diff --git a/include/osg/State b/include/osg/State
index 2e30a3b27..453905905 100644
--- a/include/osg/State
+++ b/include/osg/State
@@ -512,8 +512,11 @@ class OSG_EXPORT State : public Referenced, public Observer
             _currentPBO = 0;
         }
 
-        typedef std::vector<GLushort> Indices;
-        Indices _quadIndices[6];
+        typedef std::vector<GLushort> IndicesGLushort;
+        IndicesGLushort _quadIndicesGLushort[4];
+
+        typedef std::vector<GLuint> IndicesGLuint;
+        IndicesGLuint _quadIndicesGLuint[4];
 
         void drawQuads(GLint first, GLsizei count, GLsizei primCount=0);
 
diff --git a/src/osg/State.cpp b/src/osg/State.cpp
index e9a84b6d9..0b88d6383 100644
--- a/src/osg/State.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/State.cpp
@@ -1431,38 +1431,67 @@ void State::drawQuads(GLint first, GLsizei count, GLsizei primCount)
     unsigned int numQuads = (count/4);
     unsigned int numIndices = numQuads * 6;
     unsigned int endOfIndices = offsetFirst+numIndices;
-    Indices& indices = _quadIndices[array];
-    if (endOfIndices>65536)
-    {
-        OSG_NOTICE<<"Warning: State::drawQuads("<<first<<", "<<count<<") too large handle in remapping to ushort glDrawElements."<<std::endl;
-        endOfIndices = 65536;
-    }
     
-    if (endOfIndices >= indices.size())
+    if (endOfIndices<65536)
     {
-        // we need to expand the _indexArray to be big enough to cope with all the quads required.
-        unsigned int numExistingQuads = indices.size()/6;
-        unsigned int numRequiredQuads = endOfIndices/6;
-        indices.reserve(endOfIndices);
-        for(unsigned int i=numExistingQuads; i<numRequiredQuads; ++i)
+        IndicesGLushort& indices = _quadIndicesGLushort[array];
+
+        if (endOfIndices >= indices.size())
         {
-            unsigned int base = i*4 + array;
-            indices.push_back(base);
-            indices.push_back(base+1);
-            indices.push_back(base+3);
-            
-            indices.push_back(base+1);
-            indices.push_back(base+2);
-            indices.push_back(base+3);
-            
-            // OSG_NOTICE<<"   adding quad indices ("<<base<<")"<<std::endl;
+            // we need to expand the _indexArray to be big enough to cope with all the quads required.
+            unsigned int numExistingQuads = indices.size()/6;
+            unsigned int numRequiredQuads = endOfIndices/6;
+            indices.reserve(endOfIndices);
+            for(unsigned int i=numExistingQuads; i<numRequiredQuads; ++i)
+            {
+                unsigned int base = i*4 + array;
+                indices.push_back(base);
+                indices.push_back(base+1);
+                indices.push_back(base+3);
+
+                indices.push_back(base+1);
+                indices.push_back(base+2);
+                indices.push_back(base+3);
+
+                // OSG_NOTICE<<"   adding quad indices ("<<base<<")"<<std::endl;
+            }
         }
+
+        // if (array!=0) return;
+
+        // OSG_NOTICE<<"  glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, "<<numIndices<<", GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, "<<&(indices[base])<<")"<<std::endl;
+        glDrawElementsInstanced(GL_TRIANGLES, numIndices, GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, &(indices[offsetFirst]), primCount);
     }
+    else
+    {
+        IndicesGLuint& indices = _quadIndicesGLuint[array];
 
-    // if (array!=0) return;
+        if (endOfIndices >= indices.size())
+        {
+            // we need to expand the _indexArray to be big enough to cope with all the quads required.
+            unsigned int numExistingQuads = indices.size()/6;
+            unsigned int numRequiredQuads = endOfIndices/6;
+            indices.reserve(endOfIndices);
+            for(unsigned int i=numExistingQuads; i<numRequiredQuads; ++i)
+            {
+                unsigned int base = i*4 + array;
+                indices.push_back(base);
+                indices.push_back(base+1);
+                indices.push_back(base+3);
 
-    // OSG_NOTICE<<"  glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, "<<numIndices<<", GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, "<<&(indices[base])<<")"<<std::endl;
-    glDrawElementsInstanced(GL_TRIANGLES, numIndices, GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, &(indices[offsetFirst]), primCount);
+                indices.push_back(base+1);
+                indices.push_back(base+2);
+                indices.push_back(base+3);
+
+                // OSG_NOTICE<<"   adding quad indices ("<<base<<")"<<std::endl;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // if (array!=0) return;
+
+        // OSG_NOTICE<<"  glDrawElements(GL_TRIANGLES, "<<numIndices<<", GL_UNSIGNED_SHORT, "<<&(indices[base])<<")"<<std::endl;
+        glDrawElementsInstanced(GL_TRIANGLES, numIndices, GL_UNSIGNED_INT, &(indices[offsetFirst]), primCount);
+    }
 }
 
 void State::ModeStack::print(std::ostream& fout) const