diff --git a/Make/makedefs b/Make/makedefs
index cc58e6e87..a5a26cf50 100644
--- a/Make/makedefs
+++ b/Make/makedefs
@@ -232,14 +232,14 @@ endif
 #### MacOS X specific definitions
 ifeq ($(OS),Darwin)
   C++               = cc
-  INC               +=  -I/usr/include -I/sw/include
+  INC               +=  -I/usr/include
   DEF               += -Wall -D__DARWIN_OSX__
   OPTF              = -O2
   DBGF              = -g
   DEPARG            = -M $(DEF)
   SHARED            = -shared
   ARCHARGS          = 
-  LINKARGS          = -L/usr/lib -L/sw/lib 
+  LINKARGS          = -L/usr/lib
   DYNAMICLIBRARYLIB = 
   OSG_LIBS          = -losgGLUT -losgGA -losgDB -losgUtil -losg 
   FREETYPE_LIB      = -lfreetype
@@ -248,18 +248,19 @@ ifeq ($(OS),Darwin)
   GL_LIBS           = -framework OpenGL $(CARBON_LIB)
   X_LIBS            = 
   SOCKET_LIBS       = 
-  OTHER_LIBS        = -lm -ldl -lstdc++ -lobjc
+  OTHER_LIBS        = -lm -lstdc++ -lobjc
   LIB_EXT            = dylib
   QUICKTIME	    = -framework QuickTime $(CARBON_LIB)
   TIFF_LIB	    = -ltiff
-  SRC_DIRS          = osg osgUtil osgDB osgPlugins \
-                        osgGA osgGLUT osgParticle \
+  SRC_DIRS          = osg osgUtil osgDB \
+                        osgGA osgGLUT \
+                        osgPlugins osgParticle \
                         Demos
-  # Plugins which require external libs: gif jpeg png
+  # Plugins which require external libs: gif jpeg png tiff
   PLUGIN_DIRS       = bmp dw flt \
                         lib3ds logos lwo obj \
                         osg osgtgz pic \
-                        quicktime rgb tga tgz tiff \
+                        quicktime rgb tga tgz \
                         txp zip
   # Demos which require external libs: osghud osgtext
   DEMOS_DIRS        = osgbillboard osgcallback osgclip \
diff --git a/src/osg/GLExtensions.cpp b/src/osg/GLExtensions.cpp
index 54af58cd9..a4d0029e1 100644
--- a/src/osg/GLExtensions.cpp
+++ b/src/osg/GLExtensions.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 #if defined(WIN32)
 #include <windows.h>
-#elif !defined macintosh
+#elif defined(__DARWIN_OSX__)
+#include <mach-o/dyld.h>
+#else
 #include <dlfcn.h>
 #endif
 
@@ -62,12 +64,14 @@ void* osg::getGLExtensionFuncPtr(const char *funcName)
 {
 #if defined(WIN32)
    return wglGetProcAddress(funcName);
-#else
-#if defined( __DARWIN_OSX__ )
-   static void *lib = dlopen("libGL.dylib", RTLD_LAZY);
+#elif defined(__DARWIN_OSX__)
+    std::string temp( "_" );
+    NSSymbol symbol;
+    temp += funcName;	// Mac OS X prepends an underscore on function names
+    symbol = NSLookupAndBindSymbol( temp.c_str() );
+    return NSAddressOfSymbol( symbol );
 #else // all other unixes
    static void *lib = dlopen("libGL.so", RTLD_LAZY);
-#endif
    if (lib)
       return dlsym(lib, funcName);
    else
diff --git a/src/osgDB/DynamicLibrary.cpp b/src/osgDB/DynamicLibrary.cpp
index 922b84b76..3dfebf383 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/DynamicLibrary.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/DynamicLibrary.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 #include <Io.h>
 #include <Windows.h>
 #include <Winbase.h>
-#elif !defined(macintosh)
+#elif defined(__DARWIN_OSX__)
+#include <mach-o/dyld.h>
+#else // all other unix
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <dlfcn.h>
 #endif
@@ -27,7 +29,9 @@ DynamicLibrary::~DynamicLibrary()
     {
 #if defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
         FreeLibrary((HMODULE)_handle);
-#elif !defined(macintosh)
+#elif defined(__DARWIN_OSX__)
+        NSUnLinkModule(_handle, FALSE);
+#else // other unix
         dlclose(_handle);
 #endif    
     }
@@ -43,7 +47,18 @@ DynamicLibrary* DynamicLibrary::loadLibrary(const std::string& libraryName)
     HANDLE handle = LoadLibrary( fullLibraryName.c_str() );
     if (handle) return osgNew DynamicLibrary(libraryName,handle);
     notify(WARN) << "DynamicLibrary::failed loading "<<fullLibraryName<<std::endl;
-#elif !defined(macintosh)
+#elif defined(__DARWIN_OSX__)
+    NSObjectFileImage image;
+    // NSModule os_handle = NULL;
+    if (NSCreateObjectFileImageFromFile(fullLibraryName.c_str(), &image) == NSObjectFileImageSuccess) {
+        // os_handle = NSLinkModule(image, fullLibraryName.c_str(), TRUE);
+        HANDLE handle = NSLinkModule(image, fullLibraryName.c_str(), TRUE);
+        NSDestroyObjectFileImage(image);
+        if (handle) return osgNew DynamicLibrary(libraryName,handle);
+    }
+    // if (os_handle) return osgNew DynamicLibrary(libraryName,os_handle);
+    notify(WARN) << "DynamicLibrary::failed loading "<<fullLibraryName<<std::endl;
+#else // other unix
     HANDLE handle = dlopen( fullLibraryName.c_str(), RTLD_LAZY );
     if (handle) return osgNew DynamicLibrary(libraryName,handle);
     notify(WARN) << "DynamicLibrary::failed loading "<<fullLibraryName<<std::endl;
@@ -56,8 +71,15 @@ DynamicLibrary::PROC_ADDRESS DynamicLibrary::getProcAddress(const std::string& p
 {
     if (_handle==NULL) return NULL;
 #if defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
-    return (DynamicLibrary::PROC_ADDRESS)GetProcAddress( (HMODULE)_handle,  procName.c_str() );
-#elif !defined(macintosh)
+    return (DynamicLibrary::PROC_ADDRESS)GetProcAddress( (HMODULE)_handle,
+                                                         procName.c_str() );
+#elif defined(__DARWIN_OSX__)
+    std::string temp("_");
+    NSSymbol symbol;
+    temp += procName;	// Mac OS X prepends an underscore on function names
+    symbol = NSLookupAndBindSymbol(temp.c_str());
+    return NSAddressOfSymbol(symbol);
+#else // other unix
     return dlsym( _handle,  procName.c_str() );
 #endif
     return NULL;
diff --git a/src/osgDB/FileUtils.cpp b/src/osgDB/FileUtils.cpp
index 73d1def8b..99f33eaa7 100644
--- a/src/osgDB/FileUtils.cpp
+++ b/src/osgDB/FileUtils.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
-#ifdef TARGET_API_MAC_CARBON
-    #include <osgDB/FileUtils_Mac.cpp>
+#if 0 // defined(__DARWIN_OSX__)
+#include "FileUtils_Mac.cpp" // this is not functional yet -- fix!
 #else
 
-// implementations for Windows and all Unix's except Mac when TARGET_API_MAC_CARBON defined.    
+// currently this impl is for _all_ platforms, execpt as defined.
+// the mac version will change soon to reflect the path scheme under osx, but
+// for now, the above include is commented out, and the below code takes precedence.
 
 #if defined(WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
     #include <Io.h>
@@ -10,10 +12,8 @@
     #include <Winbase.h>
     // set up for windows so acts just like unix access().
     #define F_OK 4
-#else
-    // unix.
+#else // unix
     #include <unistd.h>
-    #include <dlfcn.h>
 #endif
 
 #include <osg/Notify>