diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/LOD.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/LOD.cxx
index 072ecbace1..e9813451ae 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/LOD.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/LOD.cxx
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ xform(const LMatrix4f &mat) {
   }
 }
 
+//const int minimum_LOD_number = config_gobj.GetInt("minimum-LOD-number", 0);
+//extern EXPCL_PANDA const int minimum_LOD_number;
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: LOD::compute_child
 //       Access: Public
@@ -94,6 +97,7 @@ xform(const LMatrix4f &mat) {
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 int LOD::
 compute_child(const LPoint3f &cam_pos, const LPoint3f &center) const {
+
   LVector3f v = cam_pos - center;
   float dist = dot(v, v);
   LODSwitchVector::const_iterator i;
@@ -103,6 +107,15 @@ compute_child(const LPoint3f &cam_pos, const LPoint3f &center) const {
     if ((*i).in_range(dist))
       break;
   }
+
+  // since lowest level LOD is lev 0, must invert the meaning of
+  // so minimum_LOD_number 0 will screen out no LODs, and increasing it
+  // will screen out successively higher levels
+  int max_allowed_LOD_number = (_switch_vector.size()-1) - minimum_LOD_number;
+  if(child > max_allowed_LOD_number) {
+      child = max_allowed_LOD_number;
+  }
+
   return child;
 }
 
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.cxx
index 4231611e69..9e64673ab0 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.cxx
@@ -93,6 +93,11 @@ BamTextureMode bam_texture_mode;
 // texture file, which will presumably only be loaded once.
 const string fake_texture_image = config_gobj.GetString("fake-texture-image", "");
 
+// this controls the LOD child number returned by compute_child
+// use it to force the LOD alg to not select the highest level(s) of LOD
+// minimum_LOD_number=0 will screen out no LODs, and increasing it
+// will screen out successively higher levels
+const int minimum_LOD_number = config_gobj.GetInt("minimum-LOD-number", 0);
 
 static BamTextureMode
 parse_texture_mode(const string &mode) {
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.h b/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.h
index 0f332d6559..1e5c679b35 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.h
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.h
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ enum BamTextureMode {
 extern EXPCL_PANDA BamTextureMode bam_texture_mode;
 extern EXPCL_PANDA const string fake_texture_image;
 
+extern EXPCL_PANDA const int minimum_LOD_number;
+
 #endif
 
 
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/gobj_composite1.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/gobj_composite1.cxx
index 387a0eb530..d93ef6cd00 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/gobj_composite1.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/gobj_composite1.cxx
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 
-#include "LOD.cxx"
 #include "geom.cxx"
 #include "geomLine.cxx"
 #include "geomLinestrip.cxx"
@@ -11,4 +10,5 @@
 #include "geomTri.cxx"
 #include "geomTrifan.cxx"
 #include "geomTristrip.cxx"
+#include "fog.cxx"
 
diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/gobj_composite2.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/gobj_composite2.cxx
index 43d8ec91e5..3f6a70348d 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/gobj_composite2.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/gobj_composite2.cxx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 #include "config_gobj.cxx"
+#include "LOD.cxx"
 #include "drawable.cxx"
-#include "fog.cxx"
 #include "imageBuffer.cxx"
 #include "material.cxx"
 #include "materialPool.cxx"