diff --git a/include/osgViewer/GraphicsWindow b/include/osgViewer/GraphicsWindow
index 219c84adb..5557f3c64 100644
--- a/include/osgViewer/GraphicsWindow
+++ b/include/osgViewer/GraphicsWindow
@@ -61,8 +61,39 @@ class OSGVIEWER_EXPORT GraphicsWindow : public osg::GraphicsContext, public osgG
         /** Get focus on if the pointer is in this window.*/
         virtual void grabFocusIfPointerInWindow() { osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"GraphicsWindow::grabFocusIfPointerInWindow(..) not implemented."<<std::endl; }
 
+        /** Mouse cursor types, the same ones already present with ancient glut ... */
+        enum MouseCursor {
+            InheritCursor,
+            NoCursor,
+            RightArrowCursor,
+            LeftArrowCursor,
+            InfoCursor,
+            DestroyCursor,
+            HelpCursor,
+            CycleCursor,
+            SprayCursor,
+            WaitCursor,
+            TextCursor,
+            CrosshairCursor,
+            UpDownCursor,
+            LeftRightCursor,
+            TopSideCursor,
+            BottomSideCursor,
+            LeftSideCursor,
+            RightSideCursor,
+            TopLeftCorner,
+            TopRightCorner,
+            BottomRightCorner,
+            BottomLeftCorner
+        };
         /** Switch on/off the cursor.*/
-        virtual void useCursor(bool /*cursorOn*/) { osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"GraphicsWindow::useCursor(..) not implemented."<<std::endl; }
+        virtual void useCursor(bool cursorOn) { setCursor(cursorOn ? InheritCursor : NoCursor); }
+
+        /** Set mouse cursor to a specific shape.*/
+        virtual void setCursor(MouseCursor /*mouseCursor*/) { osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"GraphicsWindow::setCursor(..) not implemented."<<std::endl; }
+
+        /** Create a new mouse cursor from the usual bitmap data.*/
+        //virtual MouseCursor createCursor(const char *data, const char *mask, unsigned w, unsigned h, unsigned hotx, unsigned hoty) { osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"GraphicsWindow::createCursor(..) not implemented."<<std::endl; }
 
     public:
 
diff --git a/include/osgViewer/api/X11/GraphicsWindowX11 b/include/osgViewer/api/X11/GraphicsWindowX11
index a32bd97d9..a13ba9b57 100644
--- a/include/osgViewer/api/X11/GraphicsWindowX11
+++ b/include/osgViewer/api/X11/GraphicsWindowX11
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ class GraphicsWindowX11 : public osgViewer::GraphicsWindow
             _window(0),
             _visualInfo(0),
             _glxContext(0),
-            _defaultCursor(0),
-            _nullCursor(0),
             _currentCursor(0),
             _initialized(false),
             _realized(false),
@@ -108,9 +106,9 @@ class GraphicsWindowX11 : public osgViewer::GraphicsWindow
         /** Set the window's position and size.*/
         virtual void setWindowRectangle(int x, int y, int width, int height);
 
-        /** Switch on/off the cursor.*/
-        virtual void useCursor(bool cursorOn);
-        
+        /** Set mouse cursor to a specific shape.*/
+        virtual void setCursor(MouseCursor cursor);
+
         /** WindowData is used to pass in the X11 window handle attached the GraphicsContext::Traits structure. */
         struct WindowData : public osg::Referenced
         {
@@ -127,22 +125,20 @@ class GraphicsWindowX11 : public osgViewer::GraphicsWindow
         Display* getDisplay() const { return _display; }
         Display* getEventDisplay() const { return _eventDisplay; }
         Display* getDisplayToUse() const ;
-        
+
         
         Window& getParent() { return _parent; }
         Window& getWindow() { return _window; }
         GLXContext& getGLXContext() { return _glxContext; }
 
-        Cursor& getDefaultCursor() { return _defaultCursor; }
-        Cursor& getNullCursor() { return _nullCursor; }
-        Cursor& getCurrentCursor() { return _nullCursor; }
-        
-        
+        Cursor getCurrentCursor() { return _currentCursor; }
 
     protected:
     
         ~GraphicsWindowX11();
     
+        Cursor getOrCreateCursor(MouseCursor mouseShape);
+        
         bool createVisualInfo();
         
         void init();
@@ -158,8 +154,6 @@ class GraphicsWindowX11 : public osgViewer::GraphicsWindow
         XVisualInfo*    _visualInfo;
         GLXContext      _glxContext;
 
-        Cursor          _defaultCursor;
-        Cursor          _nullCursor;     
         Cursor          _currentCursor;
 
         Atom            _deleteWindow;
@@ -168,6 +162,8 @@ class GraphicsWindowX11 : public osgViewer::GraphicsWindow
         bool            _realized;
 
         double          _timeOfLastCheckEvents;
+
+        std::map<MouseCursor,Cursor> _mouseCursorMap;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp b/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
index 73f752b0c..3be3680c2 100644
--- a/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
+++ b/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
@@ -384,28 +384,112 @@ void GraphicsWindowX11::setWindowRectangle(int x, int y, int width, int height)
     usleep(100000);
 }
 
-void GraphicsWindowX11::useCursor(bool cursorOn)
+void GraphicsWindowX11::setCursor(MouseCursor mouseCursor)
 {
+    Cursor newCursor = getOrCreateCursor(mouseCursor);
+    if (newCursor == _currentCursor) return;
+
+    _currentCursor = newCursor;
+    if (!_window) return;
     Display* display = getDisplayToUse();
+    if (!display) return;
+    XDefineCursor( display, _window, _currentCursor );
+    XFlush(display);
+    XSync(display, 0);
 
-    if (cursorOn)
-    {
-        _currentCursor = _defaultCursor;
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        _currentCursor = _nullCursor;
-    }
+    _traits->useCursor = (_currentCursor != getOrCreateCursor(NoCursor));
+}
 
-    if (display && _window)
+Cursor GraphicsWindowX11::getOrCreateCursor(MouseCursor mouseCursor)
+{
+    std::map<MouseCursor,Cursor>::iterator i = _mouseCursorMap.find(mouseCursor);
+    if (i != _mouseCursorMap.end()) return i->second;
+
+    Display* display = getDisplayToUse();
+    if (!display) return None;
+
+    switch (mouseCursor) {
+    case NoCursor:
     {
-        XDefineCursor( display, _window, _currentCursor );
+        // create an empty mouse cursor, note that it is safe to destroy the Pixmap just past cursor creation
+        // since the resource in the x server is reference counted.
+        char buff[2] = {0,0};
+        XColor ncol = {0,0,0,0,DoRed|DoGreen|DoBlue,0};
+        Pixmap pixmap = XCreateBitmapFromData( display, _parent, buff, 1, 1);
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreatePixmapCursor( display, pixmap, pixmap, &ncol, &ncol, 0, 0 );
+        XFreePixmap(display, pixmap);
+        // Important to have the pixmap and the buffer still available when the request is sent to the server ...
         XFlush(display);
-        XSync(display,0);
+        XSync(display, 0);
+        break;
     }
+    case RightArrowCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_left_ptr );
+        break;
+    case LeftArrowCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_top_left_arrow );
+        break;
+    case InfoCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_hand1 );
+        break;
+    case DestroyCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_pirate );
+        break;
+    case HelpCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_question_arrow );
+        break;
+    case CycleCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_exchange );
+        break;
+    case SprayCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_spraycan );
+        break;
+    case WaitCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_watch );
+        break;
+    case TextCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_xterm );
+        break;
+    case CrosshairCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_crosshair );
+        break;
+    case UpDownCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_sb_v_double_arrow );
+        break;
+    case LeftRightCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_sb_h_double_arrow );
+        break;
+    case TopSideCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_top_side );
+        break;
+    case BottomSideCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_bottom_side );
+        break;
+    case LeftSideCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_left_side );
+        break;
+    case RightSideCursor:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_right_side );
+        break;
+    case TopLeftCorner:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_top_left_corner );
+        break;
+    case TopRightCorner:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_top_right_corner );
+        break;
+    case BottomRightCorner:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_bottom_right_corner );
+        break;
+    case BottomLeftCorner:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = XCreateFontCursor( display, XC_bottom_left_corner );
+        break;
 
-    _traits->useCursor = cursorOn;
-
+    case InheritCursor:
+    default:
+        _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor] = None;
+        break;
+    };
+    return _mouseCursorMap[mouseCursor];
 }
 
 void GraphicsWindowX11::init()
@@ -541,20 +625,6 @@ void GraphicsWindowX11::init()
 
     setWindowDecoration(_traits->windowDecoration);
 
-    // Create  default Cursor
-    _defaultCursor = XCreateFontCursor( _display, XC_left_ptr );
-
-
-    // Create Null Cursor
-    {
-        Pixmap pixmap;
-        static char buff[2] = {0,0};
-        static XColor ncol = {0,0,0,0,DoRed|DoGreen|DoBlue,0};
-
-        pixmap = XCreateBitmapFromData( _display, _parent, buff, 1, 1);
-        _nullCursor = XCreatePixmapCursor( _display, pixmap, pixmap, &ncol, &ncol, 0, 0 );
-    }
-
     useCursor(_traits->useCursor);
 
     _deleteWindow = XInternAtom (_display, "WM_DELETE_WINDOW", False);