diff --git a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
index 2cea1aeea..2a950c33f 100755
--- a/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
+++ b/src/Main/fg_init.cxx
@@ -1435,20 +1435,22 @@ void fgStartNewReset()
 
     sgUserDataInit( globals->get_props() );
 
+    unsigned int numDBPagerThreads = fgGetNode("/sim/rendering/database-pager/threads", true)->getIntValue(2);
+
     if (composite_viewer) {
-        composite_viewer_view->getDatabasePager()->setUpThreads(2, 1);
+        composite_viewer_view->setDatabasePager(FGScenery::getPagerSingleton());
+        composite_viewer_view->getDatabasePager()->setUnrefImageDataAfterApplyPolicy(true, false);
+        composite_viewer_view->getDatabasePager()->setUpThreads(numDBPagerThreads, 1);
         composite_viewer_view->getDatabasePager()->setAcceptNewDatabaseRequests(true);
         flightgear::CameraGroup::buildDefaultGroup(composite_viewer_view);
         composite_viewer_view->setFrameStamp(composite_viewer->getFrameStamp());
-        composite_viewer_view->setDatabasePager(FGScenery::getPagerSingleton());
-        composite_viewer_view->getDatabasePager()->setUnrefImageDataAfterApplyPolicy(true, false);
         osg::GraphicsContext::createNewContextID();
         render->setView(composite_viewer_view);
         render->preinit();
         composite_viewer->startThreading();
     }
     else {
-        viewer->getDatabasePager()->setUpThreads(2, 1);
+        viewer->getDatabasePager()->setUpThreads(numDBPagerThreads, 1);
         viewer->getDatabasePager()->setAcceptNewDatabaseRequests(true);
         // must do this before preinit for Rembrandthe
         flightgear::CameraGroup::buildDefaultGroup(viewer.get());