diff --git a/sdk/jme3-materialeditor/src/com/jme3/gde/materialdefinition/editor/MatPanel.java b/sdk/jme3-materialeditor/src/com/jme3/gde/materialdefinition/editor/MatPanel.java
index b578d5ee0..88cb63286 100644
--- a/sdk/jme3-materialeditor/src/com/jme3/gde/materialdefinition/editor/MatPanel.java
+++ b/sdk/jme3-materialeditor/src/com/jme3/gde/materialdefinition/editor/MatPanel.java
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
  */
 package com.jme3.gde.materialdefinition.editor;
 
-import com.jme3.gde.core.assets.ProjectAssetManager;
 import com.jme3.gde.materials.MaterialPreviewRenderer;
 import com.jme3.material.Material;
 import java.awt.Component;
diff --git a/sdk/jme3-materialeditor/src/com/jme3/gde/materials/MaterialPreviewRenderer.java b/sdk/jme3-materialeditor/src/com/jme3/gde/materials/MaterialPreviewRenderer.java
index 84a63b5a6..b92de49c2 100644
--- a/sdk/jme3-materialeditor/src/com/jme3/gde/materials/MaterialPreviewRenderer.java
+++ b/sdk/jme3-materialeditor/src/com/jme3/gde/materials/MaterialPreviewRenderer.java
@@ -4,21 +4,26 @@
  */
 package com.jme3.gde.materials;
 
+import com.jme3.asset.DesktopAssetManager;
 import com.jme3.asset.MaterialKey;
 import com.jme3.gde.core.assets.ProjectAssetManager;
 import com.jme3.gde.core.scene.PreviewRequest;
 import com.jme3.gde.core.scene.SceneApplication;
 import com.jme3.gde.core.scene.SceneListener;
 import com.jme3.gde.core.scene.SceneRequest;
+import com.jme3.material.MatParam;
 import com.jme3.material.Material;
 import com.jme3.math.FastMath;
 import com.jme3.math.Quaternion;
 import com.jme3.math.Vector3f;
+import com.jme3.renderer.RendererException;
 import com.jme3.scene.Geometry;
 import com.jme3.scene.shape.Box;
 import com.jme3.scene.shape.Quad;
 import com.jme3.scene.shape.Sphere;
+import com.jme3.util.MaterialDebugAppState;
 import com.jme3.util.TangentBinormalGenerator;
+import java.util.concurrent.Callable;
 import java.util.logging.Level;
 import java.util.logging.Logger;
 import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
@@ -75,36 +80,85 @@ public class MaterialPreviewRenderer implements SceneListener {
     public void showMaterial(ProjectAssetManager assetManager, String materialFileName) {
         if (!init) {
             init();
+        }        
+        MaterialKey key = new MaterialKey(assetManager.getRelativeAssetPath(materialFileName));
+        assetManager.deleteFromCache(key);
+        Material mat = (Material) assetManager.loadAsset(key);
+        if (mat != null) {
+            showMaterial(mat);
         }
-        try {
-            MaterialKey key = new MaterialKey(assetManager.getRelativeAssetPath(materialFileName));
-            assetManager.deleteFromCache(key);
-            Material mat = (Material) assetManager.loadAsset(key);
-            if (mat != null) {
-                currentMaterial = mat;
-                showMaterial(mat);
-            }
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-        }
+        
     }
     
-    public void showMaterial(Material m) {
+    public void showMaterial(final Material m) {
         if (!init) {
             init();
         }
-        currentGeom.setMaterial(m);
-        try {
-            if (currentGeom.getMaterial() != null) {
-                PreviewRequest request = new PreviewRequest(this, currentGeom, label.getWidth(), label.getHeight());
-                request.getCameraRequest().setLocation(new Vector3f(0, 0, 7));
-                request.getCameraRequest().setLookAt(new Vector3f(0, 0, 0), Vector3f.UNIT_Y);
-                SceneApplication.getApplication().createPreview(request);
+        final DesktopAssetManager assetManager = (DesktopAssetManager) SceneApplication.getApplication().getAssetManager();
+        SceneApplication.getApplication().enqueue(new Callable<Material>() {
+
+            public Material call() throws Exception {
+                final Material mat = reloadMaterial(m, assetManager);
+                if (mat != null) {
+                    java.awt.EventQueue.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
+                        public void run() {
+                            currentMaterial = mat;
+                            currentGeom.setMaterial(mat);
+                            try {
+                                if (currentGeom.getMaterial() != null) {
+                                    PreviewRequest request = new PreviewRequest(MaterialPreviewRenderer.this, currentGeom, label.getWidth(), label.getHeight());
+                                    request.getCameraRequest().setLocation(new Vector3f(0, 0, 7));
+                                    request.getCameraRequest().setLookAt(new Vector3f(0, 0, 0), Vector3f.UNIT_Y);
+                                    SceneApplication.getApplication().createPreview(request);
+                                }
+                            } catch (Exception e) {
+                                Logger.getLogger(MaterialPreviewRenderer.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, "Error rendering material" + e.getMessage());
+                            }
+                        }
+                    });
+
+                }
+                return mat;
             }
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            Logger.getLogger(MaterialPreviewRenderer.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, "Error rendering material" + e.getMessage());
+        });
+
+    }
+    
+      public Material reloadMaterial(Material mat, DesktopAssetManager assetManager) {
+        //clear the entire cache, there might be more clever things to do, like clearing only the matdef, and the associated shaders.
+        
+        assetManager.clearCache();
+
+        //creating a dummy mat with the mat def of the mat to reload
+        Material dummy = new Material(mat.getMaterialDef());
+
+        for (MatParam matParam : mat.getParams()) {
+            dummy.setParam(matParam.getName(), matParam.getVarType(), matParam.getValue());
+        }
+        
+        dummy.getAdditionalRenderState().set(mat.getAdditionalRenderState());        
+
+        //creating a dummy geom and assigning the dummy material to it
+        Geometry dummyGeom = new Geometry("dummyGeom", new Box(1f, 1f, 1f));
+        dummyGeom.setMaterial(dummy);
+
+        try {
+            //preloading the dummyGeom, this call will compile the shader again
+           SceneApplication.getApplication().getRenderManager().preloadScene(dummyGeom);
+        } catch (RendererException e) {
+            //compilation error, the shader code will be output to the console
+            //the following code will output the error
+            //System.err.println(e.getMessage());
+            Logger.getLogger(MaterialDebugAppState.class.getName()).log(Level.SEVERE, e.getMessage());
+            return null;
         }
+
+        //Logger.getLogger(MaterialDebugAppState.class.getName()).log(Level.INFO, "Material succesfully reloaded");
+        //System.out.println("Material succesfully reloaded");
+        return dummy;
     }
     
+    
     public void switchDisplay(DisplayType type) {
         switch (type) {
             case Box: