diff --git a/src/osgDB/Archive.cpp b/src/osgDB/Archive.cpp
index c7b71e9b7..95666076e 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/Archive.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/Archive.cpp
@@ -35,9 +35,11 @@ osgDB::Archive* osgDB::openArchive(const std::string& filename, Archive::Archive
 
 Archive::Archive()
 {
+    osg::notify(osg::INFO)<<"Archive::Archive() open"<<std::endl;
 }
 
 Archive::~Archive()
 {
+    osg::notify(osg::INFO)<<"Archive::~Archive() closed"<<std::endl;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/osgDB/Registry.cpp b/src/osgDB/Registry.cpp
index f45a73816..28e310e41 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/Registry.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/Registry.cpp
@@ -1352,7 +1352,10 @@ ReaderWriter::ReadResult Registry::readImplementation(const ReadFunctor& readFun
 
 ReaderWriter::ReadResult Registry::openArchiveImplementation(const std::string& fileName, ReaderWriter::ArchiveStatus status, unsigned int indexBlockSizeHint, const ReaderWriter::Options* options)
 {
-    if (options && (options->getObjectCacheHint() & ReaderWriter::Options::CACHE_ARCHIVES))
+
+    // default to using chaching archive if no options structure provided, but if options are provided use archives
+    // only if supplied.
+    if (!options || (options && (options->getObjectCacheHint() & ReaderWriter::Options::CACHE_ARCHIVES)))
     {
         osgDB::Archive* archive = getFromArchiveCache(fileName);
         if (archive) return archive;