diff --git a/components/sceneutil/optimizer.cpp b/components/sceneutil/optimizer.cpp
index e8ebed8686..487126627c 100644
--- a/components/sceneutil/optimizer.cpp
+++ b/components/sceneutil/optimizer.cpp
@@ -735,20 +735,6 @@ bool Optimizer::CombineStaticTransformsVisitor::removeTransforms(osg::Node* node
 // RemoveEmptyNodes.
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
-void Optimizer::RemoveEmptyNodesVisitor::apply(osg::Switch& switchNode)
-{
-    // We should keep all switch child nodes since they reflect different switch states.
-    for (unsigned int i=0; i<switchNode.getNumChildren(); ++i)
-        traverse(*switchNode.getChild(i));
-}
-
-void Optimizer::RemoveEmptyNodesVisitor::apply(osg::LOD& lod)
-{
-    // don't remove any direct children of the LOD because they are used to define each LOD level.
-    for (unsigned int i=0; i<lod.getNumChildren(); ++i)
-        traverse(*lod.getChild(i));
-}
-
 void Optimizer::RemoveEmptyNodesVisitor::apply(osg::Group& group)
 {
     if (group.getNumParents()>0)
@@ -787,8 +773,11 @@ void Optimizer::RemoveEmptyNodesVisitor::removeEmptyNodes()
                 ++pitr)
             {
                 osg::Group* parent = *pitr;
-                parent->removeChild(nodeToRemove.get());
-                if (parent->getNumChildren()==0 && isOperationPermissibleForObject(parent)) newEmptyGroups.insert(parent);
+                if (!parent->asSwitch() && !dynamic_cast<osg::LOD*>(parent))
+                {
+                    parent->removeChild(nodeToRemove.get());
+                    if (parent->getNumChildren()==0 && isOperationPermissibleForObject(parent)) newEmptyGroups.insert(parent);
+                }
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/components/sceneutil/optimizer.hpp b/components/sceneutil/optimizer.hpp
index 9974e70974..6dd4394d18 100644
--- a/components/sceneutil/optimizer.hpp
+++ b/components/sceneutil/optimizer.hpp
@@ -321,8 +321,6 @@ class Optimizer
                     BaseOptimizerVisitor(optimizer, REMOVE_REDUNDANT_NODES) {}
 
                 virtual void apply(osg::Group& group);
-                virtual void apply(osg::LOD& lod);
-                virtual void apply(osg::Switch& switchNode);
 
                 void removeEmptyNodes();