diff --git a/panda/src/ode/odeGeom.cxx b/panda/src/ode/odeGeom.cxx
index 523136d3fb..b3901dbd4e 100755
--- a/panda/src/ode/odeGeom.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/ode/odeGeom.cxx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 #include "config_ode.h"
 #include "odeGeom.h"
 
+OdeGeom::GeomSurfaceMap OdeGeom::_geom_surface_map;
 TypeHandle OdeGeom::_type_handle;
 
 OdeGeom::
@@ -30,7 +31,34 @@ OdeGeom(dGeomID id) :
 OdeGeom::
 ~OdeGeom() {
   odegeom_cat.debug() << "~" << get_type() << "(" << _id << ")\n";
+  GeomSurfaceMap::iterator iter = _geom_surface_map.find(this->get_id());
+  if (iter != _geom_surface_map.end()) {
+    _geom_surface_map.erase(iter);
+  }
 }
+int OdeGeom::
+get_default_surface_type() 
+{
+  return OdeGeom::get_default_surface_type(this->get_id());
+}
+
+int OdeGeom::
+get_default_surface_type(dGeomID id)
+{
+  GeomSurfaceMap::iterator iter = _geom_surface_map.find(id);
+  if (iter != _geom_surface_map.end()) {
+    // odegeom_cat.debug() << "get_default_surface_type the geomId =" << id <<" surfaceType=" << iter->second << "\n";
+    return iter->second;
+  }
+  // odegeom_cat.debug() << "get_default_surface_type not in map, returning 0" ;
+  return 0;
+}
+
+void OdeGeom::
+set_default_surface_type( int surfaceType){
+  _geom_surface_map[this->get_id()]= surfaceType;
+}
+
 
 void OdeGeom::
 destroy() {
diff --git a/panda/src/ode/odeGeom.h b/panda/src/ode/odeGeom.h
index ca92a71934..9aa35d0a32 100755
--- a/panda/src/ode/odeGeom.h
+++ b/panda/src/ode/odeGeom.h
@@ -105,6 +105,9 @@ PUBLISHED:
   INLINE LPoint3f get_offset_position() const;
   INLINE LMatrix3f get_offset_rotation() const;
   INLINE LQuaternionf get_offset_quaternion() const;
+  int get_default_surface_type() ;
+  void set_default_surface_type( int surfaceType);
+  static int get_default_surface_type(dGeomID id);
 
   OdeSpace get_space() const;
 
@@ -132,6 +135,10 @@ public:
 protected:
   dGeomID _id;
 
+private:
+  typedef pmap<dGeomID, int> GeomSurfaceMap;
+  static GeomSurfaceMap _geom_surface_map;
+
 public:
   static TypeHandle get_class_type() {
     return _type_handle;
diff --git a/panda/src/ode/odeSpace.cxx b/panda/src/ode/odeSpace.cxx
index 6d1df37db0..1fb31df811 100755
--- a/panda/src/ode/odeSpace.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/ode/odeSpace.cxx
@@ -77,11 +77,12 @@ clean() {
   dSpaceClean(_id);
 }
 
-OdeGeom OdeSpace::
+OdeGeom  OdeSpace::
 get_geom(int i) {
   return OdeGeom(dSpaceGetGeom(_id, i));
 }
 
+
 void OdeSpace::
 write(ostream &out, unsigned int indent) const {
   #ifndef NDEBUG //[
@@ -106,7 +107,7 @@ int OdeSpace::
 autoCollide()
 {
     OdeSpace::contactCount = 0;
-    dSpaceCollide(_id, 0, &autoCallback);
+    dSpaceCollide(_id, this, &autoCallback);
     return OdeSpace::contactCount;
 }
 
@@ -120,35 +121,64 @@ get_contact_data(int data_index)
     return OdeSpace::contact_data[data_index];
 }
 
+int OdeSpace::
+get_surface_type(OdeSpace * self, dGeomID o1)
+// return the surface of the body if this geom has a body, else use the default surface type
+{
+  int retval = 0;
+  dBodyID b1 = dGeomGetBody(o1);
+    if (b1) {
+      retval = _collide_world->get_surface_body(b1).surfaceType;
+    }
+    else {
+      retval = OdeGeom::get_default_surface_type(o1);
+    }
+    // odespace_cat.debug() << "for geom " << o1 << " returning surface type " << retval << "\n";
+    return retval;
+    
+}
+
+int autoCallbackCounter = 0;
+
 void OdeSpace::
 autoCallback(void *data, dGeomID o1, dGeomID o2)
 // uses data stored on the world to resolve collisions so you don't have to use near_callbacks in python
 {
     int i;
-    
     dBodyID b1 = dGeomGetBody(o1);
     dBodyID b2 = dGeomGetBody(o2);
-    
+
     dContact contact[OdeSpace::MAX_CONTACTS];
     
+    int surface1 = get_surface_type((OdeSpace*)data, o1);
+    int surface2 = get_surface_type((OdeSpace*)data, o2);
     
+
+
     sSurfaceParams collide_params;
-    collide_params = _collide_world->get_surface(_collide_world->get_surface_body(b1).surfaceType,_collide_world->get_surface_body(b2).surfaceType);
+    // collide_params = _collide_world->get_surface(_collide_world->get_surface_body(b1).surfaceType,_collide_world->get_surface_body(b2).surfaceType);
+    collide_params = _collide_world->get_surface(surface1, surface2);
     
     for (i=0; i < OdeSpace::MAX_CONTACTS; i++)
     {
-  
         contact[i].surface.mode = collide_params.colparams.mode; 
         contact[i].surface.mu = collide_params.colparams.mu; 
         contact[i].surface.mu2 = collide_params.colparams.mu2; 
         contact[i].surface.bounce = collide_params.colparams.bounce; 
         contact[i].surface.bounce_vel = collide_params.colparams.bounce_vel; 
         contact[i].surface.soft_cfm = collide_params.colparams.soft_cfm; 
-
     }
     
-    if (int numc = dCollide(o1, o2, OdeSpace::MAX_CONTACTS, &contact[0].geom, sizeof(dContact)))
+    int numc = dCollide(o1, o2, OdeSpace::MAX_CONTACTS, &contact[0].geom, sizeof(dContact));
+    if (numc)
     {
+        if (odespace_cat.is_debug() && (autoCallbackCounter%30 == 0)) {
+            odespace_cat.debug() << autoCallbackCounter <<" collision between geoms " << o1 << " and " << o2 << "\n";
+            odespace_cat.debug() << "collision between body " << b1 << " and " << b2 << "\n";
+            odespace_cat.debug() << "surface1= "<< surface1 << " surface2=" << surface2 << "\n";
+        }
+        autoCallbackCounter += 1;
+
         for(i=0; i < numc; i++)
         {
             dJointID c = dJointCreateContact(_collide_world->get_id(), _collide_joint_group, contact + i);
diff --git a/panda/src/ode/odeSpace.h b/panda/src/ode/odeSpace.h
index 0db0e7c4e4..9820657121 100755
--- a/panda/src/ode/odeSpace.h
+++ b/panda/src/ode/odeSpace.h
@@ -78,6 +78,7 @@ PUBLISHED:
   void remove(OdeSpace& space);
   void clean();
   OdeGeom get_geom(int i); // Not INLINE because of forward declaration
+  static int get_surface_type(OdeSpace * self, dGeomID o1);
 
   INLINE OdeSpace get_space() const;
 
diff --git a/panda/src/ode/odeWorld.cxx b/panda/src/ode/odeWorld.cxx
index ddcaae9e48..5799c72dc8 100755
--- a/panda/src/ode/odeWorld.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/ode/odeWorld.cxx
@@ -26,12 +26,14 @@ OdeWorld() :
   _id(dWorldCreate()) {
   odeworld_cat.debug() << get_type() << "(" << _id << ")" << "\n";
   _num_surfaces = 0;
+
 }
 
 OdeWorld::
 OdeWorld(const OdeWorld &copy) :
   _id(copy._id) {
   _num_surfaces = 0;
+
 }
 
 OdeWorld::
@@ -51,6 +53,7 @@ destroy() {
 void OdeWorld:: 
 assign_surface_body(OdeBody& body, int surface)
 {
+    // odeworld_cat.debug() << "assign_surface_body body.Id =" << body.get_id() << " surface=" << surface << "\n";
     _body_surface_map[body.get_id()].surfaceType = surface;
     _body_surface_map[body.get_id()].dampen = 0.0f;
 }
@@ -158,11 +161,13 @@ get_surface_body(dBodyID id)
     
   BodySurfaceMap::iterator iter = _body_surface_map.find(id);
   if (iter != _body_surface_map.end()) {
+    // odeworld_cat.debug() << "In map the bodyId =" << id <<" surfaceType=" << iter->second.surfaceType << "\n";
     return iter->second;
   }
   sBodyParams defaultParams;
   defaultParams.surfaceType = 0;
   defaultParams.dampen = 0.0f;
+  // odeworld_cat.debug() << "no surface for bodyId=" << id << " returning default 0" << "\n";
   return defaultParams;
 }