diff --git a/Make/makedefs.cyg b/Make/makedefs.cyg
index 74d93cc22..b7e111bd8 100755
--- a/Make/makedefs.cyg
+++ b/Make/makedefs.cyg
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ C++FLAGS  = ${CFLAGS}
 CPPFLAGS  = ${CFLAGS}
 
 SO_EXT = dll
+DL_EXT = dll
 
 LDFLAGS = -O2 -W -Wall
 #LDFLAGS = -g -W -Wall
diff --git a/Make/makedefs.freebsd b/Make/makedefs.freebsd
index 47072fa24..0820468b1 100644
--- a/Make/makedefs.freebsd
+++ b/Make/makedefs.freebsd
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ C++FLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
 CPPFLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
 
 SO_EXT = so
+DL_EXT = so
 
 FREEBSD_LOCALLIBS = -L/usr/local/lib -rpath /usr/local/lib
 
diff --git a/Make/makedefs.irix.nonstd b/Make/makedefs.irix.nonstd
index 79aaad466..b37524c98 100644
--- a/Make/makedefs.irix.nonstd
+++ b/Make/makedefs.irix.nonstd
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ CFLAGS   = -O2  -n32 --OPT:Olimit=0 -DEBUG:woff=1682 -DEBUG:woff=3303
 C++FLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
 CPPFLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
 
+SO_EXT = so
+DL_EXT = so
+
 LDFLAGS = -O2 -n32 -OPT:Olimit=0
 
 .SUFFIXES: .cpp .o
diff --git a/Make/makedefs.irix.std b/Make/makedefs.irix.std
index ee1b8c963..700cb5cdf 100644
--- a/Make/makedefs.irix.std
+++ b/Make/makedefs.irix.std
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ C++FLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
 CPPFLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
 
 SO_EXT = so
+DL_EXT = so
 
 LDFLAGS = -O2 -n32 -LANG:std -OPT:Olimit=0
 
diff --git a/Make/makedefs.linux b/Make/makedefs.linux
index b1527c061..523ada4d0 100644
--- a/Make/makedefs.linux
+++ b/Make/makedefs.linux
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ C++FLAGS  = ${CFLAGS}
 CPPFLAGS  = ${CFLAGS}
 
 SO_EXT = so
+DL_EXT = so
 
 LDFLAGS = -O2 -W -Wall -L/usr/X11R6/lib
 #LDFLAGS = -g -W -Wall -L/usr/X11R6/lib
diff --git a/Make/makedefs.macosx b/Make/makedefs.macosx
index 81a0bf48b..51ea0fafd 100644
--- a/Make/makedefs.macosx
+++ b/Make/makedefs.macosx
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ MAKEDIR    = $(OSGHOME)/Make
 INSTRULES  = $(MAKEDIR)/instrules
 MAKEDEPEND = Makedepend
 OBJS = $(C++FILES:.cpp=.o) $(CFILES:.c=.o) $(YACCFILES:.y=.o) $(LEXFILES:.l=.o)
-SO_EXT = so
 
 DEPFILES = $(OBJS:.o=.d)
 
@@ -10,17 +9,16 @@ C++ = cc
 YFLAGS = -d
 LCINCS += -I/usr/local/include 
 LC++INCS += ${LCINCS}
-CFLAGS   = -O2 -W -Wall $(LCINCS) 
+CFLAGS   = -O2 -W -Wall $(LCINCS) -D__DARWIN_OSX__
 C++FLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
 CPPFLAGS = ${CFLAGS}
-LIBTOOL = libtool
-LD = ld
-PLUGINLIBS = $(TOP)/lib/osgPlugins/osgdb_rgb.SO_EXT $(TOP)/lib/osgPlugins/osgdb_3ds.SO_EXT $(TOP)/lib/osgPlugins/osgdb_osg.SO_EXT
-MACOSXLIBS = $(TOP)/lib/libosg.SO_EXT $(TOP)/lib/libosgUtil.SO_EXT $(TOP)/lib/libosgGLUT.SO_EXT $(TOP)/lib/libosgDB.SO_EXT
-PLUGINS = $(PLUGINLIBS) 
+# this distinction is necessary for Darwin / OS X as shared libs and loadable (dylib) modules
+# are not the same thing
+SO_EXT = dylib
+DL_EXT = so
 
-LDFLAGS = -all_load -framework GLUT -framework Carbon -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/lib -L$(TOP)/lib/osgPlugins -ldl -lstdc++ -lm 
-  
+FRAMEWORKS = -framework GLUT -framework Carbon -framework OpenGL
+LDFLAGS =-all_load  -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/lib  
 
 DYNAMICLIBRARYLIB = 
 PFLIBS = 
diff --git a/Make/makerules.cyg b/Make/makerules.cyg
index 7b453885f..5fdfe05db 100755
--- a/Make/makerules.cyg
+++ b/Make/makerules.cyg
@@ -1,12 +1,16 @@
 
-all : $(MAKEDEPEND) $(TARGET) $(LIB) 
+all : $(MAKEDEPEND) $(TARGET) $(LOADABLE) $(LIB) 
 
 $(TARGET) : $(OBJS) 
 	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
+$(LOADABLE) : $(OBJS)
+	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) -shared  -Wl,--export-all-symbols $(OBJS) $(LIBS)  \
+	-Wl,--output-def,lib$(TARGET_BASENAME).def -Wl,--out-implib,$(OSGHOME)/lib/lib$(TARGET_BASENAME).a  -o $@
+
 $(LIB) : $(OBJS)
 	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) -shared  -Wl,--export-all-symbols $(OBJS) $(LIBS)  \
-	-Wl,--output-def,lib$(TARGET_BASENAME).def -Wl,--out-implib,$(TOP)/lib/lib$(TARGET_BASENAME).a  -o $@
+	-Wl,--output-def,lib$(TARGET_BASENAME).def -Wl,--out-implib,$(OSGHOME)/lib/lib$(TARGET_BASENAME).a  -o $@
 
 clean :
 	rm -f $(OBJS) core $(TARGET) $(MAKEDEPEND)
diff --git a/Make/makerules.freebsd b/Make/makerules.freebsd
index d5c9e4a62..b4101812d 100644
--- a/Make/makerules.freebsd
+++ b/Make/makerules.freebsd
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 
-all : $(MAKEDEPEND) $(TARGET) $(LIB) 
+all : $(MAKEDEPEND) $(TARGET) $(LOADABLE) $(LIB) 
 
 $(TARGET) : $(OBJS) 
 	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
+$(LOADABLE) : $(OBJS)
+	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) -shared $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
+
 $(LIB) : $(OBJS)
 	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) -shared $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
diff --git a/Make/makerules.irix b/Make/makerules.irix
index dfb00039a..2ff6af728 100644
--- a/Make/makerules.irix
+++ b/Make/makerules.irix
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 
-all : $(TARGET) $(LIB) 
+all : $(TARGET) $(LOADABLE) $(LIB) 
 
 $(TARGET) : $(OBJS) 
 	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
+$(LOADABLE) : $(OBJS)
+	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) -shared $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
+
 $(LIB) : $(OBJS)
 	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) -shared $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
diff --git a/Make/makerules.linux b/Make/makerules.linux
index c5d0e6860..fc6dfb98f 100644
--- a/Make/makerules.linux
+++ b/Make/makerules.linux
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 
-all : $(MAKEDEPEND) $(TARGET) $(LIB) 
+all : $(MAKEDEPEND) $(TARGET) $(LOADABLE) $(LIB) 
 
 $(TARGET) : $(OBJS) 
 	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ $(TARGET) : $(OBJS)
 $(LIB) : $(OBJS)
 	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) -shared $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
 
+$(LOADABLE) : $(OBJS)
+	$(C++) $(LDFLAGS) -shared $(OBJS) $(LIBS) -o $@
+
 clean :
 	rm -f $(OBJS) core $(TARGET) $(MAKEDEPEND)
 	touch $(MAKEDEPEND)