diff --git a/direct/src/showbase/Loader.py b/direct/src/showbase/Loader.py
index 63550a64c3..07da9f499b 100644
--- a/direct/src/showbase/Loader.py
+++ b/direct/src/showbase/Loader.py
@@ -295,6 +295,7 @@ class Loader(DirectObject):
                  textureMargin = None, polyMargin = None,
                  minFilter = None, magFilter = None,
                  anisotropicDegree = None,
+                 outline = None,
                  lineHeight = None, okMissing = False):
         """
         modelPath is a string.
@@ -304,6 +305,17 @@ class Loader(DirectObject):
         egg file (or bam file) generated with egg-mkfont, or a
         standard font file (like a TTF file) that is supported by
         FreeType.
+
+        Most font-customization parameters accepted by this method
+        (except lineHeight and spaceAdvance) may only be specified for
+        font files like TTF files, not for static egg files.
+
+        If outline is not None, it may be either a single number,
+        representing the desired outline width (in font pixels), or it
+        may be a 2-tuple of (width, feather), where feather is a
+        number in the range 0.0 to 1.0 and indicates the softness of
+        the outline.
+        
         """
         assert Loader.notify.debug("Loading font: %s" % (modelPath))
         if phaseChecker:
@@ -336,6 +348,18 @@ class Loader(DirectObject):
                 font.setMagfilter(magFilter)
             if anisotropicDegree != None:
                 font.setAnisotropicDegree(anisotropicDegree)
+            if outline != None:
+                # Outline should be a float: width
+                # or a 2-tuple: (width, feather)
+                try:
+                    outline = tuple(outline)
+                except TypeError:
+                    outline = (outline,)
+                if len(outline) < 2:
+                    outline = (outline[0], 0.1)
+                font.setOutline(VBase4(0, 0, 0, 1), *outline)
+                # This means we also want the bg to be black.
+                font.setBg(VBase4(0, 0, 0, 0))
 
         if lineHeight is not None:
             # If the line height is specified, it overrides whatever