diff --git a/src/osgPlugins/ive/ReaderWriterIVE.cpp b/src/osgPlugins/ive/ReaderWriterIVE.cpp
index 20ef66dbc..bc3b155a3 100644
--- a/src/osgPlugins/ive/ReaderWriterIVE.cpp
+++ b/src/osgPlugins/ive/ReaderWriterIVE.cpp
@@ -24,6 +24,20 @@ class IVEReaderWriter : public ReaderWriter
         {
             return readNode(file, options);
         }
+
+        virtual ReadResult readImage(const std::string& file, const Options* options) const
+        {
+            std::string ext = osgDB::getLowerCaseFileExtension(file);
+            if (!acceptsExtension(ext)) return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
+            std::string fileName = osgDB::findDataFile(file, options);
+            if (fileName.empty()) return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_FOUND;
+
+            // code for setting up the database path so that internally referenced files are searched for on relative paths.
+            osg::ref_ptr<Options> local_opt = options ? static_cast<Options*>(options->clone(osg::CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY)) : new Options;
+            local_opt->setDatabasePath(osgDB::getFilePath(fileName));
+            std::ifstream istream(fileName.c_str(), std::ios::in | std::ios::binary);
+            return readImage(istream, local_opt.get());
+        }
         
         virtual ReadResult readNode(const std::string& file, const Options* options) const
         {
@@ -45,6 +59,20 @@ class IVEReaderWriter : public ReaderWriter
         {
             return readNode(fin, options);
         }
+
+        virtual ReadResult readImage(std::istream& fin, const Options* options) const
+        {
+            try{
+                ive::DataInputStream in(&fin);
+                in.setOptions(options);
+                return in.readImage(ive::IMAGE_INCLUDE_DATA);
+            }
+            catch(ive::Exception e)
+            {
+                osg::notify(osg::NOTICE)<<"Error reading image: "<<e.getError()<<std::endl;
+                return ReadResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
+            }
+        }
         
         virtual ReadResult readNode(std::istream& fin, const Options* options) const
         {
@@ -68,9 +96,26 @@ class IVEReaderWriter : public ReaderWriter
         {
             const Node* node = dynamic_cast<const Node*>(&object);
             if (node) return writeNode( *node, fileName, options );
+            const Image* image = dynamic_cast<const Image*>(&object);
+            if (image) return writeImage(*image, fileName, options);
             return WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
         }
 
+        virtual WriteResult writeImage(const Image& image,const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            std::string ext = getFileExtension(fileName);
+            if (!acceptsExtension(ext)) return WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
+            // code for setting up the database path so that internally referenced file are searched for on relative paths. 
+            osg::ref_ptr<Options> local_opt = options ? static_cast<Options*>(options->clone(osg::CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY)) : new Options;
+            if(local_opt->getDatabasePathList().empty())
+                local_opt->setDatabasePath(osgDB::getFilePath(fileName));
+            std::ofstream fout(fileName.c_str(), std::ios::out | std::ios::binary);
+            if (!fout) return WriteResult::ERROR_IN_WRITING_FILE;
+            WriteResult result = writeImage(image, fout, local_opt.get());
+            fout.close();
+            return result;
+        }
+
         virtual WriteResult writeNode(const Node& node,const std::string& fileName, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
         {
             std::string ext = getFileExtension(fileName);
@@ -93,6 +138,25 @@ class IVEReaderWriter : public ReaderWriter
         {
             const Node* node = dynamic_cast<const Node*>(&object);
             if (node) return writeNode( *node, fout, options );
+            const Image* image = dynamic_cast<const Image*>(&object);
+            if (image) return writeImage(*image, fout, options);
+            return WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
+        }
+
+        virtual WriteResult writeImage(const Image& image,std::ostream& fout, const osgDB::ReaderWriter::Options* options) const
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                ive::DataOutputStream out(&fout);
+                out.setOptions(options);
+                out.writeImage(ive::IMAGE_INCLUDE_DATA, const_cast<osg::Image*>(&image));
+                if (fout.fail()) return WriteResult::ERROR_IN_WRITING_FILE;
+                return WriteResult::FILE_SAVED;
+            }
+            catch(ive::Exception e)
+            {
+                osg::notify(osg::WARN)<<"Error writing IVE image: "<< e.getError() << std::endl;
+            }
             return WriteResult::FILE_NOT_HANDLED;
         }