diff --git a/include/osgText/Text b/include/osgText/Text
index 17d5026ee..f7e91d942 100644
--- a/include/osgText/Text
+++ b/include/osgText/Text
@@ -63,6 +63,13 @@ class OSGTEXT_EXPORT Text : public osg::Drawable
             ALIGNMENT       =    1<<2,
             DEFAULT         =    TEXT,
         };
+        
+        enum AxisAlignment
+        {
+            XY_PLANE,
+            XZ_PLANE,
+            YZ_PLANE
+        };
 
         Text();
         Text(const Text& text,const osg::CopyOp& copyop=osg::CopyOp::SHALLOW_COPY);
@@ -92,6 +99,9 @@ class OSGTEXT_EXPORT Text : public osg::Drawable
 
         void setAlignment(int alignment);
         int getAlignment() const { return _alignment; }
+        
+        void setAxisAlignment(AxisAlignment axis) { _axisAlignment = axis; dirtyDisplayList(); }
+        AxisAlignment getAxisAlignment() const { return _axisAlignment; }
 
         void setFont(Font* font);
         Font* getFont() { return _font.get(); }
@@ -137,6 +147,7 @@ class OSGTEXT_EXPORT Text : public osg::Drawable
         int                 _alignment;
         int                 _drawMode;
         int                 _boundingBoxType;
+        AxisAlignment       _axisAlignment;
 
         osg::Vec3           _pos;        
         osg::Vec3           _alignmentPos;
diff --git a/src/osgText/Text.cpp b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
index a2fb9f4ca..941217c26 100644
--- a/src/osgText/Text.cpp
+++ b/src/osgText/Text.cpp
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ Text::Text(const Text& text,const osg::CopyOp& copyop):
         _alignment(text._alignment),
         _drawMode(text._drawMode),
         _boundingBoxType(text._boundingBoxType),
+        _axisAlignment(text._axisAlignment),
         _pos(text._pos),
         _alignmentPos(text._alignmentPos),
         _color(text._color)
@@ -122,8 +123,11 @@ setDefaults()
     _boundingBoxType=GLYPH;
     _boundingBoxType=GEOMETRY;
 
+    _axisAlignment = XY_PLANE;
+
     _initAlignment=false;
 
+
     _useDisplayList=false;
 }
 
@@ -209,6 +213,8 @@ void Text::drawImplementation(State& state) const
             {
                 case POLYGON:
                     glTranslatef(drawPos.x(),drawPos.y(),drawPos.z());
+                    if(_axisAlignment==XZ_PLANE) glRotatef(90.0f,1.0f,0.0f,0.0f);
+                    else if (_axisAlignment==YZ_PLANE) {  glRotatef(90.0f,0.0f,0.0f,1.0f); glRotatef(90.0f,1.0f,0.0f,0.0f);}
                     _font->output(state,_text.c_str());
                     break;
                 case OUTLINE: