diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/dae/ReaderWriterDAE.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/dae/ReaderWriterDAE.cpp
index 2d210af5c..d98736372 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/dae/ReaderWriterDAE.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/dae/ReaderWriterDAE.cpp
@@ -29,9 +29,8 @@
 class ReaderWriterDAE : public osgDB::ReaderWriter
 {
 public:
-    ReaderWriterDAE()
+    ReaderWriterDAE() : dae_(NULL)
     {
-        dae_ = new DAE();
     }
 
     ~ReaderWriterDAE()
@@ -74,6 +73,9 @@ ReaderWriterDAE::readNode(const std::string& fname,
 
     osg::notify(osg::INFO) << "ReaderWriterDAE( \"" << fileName << "\" )" << std::endl;
 
+    if (dae_ == NULL)
+      const_cast<ReaderWriterDAE *>(this)->dae_ = new DAE();
+
     osgdae::daeReader daeReader(dae_);
     std::string fileURI( osgDB::convertFileNameToUnixStyle(fileName) );
     if ( ! daeReader.convert( fileURI ) )
@@ -117,6 +119,9 @@ ReaderWriterDAE::writeNode( const osg::Node& node,
       }
     }
     
+    if (dae_ == NULL)
+      const_cast<ReaderWriterDAE *>(this)->dae_ = new DAE();
+
     osgdae::daeWriter daeWriter(dae_, fname, usePolygon );
     daeWriter.setRootNode( node );
     const_cast<osg::Node*>(&node)->accept( daeWriter );