diff --git a/src/osgEarth/ElevationRanges b/src/osgEarth/ElevationRanges
index b6fe47a306..78b81dc6ef 100644
--- a/src/osgEarth/ElevationRanges
+++ b/src/osgEarth/ElevationRanges
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ namespace osgEarth
 
         // Gets the min/max elevation at the given tile key index.
         static bool getElevationRange(unsigned int level, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, short& min, short& max);      
+
+        // Get the default min/max elevation range if no index data is available.
+        static bool getDefaultElevationRange(short& min, short& max);
     };
 
 } // namespace osgEarth
diff --git a/src/osgEarth/ElevationRanges.cpp b/src/osgEarth/ElevationRanges.cpp
index 7c71e4789e..7d629654ef 100644
--- a/src/osgEarth/ElevationRanges.cpp
+++ b/src/osgEarth/ElevationRanges.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,13 @@ osg::ref_ptr<const Profile> ElevationRanges::getProfile()
     return Profile::create(Profile::GLOBAL_GEODETIC);
 }
 
+bool ElevationRanges::getDefaultElevationRange(short& min, short& max)
+{
+    min = -2000;
+    max = 9000;
+    return true;
+}
+
 bool ElevationRanges::getElevationRange(unsigned int level, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, short& min, short& max)
 {
     osg::ref_ptr< const Profile > profile = getProfile();
diff --git a/src/osgEarth/FeatureModelGraph.cpp b/src/osgEarth/FeatureModelGraph.cpp
index 8a0fd6d12f..a37e4a8fed 100644
--- a/src/osgEarth/FeatureModelGraph.cpp
+++ b/src/osgEarth/FeatureModelGraph.cpp
@@ -806,13 +806,20 @@ FeatureModelGraph::getBoundInWorldCoords(const GeoExtent& extent, const Profile*
                 // Get the approximate elevation range if we have elevation data in the map
                 lod = osg::clampBetween(lod, 0u, ElevationRanges::getMaxLevel());
                 GeoPoint centerWGS84 = center.transform(ElevationRanges::getProfile()->getSRS());
+
                 TileKey rangeKey = ElevationRanges::getProfile()->createTileKey(centerWGS84.x(), centerWGS84.y(), lod);
                 short min, max;
-                ElevationRanges::getElevationRange(rangeKey.getLevelOfDetail(), rangeKey.getTileX(), rangeKey.getTileY(), min, max);
+                if (!*map->options().disableElevationRanges())
+                {
+                    ElevationRanges::getElevationRange(rangeKey.getLevelOfDetail(), rangeKey.getTileX(), rangeKey.getTileY(), min, max);
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    ElevationRanges::getDefaultElevationRange(min, max);
+                }
                 // Clamp the min value to avoid extreme underwater values.
                 minElevation = osg::maximum(min, (short)-500);
                 // Add a little bit extra of extra height to account for feature data.
-                // Add a little bit extra of extra height to account for feature data.
                 maxElevation = max + 100.0f;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/osgEarth/Map b/src/osgEarth/Map
index 042867d8d2..16204e44d2 100644
--- a/src/osgEarth/Map
+++ b/src/osgEarth/Map
@@ -225,9 +225,10 @@ namespace osgEarth
             OE_OPTION(ProfileOptions, profile);
             OE_OPTION(CacheOptions, cache);
             OE_OPTION(CachePolicy, cachePolicy);
-            OE_OPTION(RasterInterpolation, elevationInterpolation);
+            OE_OPTION(RasterInterpolation, elevationInterpolation, INTERP_BILINEAR);
             OE_OPTION(std::string, profileLayer);
             OE_OPTION(std::string, osgOptionString);
+            OE_OPTION(bool, disableElevationRanges, false);
             virtual Config getConfig() const;
         private:
             void fromConfig(const Config&);
diff --git a/src/osgEarth/Map.cpp b/src/osgEarth/Map.cpp
index 67a7af257a..6ea183a8b3 100644
--- a/src/osgEarth/Map.cpp
+++ b/src/osgEarth/Map.cpp
@@ -64,14 +64,14 @@ Map::Options::getConfig() const
 
     conf.set("read_options", osgOptionString());
 
+    conf.set("disable_elevation_ranges", disableElevationRanges());
+
     return conf;
 }
 
 void
 Map::Options::fromConfig(const Config& conf)
-{
-    elevationInterpolation().init(INTERP_BILINEAR);
-    
+{   
     conf.get( "name",         name() );
     conf.get( "profile",      profile() );
     conf.get( "cache",        cache() );  
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ Map::Options::fromConfig(const Config& conf)
 
     conf.get("read_options", osgOptionString());
     conf.get("osg_options", osgOptionString()); // back compat
+
+    conf.get("disable_elevation_ranges", disableElevationRanges());
 }
 
 //...................................................................
diff --git a/src/osgEarth/SimplePager.cpp b/src/osgEarth/SimplePager.cpp
index 6143aacdf4..70bd49bad5 100644
--- a/src/osgEarth/SimplePager.cpp
+++ b/src/osgEarth/SimplePager.cpp
@@ -167,7 +167,14 @@ osg::BoundingSphered SimplePager::getBounds(const TileKey& key) const
             GeoPoint centerWGS84 = center.transform(ElevationRanges::getProfile()->getSRS());
             TileKey rangeKey = ElevationRanges::getProfile()->createTileKey(centerWGS84.x(), centerWGS84.y(), lod);
             short min, max;
-            ElevationRanges::getElevationRange(rangeKey.getLevelOfDetail(), rangeKey.getTileX(), rangeKey.getTileY(), min, max);
+            if (!*map->options().disableElevationRanges())
+            {
+                ElevationRanges::getElevationRange(rangeKey.getLevelOfDetail(), rangeKey.getTileX(), rangeKey.getTileY(), min, max);
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                ElevationRanges::getDefaultElevationRange(min, max);
+            }
             // Clamp the min value to avoid extreme underwater values.
             minElevation = osg::maximum(min, (short)-500);
             // Add a little bit extra of extra height to account for feature data.