diff --git a/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.cxx b/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.cxx
index 1f1f3ea29b..3a815f4340 100644
--- a/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/gobj/config_gobj.cxx
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ ConfigVariableBool display_lists
           "on dynamic geometry (e.g. soft-skinned animation)."));
 
 ConfigVariableBool hardware_animated_vertices
-("hardware-animated-vertices", false,
+("hardware-animated-vertices", true,
  PRC_DESC("Set this true to allow the transforming of soft-skinned "
           "animated vertices via hardware, if supported, or false always "
           "to perform the vertex animation via software within Panda.  "
diff --git a/panda/src/pgraph/config_pgraph.cxx b/panda/src/pgraph/config_pgraph.cxx
index 5bc61f20f3..40b8617f82 100644
--- a/panda/src/pgraph/config_pgraph.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pgraph/config_pgraph.cxx
@@ -195,12 +195,11 @@ ConfigVariableDouble lod_fade_time
           "transitions between its different levels."));
 
 
-ConfigVariableBool show_cpu_animation
-("show-cpu-animation", false,
- PRC_DESC("Set this true to flash any objects that are animated via Panda, "
-          "on the CPU, so you can visually see what's being animated on "
-          "the CPU and what's being animated by hardware.  This only "
-          "has effect when NDEBUG is defined."));
+ConfigVariableBool show_vertex_animation
+("show-vertex-animation", false,
+ PRC_DESC("Set this true to flash any objects whose vertices are animated "
+          "by Panda on the CPU (flash red) or by hardware (flash blue).  "
+          "This only has effect when NDEBUG is defined."));
 
 ConfigVariableBool m_dual
 ("m-dual", true,
diff --git a/panda/src/pgraph/config_pgraph.h b/panda/src/pgraph/config_pgraph.h
index 5a9354d96f..a7a382a58c 100644
--- a/panda/src/pgraph/config_pgraph.h
+++ b/panda/src/pgraph/config_pgraph.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ extern ConfigVariableInt max_collect_indices;
 extern ConfigVariableBool polylight_info;
 extern ConfigVariableDouble lod_fade_time;
 
-extern ConfigVariableBool show_cpu_animation;
+extern ConfigVariableBool show_vertex_animation;
 
 extern ConfigVariableBool m_dual;
 extern ConfigVariableBool m_dual_opaque;
diff --git a/panda/src/pgraph/cullableObject.cxx b/panda/src/pgraph/cullableObject.cxx
index c405ad5d33..57c736a1a6 100644
--- a/panda/src/pgraph/cullableObject.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pgraph/cullableObject.cxx
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
 #include "cullableObject.h"
-#include "textureAttrib.h"
+#include "ambientLight.h"
+#include "lightAttrib.h"
+#include "nodePath.h"
+#include "material.h"
+#include "materialAttrib.h"
 #include "texGenAttrib.h"
 #include "renderState.h"
 #include "clockObject.h"
@@ -93,22 +97,16 @@ munge_geom(GraphicsStateGuardianBase *gsg,
     CPT(GeomVertexData) animated_vertices = 
       _munged_data->animate_vertices();
 #ifndef NDEBUG
-    if (show_cpu_animation && animated_vertices != _munged_data) {
-      // These vertices were CPU-animated, so flash them.
-      static const double flash_rate = 1.0;  // 1 state change per second
-      int cycle = (int)(ClockObject::get_global_clock()->get_frame_time() * flash_rate);
-      if ((cycle & 1) == 0) {
-        static Colorf flash_color(0.8f, 0.2f, 0.2f, 1.0f);
-        if (animated_vertices->has_color()) {
-          animated_vertices = animated_vertices->set_color(flash_color);
-        } else {
-          // We have to add a color column, which means we have to
-          // re-munge.
-          animated_vertices = animated_vertices->set_color
-            (flash_color, 1, Geom::NT_packed_dabc, Geom::C_color);
-          animated_vertices = munger->munge_data(animated_vertices);
+    if (show_vertex_animation) {
+      bool cpu_animated = (animated_vertices != _munged_data);
+      bool hardware_animated = (animated_vertices->get_format()->get_animation().get_animation_type() == Geom::AT_hardware);
+      if (cpu_animated || hardware_animated) {
+        // These vertices were animated, so flash them red or blue.
+        static const double flash_rate = 1.0;  // 1 state change per second
+        int cycle = (int)(ClockObject::get_global_clock()->get_frame_time() * flash_rate);
+        if ((cycle & 1) == 0) {
+          _state = cpu_animated ? get_flash_cpu_state() : get_flash_hardware_state();
         }
-        _state = _state->remove_attrib(TextureAttrib::get_class_type());
       }
     }
 #endif
@@ -530,3 +528,71 @@ munge_texcoord_light_vector(const CullTraverser *traverser) {
     }
   }
 }
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CullableObject::get_flash_cpu_state
+//       Access: Private, Static
+//  Description: Returns a RenderState for flashing the object red, to
+//               show it is animated by the CPU when
+//               show-vertex-animation is on.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+CPT(RenderState) CullableObject::
+get_flash_cpu_state() {
+  static const Colorf flash_cpu_color(0.8f, 0.2f, 0.2f, 1.0f);
+
+  // Once someone asks for this pointer, we hold its reference count
+  // and never free it.
+  static CPT(RenderState) flash_cpu_state = (const RenderState *)NULL;
+  if (flash_cpu_state == (const RenderState *)NULL) {
+    PT(AmbientLight) ambient_light = new AmbientLight("alight");
+    ambient_light->set_color(Colorf(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f));
+    NodePath alight(ambient_light);
+
+    CPT(LightAttrib) light_attrib = DCAST(LightAttrib, LightAttrib::make_all_off());
+    light_attrib = DCAST(LightAttrib, light_attrib->add_on_light(alight));
+
+    PT(Material) material = new Material;
+    material->set_ambient(flash_cpu_color);
+    material->set_diffuse(flash_cpu_color);
+
+    flash_cpu_state = RenderState::make
+      (light_attrib, 
+       MaterialAttrib::make(material));
+  }
+
+  return flash_cpu_state;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: CullableObject::get_flash_hardware_state
+//       Access: Private, Static
+//  Description: Returns a RenderState for flashing the object blue,
+//               to show it is animated by the hardware when
+//               show-vertex-animation is on.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+CPT(RenderState) CullableObject::
+get_flash_hardware_state() {
+  static const Colorf flash_hardware_color(0.2f, 0.2f, 0.8f, 1.0f);
+
+  // Once someone asks for this pointer, we hold its reference count
+  // and never free it.
+  static CPT(RenderState) flash_hardware_state = (const RenderState *)NULL;
+  if (flash_hardware_state == (const RenderState *)NULL) {
+    PT(AmbientLight) ambient_light = new AmbientLight("alight");
+    ambient_light->set_color(Colorf(1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f, 1.0f));
+    NodePath alight(ambient_light);
+
+    CPT(LightAttrib) light_attrib = DCAST(LightAttrib, LightAttrib::make_all_off());
+    light_attrib = DCAST(LightAttrib, light_attrib->add_on_light(alight));
+
+    PT(Material) material = new Material;
+    material->set_ambient(flash_hardware_color);
+    material->set_diffuse(flash_hardware_color);
+
+    flash_hardware_state = RenderState::make
+      (light_attrib, 
+       MaterialAttrib::make(material));
+  }
+
+  return flash_hardware_state;
+}
diff --git a/panda/src/pgraph/cullableObject.h b/panda/src/pgraph/cullableObject.h
index 426dfa0b7d..c33db6c95e 100644
--- a/panda/src/pgraph/cullableObject.h
+++ b/panda/src/pgraph/cullableObject.h
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ private:
   void munge_points_to_quads(const CullTraverser *traverser);
   void munge_texcoord_light_vector(const CullTraverser *traverser);
 
+  static CPT(RenderState) get_flash_cpu_state();
+  static CPT(RenderState) get_flash_hardware_state();
+
 private:
   // This class is used internally by munge_points_to_quads().
   class PointData {