diff --git a/include/osgTerrain/Terrain b/include/osgTerrain/Terrain
index 9c1b49f98..abe6b3b53 100644
--- a/include/osgTerrain/Terrain
+++ b/include/osgTerrain/Terrain
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ class OSGTERRAIN_EXPORT Terrain : public osg::Group
         /** Set the sample ratio hint that TerrainTile should use when building geometry.
           * Defaults to 1.0, which means use all original sample points.*/
         void setSampleRatio(float ratio) 
-        { 
+        {
+            if (_sampleRatio == ratio) return;
             _sampleRatio  = ratio;
             dirtyRegisteredTiles();
         }
@@ -50,14 +51,31 @@ class OSGTERRAIN_EXPORT Terrain : public osg::Group
 
         /** Set the vertical scale hint.*/
         void setVerticalScale(float scale) 
-        { 
+        {
+            if (_verticalScale == scale) return;
             _verticalScale = scale;
             dirtyRegisteredTiles();
         }
-    
+
         /** Get the vertical scale hint.*/
         float getVerticalScale() const { return _verticalScale; }
-        
+
+
+        /** Set the default policy to use when deciding whether to enable/disable blending and use of transparent bin.
+          * Note, the Terrain::BlendingPolicy value only sets the value for the TerrainTiles it encloses for the
+          * TerrainTile's that have their policy set to INHERIT.   INHERIT is the default BlendingPolicy for both
+          * Terrain and TerrainTile, and if both are left to INERHIT then the policy used is ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT. */
+        void setBlendingPolicy(TerrainTile::BlendingPolicy policy)
+        {
+            if (_blendingPolicy == policy) return;
+            _blendingPolicy = policy;
+            dirtyRegisteredTiles();
+        }
+
+        /** Get the default policy to use when deciding whether to enable/disable blending and use of transparent bin.*/
+        TerrainTile::BlendingPolicy getBlendingPolicy() const { return _blendingPolicy; }
+
+
         /** Get the TerrainTile for a given TileID.*/
         TerrainTile* getTile(const TileID& tileID);
 
@@ -89,6 +107,7 @@ class OSGTERRAIN_EXPORT Terrain : public osg::Group
 
         float                               _sampleRatio;
         float                               _verticalScale;
+        TerrainTile::BlendingPolicy         _blendingPolicy;
 
         mutable OpenThreads::Mutex          _mutex;
         TerrainTileSet                      _terrainTileSet;
diff --git a/include/osgTerrain/TerrainTile b/include/osgTerrain/TerrainTile
index 811aa3827..2ac187474 100644
--- a/include/osgTerrain/TerrainTile
+++ b/include/osgTerrain/TerrainTile
@@ -159,9 +159,10 @@ class OSGTERRAIN_EXPORT TerrainTile : public osg::Group
 
         enum BlendingPolicy
         {
+            INHERIT, /** Default - check for the any BlendingPolicy set on the enclosing osgTerrain::Terrain node, and if it's also INHERIT then assume ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT. */
             DO_NOT_SET_BLENDING,
             ENABLE_BLENDING,
-            ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT /** Default - check colour layers for alpha value and if present enable blending. */
+            ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT /** check colour layers for alpha value and if present enable blending. */
         };
 
         /** Set the policy to use when deciding whether to enable/disable blending and use of transparent bin.*/
diff --git a/src/osgTerrain/GeometryTechnique.cpp b/src/osgTerrain/GeometryTechnique.cpp
index 09090134a..0dea263c0 100644
--- a/src/osgTerrain/GeometryTechnique.cpp
+++ b/src/osgTerrain/GeometryTechnique.cpp
@@ -802,19 +802,35 @@ void GeometryTechnique::applyColorLayers()
 
 void GeometryTechnique::applyTransparency()
 {
-    if (_terrainTile->getBlendingPolicy()==TerrainTile::DO_NOT_SET_BLENDING)
+    TerrainTile::BlendingPolicy blendingPolicy = _terrainTile->getBlendingPolicy();
+    if (blendingPolicy == TerrainTile::INHERIT && _terrainTile->getTerrain())
     {
+        OSG_INFO<<"GeometryTechnique::applyTransparency() inheriting policy from Terrain"<<std::endl;
+        blendingPolicy = _terrainTile->getTerrain()->getBlendingPolicy();
+    }
+
+    if (blendingPolicy == TerrainTile::INHERIT)
+    {
+        OSG_INFO<<"GeometryTechnique::applyTransparency() policy is INHERIT, defaulting to ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT"<<std::endl;
+        blendingPolicy = TerrainTile::ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT;
+    }
+
+    if (blendingPolicy == TerrainTile::DO_NOT_SET_BLENDING)
+    {
+        OSG_INFO<<"blendingPolicy == TerrainTile::DO_NOT_SET_BLENDING"<<std::endl;
         return;
     }
 
     bool enableBlending = false;
 
-    if (_terrainTile->getBlendingPolicy()==TerrainTile::ENABLE_BLENDING)
+    if (blendingPolicy == TerrainTile::ENABLE_BLENDING)
     {
+        OSG_INFO<<"blendingPolicy == TerrainTile::ENABLE_BLENDING"<<std::endl;
         enableBlending = true;
     }
-    else if (_terrainTile->getBlendingPolicy()==TerrainTile::ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT)
+    else if (blendingPolicy == TerrainTile::ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT)
     {
+        OSG_INFO<<"blendingPolicy == TerrainTile::ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT"<<std::endl;
         for(unsigned int i=0; i<_terrainTile->getNumColorLayers(); ++i)
         {
             osg::Image* image = (_terrainTile->getColorLayer(i)!=0) ? _terrainTile->getColorLayer(i)->getImage() : 0;
diff --git a/src/osgTerrain/Terrain.cpp b/src/osgTerrain/Terrain.cpp
index cf6d26675..79417bec6 100644
--- a/src/osgTerrain/Terrain.cpp
+++ b/src/osgTerrain/Terrain.cpp
@@ -21,7 +21,8 @@ using namespace osgTerrain;
 
 Terrain::Terrain():
     _sampleRatio(1.0),
-    _verticalScale(1.0)
+    _verticalScale(1.0),
+    _blendingPolicy(TerrainTile::INHERIT)
 {
     _terrainTechnique = new GeometryTechnique;
 }
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ Terrain::Terrain(const Terrain& ts, const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
     osg::Group(ts,copyop),
     _sampleRatio(ts._sampleRatio),
     _verticalScale(ts._verticalScale),
+    _blendingPolicy(ts._blendingPolicy),
     _terrainTechnique(ts._terrainTechnique)
 {
 }
diff --git a/src/osgTerrain/TerrainTile.cpp b/src/osgTerrain/TerrainTile.cpp
index bd8b95094..334afc767 100644
--- a/src/osgTerrain/TerrainTile.cpp
+++ b/src/osgTerrain/TerrainTile.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ TerrainTile::TerrainTile():
     _hasBeenTraversal(false),
     _requiresNormals(true),
     _treatBoundariesToValidDataAsDefaultValue(false),
-    _blendingPolicy(ENABLE_BLENDING_WHEN_ALPHA_PRESENT)
+    _blendingPolicy(INHERIT)
 {
     setThreadSafeRefUnref(true);
 }