diff --git a/components/shader/shadermanager.cpp b/components/shader/shadermanager.cpp
index fc9a1f722..9c0e70d48 100644
--- a/components/shader/shadermanager.cpp
+++ b/components/shader/shadermanager.cpp
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@
 #include <fstream>
 #include <iostream>
 
+#include <osg/Program>
+
 #include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 #include <boost/filesystem/path.hpp>
 #include <boost/filesystem/fstream.hpp>
@@ -78,4 +80,18 @@ namespace Shader
         return shaderIt->second;
     }
 
+    osg::ref_ptr<osg::Program> ShaderManager::getProgram(osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> vertexShader, osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader)
+    {
+        OpenThreads::ScopedLock<OpenThreads::Mutex> lock(mMutex);
+        ProgramMap::iterator found = mPrograms.find(std::make_pair(vertexShader, fragmentShader));
+        if (found == mPrograms.end())
+        {
+            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Program> program (new osg::Program);
+            program->addShader(vertexShader);
+            program->addShader(fragmentShader);
+            found = mPrograms.insert(std::make_pair(std::make_pair(vertexShader, fragmentShader), program)).first;
+        }
+        return found->second;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/components/shader/shadermanager.hpp b/components/shader/shadermanager.hpp
index e0ec3fe5f..5196dbe80 100644
--- a/components/shader/shadermanager.hpp
+++ b/components/shader/shadermanager.hpp
@@ -30,6 +30,9 @@ namespace Shader
         /// @note Thread safe.
         osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> getShader(const std::string& shaderTemplate, const DefineMap& defines, osg::Shader::Type shaderType);
 
+        osg::ref_ptr<osg::Program> getProgram(osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> vertexShader, osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> fragmentShader);
+
+
     private:
         std::string mPath;
 
@@ -41,6 +44,9 @@ namespace Shader
         typedef std::map<MapKey, osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> > ShaderMap;
         ShaderMap mShaders;
 
+        typedef std::map<std::pair<osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader>, osg::ref_ptr<osg::Shader> >, osg::ref_ptr<osg::Program> > ProgramMap;
+        ProgramMap mPrograms;
+
         OpenThreads::Mutex mMutex;
     };
 
diff --git a/components/shader/shadervisitor.cpp b/components/shader/shadervisitor.cpp
index 96357ea9d..a077cb09e 100644
--- a/components/shader/shadervisitor.cpp
+++ b/components/shader/shadervisitor.cpp
@@ -131,11 +131,7 @@ namespace Shader
 
         if (vertexShader && fragmentShader)
         {
-            osg::ref_ptr<osg::Program> program (new osg::Program);
-            program->addShader(vertexShader);
-            program->addShader(fragmentShader);
-
-            stateset->setAttributeAndModes(program, osg::StateAttribute::ON);
+            stateset->setAttributeAndModes(mShaderManager.getProgram(vertexShader, fragmentShader), osg::StateAttribute::ON);
 
             for (std::map<int, std::string>::const_iterator texIt = reqs.mTextures.begin(); texIt != reqs.mTextures.end(); ++texIt)
             {