diff --git a/simgear/misc/props.cxx b/simgear/misc/props.cxx
index 2a66fba5..2ab7ad14 100644
--- a/simgear/misc/props.cxx
+++ b/simgear/misc/props.cxx
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ SGPropertyNode::SGPropertyNode ()
   : _name(""),
     _index(0),
     _parent(0),
+    _path_cache(0),
     _type(NONE),
     _tied(false),
     _attr(READ|WRITE)
@@ -313,6 +314,7 @@ SGPropertyNode::SGPropertyNode (const SGPropertyNode &node)
   : _name(node._name),
     _index(node._index),
     _parent(0),			// don't copy the parent
+    _path_cache(0),
     _type(node._type),
     _tied(node._tied),
     _attr(node._attr)
@@ -351,8 +353,13 @@ SGPropertyNode::SGPropertyNode (const SGPropertyNode &node)
  */
 SGPropertyNode::SGPropertyNode (const string &name,
 				int index, SGPropertyNode * parent)
-  : _name(name), _index(index), _parent(parent), _type(NONE),
-    _tied(false), _attr(READ|WRITE)
+  : _name(name),
+    _index(index),
+    _parent(parent),
+    _path_cache(0),
+    _type(NONE),
+    _tied(false),
+    _attr(READ|WRITE)
 {
 }
 
@@ -365,6 +372,7 @@ SGPropertyNode::~SGPropertyNode ()
   for (int i = 0; i < (int)_children.size(); i++) {
     delete _children[i];
   }
+  delete _path_cache;
   clear_value();
 }
 
@@ -1278,21 +1286,42 @@ SGPropertyNode::getRootNode () const
 
 SGPropertyNode *
 SGPropertyNode::getNode (const string &relative_path, bool create)
+{
+  if (_path_cache == 0)
+    _path_cache = new cache_map;
+
+  SGPropertyNode * result = (*_path_cache)[relative_path];
+  if (result == 0) {
+    vector<PathComponent> components;
+    parse_path(relative_path, components);
+    result = find_node(this, components, 0, create);
+    (*_path_cache)[relative_path] = result;
+  }
+  
+  return result;
+}
+
+SGPropertyNode *
+SGPropertyNode::getNode (const string &relative_path, int index, bool create)
 {
   vector<PathComponent> components;
   parse_path(relative_path, components);
+  if (components.size() > 0)
+    components[components.size()-1].index = index;
   return find_node(this, components, 0, create);
 }
 
 const SGPropertyNode *
 SGPropertyNode::getNode (const string &relative_path) const
 {
-  vector<PathComponent> components;
-  parse_path(relative_path, components);
-				// FIXME: cast away const
-  return find_node((SGPropertyNode *)this, components, 0, false);
+  return ((SGPropertyNode *)this)->getNode(relative_path, false);
 }
 
+const SGPropertyNode *
+SGPropertyNode::getNode (const string &relative_path, int index) const
+{
+  return ((SGPropertyNode *)this)->getNode(relative_path, index, false);
+}
 
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/simgear/misc/props.hxx b/simgear/misc/props.hxx
index b9a0157a..5ac1e5b3 100644
--- a/simgear/misc/props.hxx
+++ b/simgear/misc/props.hxx
@@ -18,10 +18,12 @@
 
 #include STL_STRING
 #include <vector>
+#include <map>
 #include STL_IOSTREAM
 
 SG_USING_STD(string);
 SG_USING_STD(vector);
+SG_USING_STD(map);
 #if !defined(SG_HAVE_NATIVE_SGI_COMPILERS)
 SG_USING_STD(istream);
 SG_USING_STD(ostream);
@@ -688,12 +690,36 @@ public:
   SGPropertyNode * getNode (const string &relative_path, bool create = false);
 
 
+  /**
+   * Get a pointer to another node by relative path.
+   *
+   * This method leaves the index off the last member of the path,
+   * so that the user can specify it separately (and save some
+   * string building).  For example, getNode("/bar[1]/foo", 3) is
+   * exactly equivalent to getNode("bar[1]/foo[3]").  The index
+   * provided overrides any given in the path itself for the last
+   * component.
+   */
+  SGPropertyNode * getNode (const string &relative_path, int index,
+			    bool create = false);
+
+
   /**
    * Get a const pointer to another node by relative path.
    */
   const SGPropertyNode * getNode (const string &relative_path) const;
 
 
+  /**
+   * Get a const pointer to another node by relative path.
+   *
+   * This method leaves the index off the last member of the path,
+   * so that the user can specify it separate.
+   */
+  const SGPropertyNode * getNode (const string &relative_path,
+				  int index) const;
+
+
   //
   // Access Mode.
   //
@@ -1062,8 +1088,8 @@ private:
   int _index;
   SGPropertyNode * _parent;
   vector<SGPropertyNode *> _children;
-
-
+  typedef map<const string,SGPropertyNode *> cache_map;
+  cache_map * _path_cache;
   Type _type;
   bool _tied;
   int _attr;