil/SceneView.cpp
index 69b0439f1..40e25600b 100644
--- a/src/osgUtil/SceneView.cpp
+++ b/src/osgUtil/SceneView.cpp
@@ -938,12 +938,17 @@ void SceneView::draw()
     // re apply the defalt OGL state.
     _state->popAllStateSets();
 
-    GLenum errorNo = glGetError();
-    if (errorNo!=GL_NO_ERROR)
+    if (_state->getCheckForGLErrors()!=osg::State::NEVER_CHECK_GL_ERRORS)
     {
-        osg::notify(WARN)<<"Warning: detected OpenGL error '"<<gluErrorString(errorNo)<<"'"<< std::endl;
-        // go into debug mode of OGL errors.
-        _state->setReportGLErrors(true);
+        GLenum errorNo = glGetError();
+        if (errorNo!=GL_NO_ERROR)
+        {
+            osg::notify(WARN)<<"Warning: detected OpenGL error '"<<gluErrorString(errorNo)<<"'"<< std::endl;
+
+            // go into debug mode of OGL error in a fine grained way to help
+            // track down OpenGL errors.
+            _state->setCheckForGLErrors(osg::State::ONCE_PER_ATTRIBUTE);
+        }
     }
 }