diff --git a/simgear/scene/model/SGReaderWriterXML.cxx b/simgear/scene/model/SGReaderWriterXML.cxx
index 6dbb42fc..17f23bc7 100644
--- a/simgear/scene/model/SGReaderWriterXML.cxx
+++ b/simgear/scene/model/SGReaderWriterXML.cxx
@@ -215,11 +215,8 @@ sgLoad3DModel_internal(const SGPath& path,
     SGPath texturepath(path);
     SGPath modelDir(modelpath.dir());
     
-    SGSharedPtr<SGPropertyNode> prop_root;
-    if (options->getPropertyNode().valid() &&
-        options->getPropertyNode()->getRootNode())
-        prop_root = options->getPropertyNode()->getRootNode();
-    else
+    SGSharedPtr<SGPropertyNode> prop_root = options->getPropertyNode();
+    if (!prop_root.valid())
         prop_root = new SGPropertyNode;
     osg::ref_ptr<SGModelData> data = options->getModelData();