diff --git a/simgear/structure/OSGUtils.hxx b/simgear/structure/OSGUtils.hxx
index 40291d74..7d71a380 100644
--- a/simgear/structure/OSGUtils.hxx
+++ b/simgear/structure/OSGUtils.hxx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 #include <osg/CopyOp>
 #include <osg/StateAttribute>
 #include <osg/StateSet>
-
+#include <osgText/Text>
 /** Typesafe wrapper around OSG's object clone function. Something
  * very similar is in current OSG sources.
  */
@@ -294,6 +294,46 @@ template<>
 struct AttributeType<Viewport>
     : public TypeHolder<StateAttribute::VIEWPORT>
 {};
+
+static osgText::Text::AlignmentType mapAlignment(const std::string& val)
+{
+    if (val == "left-top" || val == "LeftTop" || val == "LEFT_TOP")
+        return osgText::Text::LEFT_TOP;
+    else if (val == "left-center" || val == "LeftCenter" || val == "LEFT_CENTER")
+        return osgText::Text::LEFT_CENTER;
+    else if (val == "left-bottom" || val == "LeftBottom" || val == "LEFT_BOTTOM")
+        return osgText::Text::LEFT_BOTTOM;
+    else if (val == "center-top" || val == "CenterTop" || val == "CENTER_TOP")
+        return osgText::Text::CENTER_TOP;
+    else if (val == "center-center" || val == "CenterCenter" || val == "CENTER_CENTER")
+        return osgText::Text::CENTER_CENTER;
+    else if (val == "center-bottom" || val == "CenterBottom" || val == "CENTER_BOTTOM")
+        return osgText::Text::CENTER_BOTTOM;
+    else if (val == "right-top" || val == "RightTop" || val == "RIGHT_TOP")
+        return osgText::Text::RIGHT_TOP;
+    else if (val == "right-center" || val == "RightCenter" || val == "RIGHT_CENTER")
+        return osgText::Text::RIGHT_CENTER;
+    else if (val == "right-bottom" || val == "RightBottom" || val == "RIGHT_BOTTOM")
+        return osgText::Text::RIGHT_BOTTOM;
+    else if (val == "left-base-line" || val == "LeftBaseLine" || val == "LEFT_BASE_LINE")
+        return osgText::Text::LEFT_BASE_LINE;
+    else if (val == "center-base-line" || val == "CenterBaseLine" || val == "CENTER_BASE_LINE")
+        return osgText::Text::CENTER_BASE_LINE;
+    else if (val == "right-base-line" || val == "RightBaseLine" || val == "RIGHT_BASE_LINE")
+        return osgText::Text::RIGHT_BASE_LINE;
+    else if (val == "left-bottom-base-line" || val == "LeftBottomBaseLine" || val == "LEFT_BOTTOM_BASE_LINE")
+        return osgText::Text::LEFT_BOTTOM_BASE_LINE;
+    else if (val == "center-bottom-base-line" || val == "CenterBottomBaseLine" || val == "CENTER_BOTTOM_BASE_LINE")
+        return osgText::Text::CENTER_BOTTOM_BASE_LINE;
+    else if (val == "right-bottom-base-line" || val == "RightBottomBaseLine" || val == "RIGHT_BOTTOM_BASE_LINE")
+        return osgText::Text::RIGHT_BOTTOM_BASE_LINE;
+    else if (val == "base-line")
+        return osgText::Text::BASE_LINE;
+    else {
+        SG_LOG(SG_GENERAL, SG_ALERT, "ignoring unknown text-alignment '" << val << "'.");
+        return osgText::Text::BASE_LINE;
+    }
+}
 } // namespace osgutils
 
 template<typename AT>