diff --git a/components/nifosg/controller.cpp b/components/nifosg/controller.cpp
index e66713c17..bb698ed63 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/controller.cpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/controller.cpp
@@ -387,6 +387,13 @@ MaterialColorController::MaterialColorController(const MaterialColorController &
 {
 }
 
+void MaterialColorController::setDefaults(osg::StateSet *stateset)
+{
+    // need to create a deep copy of StateAttributes we will modify
+    osg::Material* mat = static_cast<osg::Material*>(stateset->getAttribute(osg::StateAttribute::MATERIAL));
+    stateset->setAttribute(osg::clone(mat, osg::CopyOp::DEEP_COPY_ALL), osg::StateAttribute::ON);
+}
+
 void MaterialColorController::apply(osg::StateSet *stateset, osg::NodeVisitor *nv)
 {
     if (hasInput())
diff --git a/components/nifosg/controller.hpp b/components/nifosg/controller.hpp
index 500a5cc17..58870317e 100644
--- a/components/nifosg/controller.hpp
+++ b/components/nifosg/controller.hpp
@@ -208,6 +208,8 @@ namespace NifOsg
 
         META_Object(NifOsg, MaterialColorController)
 
+        virtual void setDefaults(osg::StateSet* stateset);
+
         virtual void apply(osg::StateSet* stateset, osg::NodeVisitor* nv);
     };