diff --git a/src/osgUtil/TriStripVisitor.cpp b/src/osgUtil/TriStripVisitor.cpp
index 233d071bc..cd8e6497a 100644
--- a/src/osgUtil/TriStripVisitor.cpp
+++ b/src/osgUtil/TriStripVisitor.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #include <osgUtil/TriStripVisitor>
 
 #include <stdio.h>
+#include <algorithm>
 
 #include "TriStrip_tri_stripper.h"
 
@@ -141,11 +142,29 @@ void TriStripVisitor::stripify(Geometry& geom)
             pitr!=outPrimitives.end();
             ++pitr)
         {
-            osg::DrawElementsUShort* elements = new osg::DrawElementsUShort(pitr->m_Type);
-            elements->reserve(pitr->m_Indices.size());
-            std::copy(pitr->m_Indices.begin(),pitr->m_Indices.end(),std::back_inserter(*elements));
-            //elements->insert(elements->end(),);
-            new_primitives.push_back(elements);
+        
+            unsigned int maxValue = *(std::max_element(pitr->m_Indices.begin(),pitr->m_Indices.end()));
+            if (maxValue<256)
+            {
+                osg::DrawElementsUByte* elements = new osg::DrawElementsUByte(pitr->m_Type);
+                elements->reserve(pitr->m_Indices.size());
+                std::copy(pitr->m_Indices.begin(),pitr->m_Indices.end(),std::back_inserter(*elements));
+                new_primitives.push_back(elements);
+            }
+            else if (maxValue<65536)
+            {
+                osg::DrawElementsUShort* elements = new osg::DrawElementsUShort(pitr->m_Type);
+                elements->reserve(pitr->m_Indices.size());
+                std::copy(pitr->m_Indices.begin(),pitr->m_Indices.end(),std::back_inserter(*elements));
+                new_primitives.push_back(elements);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                osg::DrawElementsUInt* elements = new osg::DrawElementsUInt(pitr->m_Type);
+                elements->reserve(pitr->m_Indices.size());
+                std::copy(pitr->m_Indices.begin(),pitr->m_Indices.end(),std::back_inserter(*elements));
+                new_primitives.push_back(elements);
+            }
         }
 
         geom.setPrimitiveSetList(new_primitives);