diff --git a/src/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp b/src/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
index 13d6b2697..d15564947 100644
--- a/src/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
+++ b/src/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ void Optimizer::reset()
 {
 }
 
-static osg::ApplicationUsageProxy Optimizer_e0(osg::ApplicationUsage::ENVIRONMENTAL_VARIABLE,"OSG_OPTIMIZER \"<type> [<type>]\"","OFF | DEFAULT | FLATTEN_STATIC_TRANSFORMS | REMOVE_REDUNDANT_NODES | COMBINE_ADJACENT_LODS | SHARE_DUPLICATE_STATE | MERGE_GEOMETRY | MERGE_GEODES | SPATIALIZE_GROUPS  | COPY_SHARED_NODES  | TRISTRIP_GEOMETRY | OPTIMIZE_TEXTURE_SETTINGS | REMOVE_LOADED_PROXY_NODES | TESSELATE_GEOMETRY | CHECK_GEOMETRY");
+static osg::ApplicationUsageProxy Optimizer_e0(osg::ApplicationUsage::ENVIRONMENTAL_VARIABLE,"OSG_OPTIMIZER \"<type> [<type>]\"","OFF | DEFAULT | FLATTEN_STATIC_TRANSFORMS | REMOVE_REDUNDANT_NODES | COMBINE_ADJACENT_LODS | SHARE_DUPLICATE_STATE | MERGE_GEOMETRY | MERGE_GEODES | SPATIALIZE_GROUPS  | COPY_SHARED_NODES  | TRISTRIP_GEOMETRY | OPTIMIZE_TEXTURE_SETTINGS | REMOVE_LOADED_PROXY_NODES | TESSELATE_GEOMETRY | CHECK_GEOMETRY |  FLATTEN_BILLBOARDS");
 
 void Optimizer::optimize(osg::Node* node)
 {
@@ -100,6 +100,10 @@ void Optimizer::optimize(osg::Node* node)
 
         if(str.find("~CHECK_GEOMETRY")!=std::string::npos) options ^= CHECK_GEOMETRY;
         else if(str.find("CHECK_GEOMETRY")!=std::string::npos) options |= CHECK_GEOMETRY;
+        
+        if(str.find("~FLATTEN_BILLBOARDS")!=std::string::npos) options ^= FLATTEN_BILLBOARDS;
+        else if(str.find("FLATTEN_BILLBOARDS")!=std::string::npos) options |= FLATTEN_BILLBOARDS;
+        
 
     }
     else
diff --git a/src/osgWrappers/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp b/src/osgWrappers/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
index 1021137f8..d4433d53f 100644
--- a/src/osgWrappers/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
+++ b/src/osgWrappers/osgUtil/Optimizer.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ BEGIN_ENUM_REFLECTOR(osgUtil::Optimizer::OptimizationOptions)
 	I_EnumLabel(osgUtil::Optimizer::TRISTRIP_GEOMETRY);
 	I_EnumLabel(osgUtil::Optimizer::TESSELATE_GEOMETRY);
 	I_EnumLabel(osgUtil::Optimizer::OPTIMIZE_TEXTURE_SETTINGS);
+	I_EnumLabel(osgUtil::Optimizer::FLATTEN_BILLBOARDS);
 	I_EnumLabel(osgUtil::Optimizer::DEFAULT_OPTIMIZATIONS);
 	I_EnumLabel(osgUtil::Optimizer::ALL_OPTIMIZATIONS);
 END_REFLECTOR
@@ -113,6 +114,18 @@ BEGIN_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgUtil::Optimizer::CopySharedSubgraphsVisitor)
 	I_Method0(void, copySharedNodes);
 END_REFLECTOR
 
+TYPE_NAME_ALIAS(std::vector< osg::NodePath >, osgUtil::Optimizer::FlattenBillboardVisitor::NodePathList);
+
+TYPE_NAME_ALIAS(std::map< osg::Billboard * COMMA  osgUtil::Optimizer::FlattenBillboardVisitor::NodePathList >, osgUtil::Optimizer::FlattenBillboardVisitor::BillboardNodePathMap);
+
+BEGIN_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgUtil::Optimizer::FlattenBillboardVisitor)
+	I_BaseType(osgUtil::BaseOptimizerVisitor);
+	I_ConstructorWithDefaults1(IN, osgUtil::Optimizer *, optimizer, 0);
+	I_Method0(void, reset);
+	I_Method1(void, apply, IN, osg::Billboard &, billboard);
+	I_Method0(void, process);
+END_REFLECTOR
+
 BEGIN_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgUtil::Optimizer::FlattenStaticTransformsVisitor)
 	I_BaseType(osgUtil::BaseOptimizerVisitor);
 	I_ConstructorWithDefaults1(IN, osgUtil::Optimizer *, optimizer, 0);
@@ -216,6 +229,8 @@ BEGIN_OBJECT_REFLECTOR(osgUtil::Optimizer::TextureVisitor)
 	I_Method1(void, apply, IN, osg::Texture &, texture);
 END_REFLECTOR
 
+STD_MAP_REFLECTOR(std::map< osg::Billboard * COMMA  osgUtil::Optimizer::FlattenBillboardVisitor::NodePathList >);
+
 STD_SET_REFLECTOR(std::set< osg::Group * >);
 
 STD_SET_REFLECTOR(std::set< osg::Node * >);