diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/vrml/ReaderWriterVRML2.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/vrml/ReaderWriterVRML2.cpp
index 8b1c97dca..7c90f5a5e 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/vrml/ReaderWriterVRML2.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/vrml/ReaderWriterVRML2.cpp
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ osgDB::ReaderWriter::ReadResult ReaderWriterVRML2::readNode(const std::string& f
             for (unsigned i = 0; i < mfn.size(); i++)
             {
                 openvrml::node *vrml_node = mfn[i].get();
-                osg_root->addChild(convertFromVRML(vrml_node).get());
+                osg_root->addChild(convertFromVRML(vrml_node));
             }
             osgDB::getDataFilePathList().pop_front();
             return osg_root.get();
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ osgDB::ReaderWriter::WriteResult ReaderWriterVRML2::writeNode(const osg::Node& r
 
 
 
-osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> ReaderWriterVRML2::convertFromVRML(openvrml::node *obj) const
+osg::Node* ReaderWriterVRML2::convertFromVRML(openvrml::node *obj) const
 {
     //static int osgLightNum = 0; //light
 
@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> ReaderWriterVRML2::convertFromVRML(openvrml::node *obj)
             // no children
         }
 
-        return osg_group.get();
+        return osg_group.release();
 
     }
 
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> ReaderWriterVRML2::convertFromVRML(openvrml::node *obj)
                 for (it_npv = node_ptr_vector.begin(); it_npv != node_ptr_vector.end(); it_npv++)
                 {
                     openvrml::node *node = (*(it_npv)).get();
-                    osg_m->addChild(convertFromVRML(node).get());
+                    osg_m->addChild(convertFromVRML(node));
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> ReaderWriterVRML2::convertFromVRML(openvrml::node *obj)
             // no children
         }
 
-        return osg_m.get();
+        return osg_m.release();
 
     }
 
@@ -503,7 +503,7 @@ osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> ReaderWriterVRML2::convertFromVRML(openvrml::node *obj)
             }
         }
 
-        return osg_geode.get();
+        return osg_geode.release();
     }
     else
     {
diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/vrml/ReaderWriterVRML2.h b/src/osgPlugins/vrml/ReaderWriterVRML2.h
index a1c1527c3..91e7e7ed5 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/vrml/ReaderWriterVRML2.h
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/vrml/ReaderWriterVRML2.h
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ private:
     typedef std::map<QuadricKey, osg::ref_ptr<osg::Geometry> > ConeLibrary;
     typedef std::map<QuadricKey, osg::ref_ptr<osg::Geometry> > CylinderLibrary;
 
-    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> convertFromVRML(openvrml::node *obj) const;
+    osg::Node* convertFromVRML(openvrml::node *obj) const;
 
 
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Geometry> convertVRML97IndexedFaceSet(openvrml::node *vrml_ifs) const;