diff --git a/include/osg/GraphicsContext b/include/osg/GraphicsContext
index 8443e9202..7b19c4319 100644
--- a/include/osg/GraphicsContext
+++ b/include/osg/GraphicsContext
@@ -123,7 +123,9 @@ class OSG_EXPORT GraphicsContext : public Object
             std::string     glContextVersion;
             unsigned int    glContextFlags;
             unsigned int    glContextProfileMask;
-            
+
+            /** return true if glContextVersion is set in the form major.minor, and assign the appropriate major and minor values to the associated parameters.*/
+            bool getContextVersion(unsigned int& major, unsigned int& minor) const;
             
             // shared context
             GraphicsContext* sharedContext;
diff --git a/src/osg/GraphicsContext.cpp b/src/osg/GraphicsContext.cpp
index 5385e8bd9..cf2a07d22 100644
--- a/src/osg/GraphicsContext.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/GraphicsContext.cpp
@@ -217,6 +217,18 @@ GraphicsContext::Traits::Traits(DisplaySettings* ds):
     }
 }
 
+bool GraphicsContext::Traits::getContextVersion(unsigned int& major, unsigned int& minor) const
+{
+    if (glContextVersion.empty()) return false;
+
+    std::istringstream istr( glContextVersion );
+    unsigned char dot;
+    istr >> major >> dot >> minor;
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+
 class ContextData
 {
 public:
diff --git a/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowWin32.cpp b/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowWin32.cpp
index 7f4267922..dd71c2576 100644
--- a/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowWin32.cpp
+++ b/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowWin32.cpp
@@ -1766,11 +1766,8 @@ HGLRC GraphicsWindowWin32::createContextImplementation()
                 unsigned int idx( 0 );
                 int attribs[ 16 ];
 
-                std::istringstream istr( _traits->glContextVersion );
-                unsigned int major, minor;
-                unsigned char dot;
-                istr >> major >> dot >> minor;
-                if( major < 3 )
+                unsigned int major = 1, minor = 0;
+                if( !_traitrs->getContextVersion(major, minor) || major<3 )
                 {
                     OSG_NOTIFY( osg::WARN ) << "GL3: Non-GL3 version number: " << _traits->glContextVersion << std::endl;
                 }