diff --git a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/BulletUrdfImporter.cpp b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/BulletUrdfImporter.cpp
index 0e8b0c451..18433a900 100644
--- a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/BulletUrdfImporter.cpp
+++ b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/BulletUrdfImporter.cpp
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ struct BulletErrorLogger : public ErrorLogger
 	}
 };	
 
-bool BulletURDFImporter::loadURDF(const char* fileName)
+bool BulletURDFImporter::loadURDF(const char* fileName, bool forceFixedBase)
 {
 
 
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ bool BulletURDFImporter::loadURDF(const char* fileName)
     }
 
 	BulletErrorLogger loggie;
-	bool result = m_data->m_urdfParser.loadUrdf(xml_string.c_str(),&loggie);
+	bool result = m_data->m_urdfParser.loadUrdf(xml_string.c_str(), &loggie, forceFixedBase);
 
 	return result;
 }
diff --git a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/BulletUrdfImporter.h b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/BulletUrdfImporter.h
index d2493db89..7f712e1cd 100644
--- a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/BulletUrdfImporter.h
+++ b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/BulletUrdfImporter.h
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ public:
 
 	virtual ~BulletURDFImporter();
 
-	virtual bool loadURDF(const char* fileName);
+	virtual bool loadURDF(const char* fileName, bool forceFixedBase = false);
 
 	const char* getPathPrefix();
 
diff --git a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/ROSURDFImporter.cpp b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/ROSURDFImporter.cpp
index 3c4a6daa4..6b8fcc545 100644
--- a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/ROSURDFImporter.cpp
+++ b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/ROSURDFImporter.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ ROSURDFImporter::ROSURDFImporter(struct GUIHelperInterface* helper)
   
 }
 
-bool ROSURDFImporter::loadURDF(const char* fileName)
+bool ROSURDFImporter::loadURDF(const char* fileName, bool forceFixedBase)
 {
 
 
diff --git a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/ROSURDFImporter.h b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/ROSURDFImporter.h
index 75c6c0256..93e7bb101 100644
--- a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/ROSURDFImporter.h
+++ b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/ROSURDFImporter.h
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ public:
 
 	virtual ~ROSURDFImporter();
 
-	virtual bool loadURDF(const char* fileName);
+	// Note that forceFixedBase is ignored in this implementation.
+	virtual bool loadURDF(const char* fileName, bool forceFixedBase = false);
 
 	virtual const char* getPathPrefix();
 
diff --git a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/URDFImporterInterface.h b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/URDFImporterInterface.h
index 82ddc0613..622486aa4 100644
--- a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/URDFImporterInterface.h
+++ b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/URDFImporterInterface.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ public:
 	virtual ~URDFImporterInterface() {}
 	
  
-    virtual bool loadURDF(const char* fileName)=0;
+    virtual bool loadURDF(const char* fileName, bool forceFixedBase = false)=0;
 
     virtual const char* getPathPrefix()=0;
     
diff --git a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/UrdfParser.cpp b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/UrdfParser.cpp
index 03563b719..2e42525d5 100644
--- a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/UrdfParser.cpp
+++ b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/UrdfParser.cpp
@@ -715,7 +715,8 @@ bool UrdfParser::initTreeAndRoot(ErrorLogger* logger)
 	return true;
 	
 }
-bool UrdfParser::loadUrdf(const char* urdfText, ErrorLogger* logger)
+
+bool UrdfParser::loadUrdf(const char* urdfText, ErrorLogger* logger, bool forceFixedBase)
 {
 	
 	TiXmlDocument xml_doc;
@@ -840,8 +841,26 @@ bool UrdfParser::loadUrdf(const char* urdfText, ErrorLogger* logger)
 		}
 	}
 
+	bool ok(initTreeAndRoot(logger));
+	if (!ok)
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
 	
-
-	return initTreeAndRoot(logger);
+	if (forceFixedBase)
+	{
+		for (int i=0;i<m_model.m_rootLinks.size();i++)
+		{
+			UrdfLink* link(m_model.m_rootLinks.at(i));
+			link->m_inertia.m_mass = 0.0;
+			link->m_inertia.m_ixx = 0.0;
+			link->m_inertia.m_ixy = 0.0;
+			link->m_inertia.m_ixz = 0.0;
+			link->m_inertia.m_iyy = 0.0;
+			link->m_inertia.m_iyz = 0.0;
+			link->m_inertia.m_izz = 0.0;
+		}
+	}
 	
+	return true;
 }
diff --git a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/UrdfParser.h b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/UrdfParser.h
index 55bf0aa99..cc0b7887a 100644
--- a/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/UrdfParser.h
+++ b/examples/Importers/ImportURDFDemo/UrdfParser.h
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public:
 	UrdfParser();
 	virtual ~UrdfParser();
 	
-	bool loadUrdf(const char* urdfText, ErrorLogger* logger);
+	bool loadUrdf(const char* urdfText, ErrorLogger* logger, bool forceFixedBase);
 
 	const UrdfModel& getModel() const
 	{