diff --git a/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp b/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
index d845b62ab..e4762feb7 100644
--- a/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
+++ b/src/osgViewer/GraphicsWindowX11.cpp
@@ -994,7 +994,7 @@ bool GraphicsWindowX11::createWindow()
     XFlush( _eventDisplay );
     XSync( _eventDisplay, 0 );
     rescanModifierMapping();
-    
+
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -2151,31 +2151,61 @@ extern "C" void graphicswindow_X11(void)
     osg::GraphicsContext::setWindowingSystemInterface(new X11WindowingSystemInterface);
 }
 
-
 void GraphicsWindowX11::raiseWindow()
 {
     Display* display = getDisplayToUse();
-    XWindowAttributes winAttrib;
+    if(!display) return;
 
-    Window root_return, parent_return, *children;
-    unsigned int nchildren, i=0;
-    XTextProperty windowName;
-    bool xraise = false;
-
-
-    XQueryTree(display, _parent, &root_return, &parent_return, &children, &nchildren);
-    while (!xraise &&  i<nchildren)
+    // get handles to window props of interest
+    Atom stateAbove = XInternAtom(display, "_NET_WM_STATE_ABOVE", True);
+    Atom stateAtom = XInternAtom(display, "_NET_WM_STATE", True);
+    // check that atoms are supported
+    if(stateAbove != None && stateAtom != None)
     {
-    XGetWMName(display,children[i++],&windowName);
-        if ((windowName.nitems != 0) && (strcmp(_traits->windowName.c_str(),(const char *)windowName.value) == 0)) xraise = true;
+        // fill an XEvent struct to send
+        XEvent xev;
+        xev.xclient.type = ClientMessage;
+        xev.xclient.serial = 0;
+        xev.xclient.send_event = True;
+        xev.xclient.window = _window;
+        xev.xclient.message_type = stateAtom;
+        xev.xclient.format = 32;
+        xev.xclient.data.l[0] = 1;
+        xev.xclient.data.l[1] = stateAbove;
+        xev.xclient.data.l[2] = 0;
+        
+        XSendEvent(display, RootWindow(display, DefaultScreen(display)),
+                   False,  SubstructureRedirectMask | SubstructureNotifyMask, &xev);
     }
-    if (xraise) XRaiseWindow(display,_window);
     else
     {
-    XGetWindowAttributes(display, _window, &winAttrib);
-    XReparentWindow(display, _window, _parent, winAttrib.x, winAttrib.y);
+        // one or both of _NET_WM_STATE and _NET_WM_STATE_ABOVE aren't supported
+        // try to use XRaiseWindow
+        XWindowAttributes winAttrib;
+
+        Window root_return, parent_return, *children;
+        unsigned int nchildren, i=0;
+        XTextProperty windowName;
+        bool xraise = false;
+
+        // get the window tree around our current window
+        XQueryTree(display, _parent, &root_return, &parent_return, &children, &nchildren);
+        while (!xraise &&  i<nchildren)
+        {
+            XGetWMName(display,children[i++],&windowName);
+            if ((windowName.nitems != 0) && (strcmp(_traits->windowName.c_str(),(const char *)windowName.value) == 0))
+                xraise = true;
+        }
+        if (xraise)
+            XRaiseWindow(display,_window);
+        else
+        {
+            XGetWindowAttributes(display, _window, &winAttrib);
+            XReparentWindow(display, _window, _parent, winAttrib.x, winAttrib.y);
+        }
+
+        XFree(children);
     }
-    XFree(children);
 
     XFlush(display);
     XSync(display,0);