diff --git a/src/osgViewer/Viewer.cpp b/src/osgViewer/Viewer.cpp
index f952021f2..bd20dd4bc 100644
--- a/src/osgViewer/Viewer.cpp
+++ b/src/osgViewer/Viewer.cpp
@@ -447,13 +447,15 @@ void Viewer::setUpRenderingSupport()
         (*citr)->removeAllOperations();
     }
 
+    osg::DisplaySettings* ds = _displaySettings.valid() ? _displaySettings.get() : osg::DisplaySettings::instance();
+
     if (_camera.valid() && _camera->getGraphicsContext())
     {
         osgUtil::SceneView* sceneView = new osgUtil::SceneView;
         _cameraSceneViewMap[_camera] = sceneView;
 
         sceneView->setDefaults();
-        sceneView->setDisplaySettings(_displaySettings.get());
+        sceneView->setDisplaySettings(ds);
         sceneView->setCamera(_camera.get());
         sceneView->setState(_camera->getGraphicsContext()->getState());
         sceneView->setSceneData(getSceneData());
@@ -472,7 +474,7 @@ void Viewer::setUpRenderingSupport()
 
             sceneView->setDefaults();
             sceneView->setCamera(slave._camera.get());
-            sceneView->setDisplaySettings(_displaySettings.get());
+            sceneView->setDisplaySettings(ds);
             sceneView->setState(slave._camera->getGraphicsContext()->getState());
             sceneView->setSceneData(getSceneData());
             sceneView->setFrameStamp(frameStamp);