diff --git a/src/applications/osgearth_drawables/osgearth_drawables.cpp b/src/applications/osgearth_drawables/osgearth_drawables.cpp
index 7b3ded6548..1dee23b5ad 100644
--- a/src/applications/osgearth_drawables/osgearth_drawables.cpp
+++ b/src/applications/osgearth_drawables/osgearth_drawables.cpp
@@ -311,6 +311,7 @@ main(int argc, char** argv)
 
     osg::ArgumentParser arguments(&argc,argv);
     osgViewer::Viewer viewer(arguments);
+    viewer.setRealizeOperation(new GL3RealizeOperation());
 
     osg::ref_ptr<osg::Node> node = createDrawables();