diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.cxx b/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.cxx
index f788162a..bcb5ec9c 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.cxx
@@ -280,19 +280,21 @@ ModelRegistry::readImage(const string& fileName,
 }
 
 
-osg::Node* DefaultCachePolicy::find(const string& fileName,
-                                    const Options* opt)
+osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> DefaultCachePolicy::find(const string& fileName, const Options* opt)
 {
     Registry* registry = Registry::instance();
-    osg::Node* cached
-        = dynamic_cast<Node*>(registry->getFromObjectCache(fileName));
-    if (cached)
-        SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_BULK, "Got cached model \""
-               << fileName << "\"");
+#if OSG_VERSION_LESS_THAN(3,4,0)
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> cachedObject = registry->getFromObjectCache(fileName);
+#else
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Object> cachedObject = registry->getRefFromObjectCache(fileName);
+#endif
+
+    ref_ptr<osg::Node> cachedNode = dynamic_cast<osg::Node*>(cachedObject.get());
+    if (cachedNode.valid())
+        SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_BULK, "Got cached model \"" << fileName << "\"");
     else
-        SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_BULK, "Reading model \""
-               << fileName << "\"");
-    return cached;
+        SG_LOG(SG_IO, SG_BULK, "Reading model \"" << fileName << "\"");
+    return cachedNode;
 }
 
 void DefaultCachePolicy::addToCache(const string& fileName,
diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.hxx b/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.hxx
index 8c8e7467..197bb197 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.hxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/ModelRegistry.hxx
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ struct DefaultProcessPolicy {
 
 struct DefaultCachePolicy {
     DefaultCachePolicy(const std::string& extension) {}
-    osg::Node* find(const std::string& fileName,
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> find(const std::string& fileName,
                     const osgDB::Options* opt);
     void addToCache(const std::string& filename, osg::Node* node);
 };