diff --git a/filter/tex/filter.php b/filter/tex/filter.php
index 7e076aac97f..78f74192a14 100644
--- a/filter/tex/filter.php
+++ b/filter/tex/filter.php
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ function string_file_picture_tex($imagefile, $tex= "", $height="", $width="", $a
           $output .= urlencode($tex) . "', 'popup', 'menubar=0,location=0,scrollbars,";
           $output .= "resizable,width=300,height=240', 0);\">";
         }
-        $output .= "<img border=\"0\" $title $height $width alt=\"\" src=\"";
+        $output .= "<img class=\"texrender\" border=\"0\" $title $height $width alt=\"\" src=\"";
         if ($CFG->slasharguments) {        // Use this method if possible for better caching
             $output .= "$CFG->wwwroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/pix.php/$imagefile";
         } else {
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ function tex_filter ($courseid, $text) {
 #    if ($discussion->forum != 130) {
 #        return $text;
 #    }
-
     $text .= ' ';
     preg_match_all('/\$(\$\$+?)([^\$])/s',$text,$matches);
     for ($i=0;$i<count($matches[0]);$i++) {
diff --git a/filter/tex/latex.php b/filter/tex/latex.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1f297aa3988
--- /dev/null
+++ b/filter/tex/latex.php
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+<?php
+    // latex.php
+    // render TeX stuff using latex - this will not work on all platforms
+    // or configurations. Only works on Linux and Mac with appropriate 
+    // software installed. 
+    // Much of this inspired/copied from Benjamin Zeiss' work
+
+    class latex {
+
+        var $temp_dir;
+        var $path_latex;
+        var $path_dvips;
+        var $path_convert;
+        var $path_identify;
+        var $supported_platform;
+        var $error;
+
+        /**
+         * Constructor - create temporary directories and build paths to
+         * external 'helper' binaries.
+         * Other platforms could/should be added
+         */
+        function latex() {
+            global $CFG;          
+
+            // construct directory structure
+            $this->temp_dir = $CFG->dataroot . "/temp/latex";
+            if (!file_exists("$CFG->dataroot/temp")) {
+                mkdir( "$CFG->dataroot/temp", $CFG->directorypermissions );
+            }
+            if (!file_exists( $this->temp_dir )) {
+                mkdir( $this->temp_dir, $CFG->directorypermissions );
+            }
+
+            // load the paths for the appropriate OS
+            // it would be nice to expand this
+            if (PHP_OS=='Linux') {
+                $binpath = '/usr/bin/';
+                $this->supported_platform = true;
+            }
+            elseif (PHP_OS=='Darwin') {
+                $binpath = '/sw/bin/'; // most likely needs a fink install (fink.sf.net)
+                $this->supported_platform = true;
+            }
+            else {
+                $this->supported_platform = false;
+                return false;
+            }
+            $this->path_latex = "{$binpath}latex";
+            $this->path_dvips = "{$binpath}dvips";
+            $this->path_convert = "{$binpath}convert";
+            $this->path_identify = "{$binpath}identify";
+
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Turn the bit of TeX into a valid latex document
+         * @param string $forumula the TeX formula
+         * @param int $fontsize the font size
+         * @return string the latex document
+         */
+        function construct_latex_document( $formula, $fontsize=12 ) {
+            $doc =  "\\documentclass[{$fontsize}pt]{article}\n";
+            $doc .= "\\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}\n";
+            $doc .= "\\usepackage{amsmath}\n";
+            $doc .= "\\usepackage{amsfonts}\n";
+            $doc .= "\\pagestyle{empty}\n";
+            $doc .= "\\begin{document}\n";
+            $doc .= "$ {$formula} $\n";
+            $doc .= "\\end{document}\n";
+            return $doc;
+        }
+
+        /** 
+         * execute an external command, with optional logging
+         * @param string $command command to execute
+         * @param file $log valid open file handle - log info will be written to this file
+         * @return return code from execution of command
+         */
+        function execute( $command, $log=null ) {
+            $output = array();
+            exec( $command, $output, $return_code );
+            if ($log) {
+                fwrite( $log, "COMMAND: $command \n" );
+                $outputs = implode( "\n", $output );
+                fwrite( $log, "OUTPUT: $outputs \n" );
+                fwrite( $log, "RETURN_CODE: $return_code\n " );
+            }
+            return $return_code;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Render TeX string into gif
+         * @param string $formula TeX formula
+         * @param string $filename base of filename for output (no extension)
+         * @param int $fontsize font size
+         * @param int $density density value for .ps to .gif conversion
+         * @param string $background background color (e.g, #FFFFFF).
+         * @param file $log valid open file handle for optional logging (debugging only)
+         * @return bool true if successful
+         */
+        function render( $formula, $filename, $fontsize=12, $density=240, $background='', $log=null ) {
+            $doc = $this->construct_latex_document( $formula, $fontsize );
+
+            // construct some file paths
+            $tex = "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.tex";
+            $dvi = "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.dvi";
+            $ps = "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.ps";
+            $gif = "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.gif";
+
+            // turn the latex doc into a .tex file in the temp area
+            $fh = fopen( $tex, 'w' );
+            fputs( $fh, $doc );
+            fclose( $fh );
+
+            // run latex on document
+            $command = "{$this->path_latex} --interaction=nonstopmode $tex";
+            chdir( $this->temp_dir );
+            if ($this->execute($command, $log)) {
+                return false;
+            } 
+
+            // run dvips (.dvi to .ps)
+            $command = "{$this->path_dvips} -E $dvi -o $ps";
+            if ($this->execute($command, $log )) {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            // run convert on document (.ps to .gif)
+            if ($background) {
+                $bg_opt = "-background \"$background\"";
+            } else {
+                $bg_opt = "";
+            }
+            $command = "{$this->path_convert} -density $density -trim $bg_opt $ps $gif";
+            if ($this->execute($command, $log )) {
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            return $gif;
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Delete files created in temporary area
+         * Don't forget to copy the final gif before calling this
+         * @param string $filename file base (no extension)
+         */
+        function clean_up( $filename ) {
+            unlink( "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.tex" );
+            unlink( "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.dvi" );
+            unlink( "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.ps" );
+            unlink( "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.gif" );
+            unlink( "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.aux" );
+            unlink( "{$this->temp_dir}/$filename.log" );
+        }
+
+    }
+
+
+?>
diff --git a/filter/tex/pix.php b/filter/tex/pix.php
index a5f84d3b1bd..e85a07e1d3a 100644
--- a/filter/tex/pix.php
+++ b/filter/tex/pix.php
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
     require_once('../../config.php');
     require_once($CFG->libdir.'/filelib.php');
+    require_once('latex.php');
 
     $CFG->texfilterdir = 'filter/tex';
     $CFG->teximagedir  = 'filter/tex';
@@ -15,7 +16,7 @@
     $cmd    = '';               // Initialise these variables
     $status = '';
 
-    //error_reporting(E_ALL);
+    error_reporting(E_ALL);
 
     $relativepath = get_file_argument('pix.php');
 
@@ -35,48 +36,58 @@
                 make_upload_directory($CFG->teximagedir);
             }
 
-            $texexp = $texcache->rawtext;
-            $texexp = str_replace('&lt;','<',$texexp);
-            $texexp = str_replace('&gt;','>',$texexp);
-            $texexp = preg_replace('!\r\n?!',' ',$texexp);
-            $texexp = '\Large ' . $texexp;
+            // try and render with latex first
+            $latex = new latex();
+            $latex_path = $latex->render( $texcache->rawtext, $md5, 12, 200, '#FFFFFF' );
+            if ($latex_path) {    
+                copy( $latex_path, $pathname );
+                $latex->clean_up( $md5 );
+            }
+            else {                    
+                // failing that, use mimetex
+                $texexp = $texcache->rawtext;
+                $texexp = str_replace('&lt;','<',$texexp);
+                $texexp = str_replace('&gt;','>',$texexp);
+                $texexp = preg_replace('!\r\n?!',' ',$texexp);
+                $texexp = '\Large ' . $texexp;
 
-            if ((PHP_OS == "WINNT") || (PHP_OS == "WIN32") || (PHP_OS == "Windows")) {
-                $texexp = str_replace('"','\"',$texexp);
-                $cmd = "$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex.exe";
-                $cmd = str_replace(' ','^ ',$cmd);
-                $cmd .= " ++ -e  \"$pathname\" -- \"$texexp\"";
-            } else if (is_executable("$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex")) {   /// Use the custom binary
+                if ((PHP_OS == "WINNT") || (PHP_OS == "WIN32") || (PHP_OS == "Windows")) {
+                    $texexp = str_replace('"','\"',$texexp);
+                    $cmd = "$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex.exe";
+                    $cmd = str_replace(' ','^ ',$cmd);
+                    $cmd .= " ++ -e  \"$pathname\" -- \"$texexp\"";
+                } else if (is_executable("$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex")) {   /// Use the custom binary
 
-                $cmd = "$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex -e $pathname -- ". escapeshellarg($texexp);
+                    $cmd = "$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex -e $pathname -- ". escapeshellarg($texexp);
 
-            } else {                                                           /// Auto-detect the right TeX binary
-                switch (PHP_OS) {
+                } else {                                                           /// Auto-detect the right TeX binary
+                    switch (PHP_OS) {
 
-                    case "Linux":
-                        $cmd = "\"$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex.linux\" -e \"$pathname\" -- ". escapeshellarg($texexp);
-                    break;
+                        case "Linux":
+                            $cmd = "\"$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex.linux\" -e \"$pathname\" -- ". escapeshellarg($texexp);
+                        break;
 
-                    case "Darwin":
-                        $cmd = "\"$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex.darwin\" -e \"$pathname\" -- ". escapeshellarg($texexp);
-                    break;
+                        case "Darwin":
+                            $cmd = "\"$CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex.darwin\" -e \"$pathname\" -- ". escapeshellarg($texexp);
+                        break;
 
-                    default:      /// Nothing was found, so tell them how to fix it.
-                        if ($CFG->debug > 7) {
-                            echo "Make sure you have an appropriate MimeTeX binary here:\n\n";
-                            echo "    $CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex\n\n";
-                            echo "and that it has the right permissions set on it as executable program.\n\n";
-                            echo "You can get the latest binaries for your ".PHP_OS." platform from: \n\n";
-                            echo "    http://moodle.org/download/mimetex/";
-                        } else {
-                            echo "Mimetex executable was not found,\n";
-                            echo "Please turn on debug mode in site configuration to see more info here.";
-                        }
-                        die;
-                    break;
+                        default:      /// Nothing was found, so tell them how to fix it.
+                            if ($CFG->debug > 7) {
+                                echo "Make sure you have an appropriate MimeTeX binary here:\n\n";
+                                echo "    $CFG->dirroot/$CFG->texfilterdir/mimetex\n\n";
+                                echo "and that it has the right permissions set on it as executable program.\n\n";
+                                echo "You can get the latest binaries for your ".PHP_OS." platform from: \n\n";
+                                echo "    http://moodle.org/download/mimetex/";
+                            } else {
+                                echo "Mimetex executable was not found,\n";
+                                echo "Please turn on debug mode in site configuration to see more info here.";
+                            }
+                             die;
+                        break;
+                    }
                 }
+                system($cmd, $status);
             }
-            system($cmd, $status);
         }
     }