diff --git a/include/osgText/Text b/include/osgText/Text
index acb8323f9..ab5e547a0 100644
--- a/include/osgText/Text
+++ b/include/osgText/Text
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ public:
     virtual const char* className() const { return "Text"; }
     virtual const char* libraryName() const { return "osgText"; }
 
+    /** Set the ShaderTechnique hint to specify what fatures in the text shaders to enable.*/
+    void setShaderTechnique(ShaderTechnique technique);
+
+    /** Get the ShaderTechnique hint.*/
+    ShaderTechnique getShaderTechnique() { return _shaderTechnique; }
+
+
     /**
      * 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
@@ -282,6 +289,7 @@ protected:
 
     void drawImplementationSinglePass(osg::State& state, const osg::Vec4& colorMultiplier) const;
 
+    ShaderTechnique _shaderTechnique;
     bool _enableDepthWrites;
 
     BackdropType _backdropType;
diff --git a/src/osgText/Text.cpp b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
index 82c77d548..f2ef6ecbb 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
@@ -25,10 +25,15 @@
 
 #include <osgDB/ReadFile>
 
+#include <sstream>
+#include <iomanip>
+
+
 using namespace osg;
 using namespace osgText;
 
 Text::Text():
+    _shaderTechnique(GREYSCALE),
     _enableDepthWrites(true),
     _backdropType(NONE),
     _backdropHorizontalOffset(0.07f),
@@ -47,6 +52,7 @@ Text::Text():
 
 Text::Text(const Text& text,const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
     osgText::TextBase(text,copyop),
+    _shaderTechnique(text._shaderTechnique),
     _enableDepthWrites(text._enableDepthWrites),
     _backdropType(text._backdropType),
     _backdropHorizontalOffset(text._backdropHorizontalOffset),
@@ -65,8 +71,15 @@ Text::~Text()
 {
 }
 
-#include <sstream>
-#include <iomanip>
+
+void Text::setShaderTechnique(ShaderTechnique technique)
+{
+    if (_shaderTechnique==technique) return;
+
+    _shaderTechnique = technique;
+
+    assignStateSet();
+}
 
 osg::StateSet* Text::createStateSet()
 {