Index: release/scripts/io/import_scene_obj.py
===================================================================
--- release/scripts/io/import_scene_obj.py	(revision 27340)
+++ release/scripts/io/import_scene_obj.py	(working copy)
@@ -517,7 +517,7 @@
 
 
 
-def split_mesh(verts_loc, faces, unique_materials, filepath, SPLIT_OB_OR_GROUP, SPLIT_MATERIALS):
+def split_mesh(verts_loc, faces, unique_materials, unique_objects, filepath, SPLIT_OB_OR_GROUP, SPLIT_MATERIALS):
     '''
     Takes vert_loc and faces, and seperates into multiple sets of
     (verts_loc, faces, unique_materials, dataname)
@@ -530,7 +530,16 @@
         # use the filename for the object name since we arnt chopping up the mesh.
         return [(verts_loc, faces, unique_materials, filename)]
 
+    # count materials and objects to see if we need to split
+    num_materials = 0
+    for mat in unique_materials:
+        if mat != None and mat != "(null)": num_materials +=1
 
+    if num_materials == 0 and len(unique_objects) == 0:
+        # don't split if there are no groups to split into
+        return [(verts_loc, faces, unique_materials, filename)]
+
+
     def key_to_name(key):
         # if the key is a tuple, join it to make a string
         if type(key) == tuple:
@@ -1039,7 +1048,9 @@
     unique_materials= {}
     unique_material_images= {}
     unique_smooth_groups= {}
-    # unique_obects= {} - no use for this variable since the objects are stored in the face.
+    # unique_objects only used to control splitting 
+    # since objects are stored in the face.
+    unique_objects= {}
 
     # when there are faces that end with \
     # it means they are multiline-
@@ -1174,7 +1185,7 @@
         elif line.startswith('o'):
             if SPLIT_OBJECTS:
                 context_object= line_value(line.split())
-                # unique_obects[context_object]= None
+                unique_obects[context_object]= None
 
         elif line.startswith('g'):
             if SPLIT_GROUPS:
@@ -1288,7 +1299,7 @@
     if SPLIT_OBJECTS or SPLIT_GROUPS:	SPLIT_OB_OR_GROUP = True
     else:								SPLIT_OB_OR_GROUP = False
 
-    for verts_loc_split, faces_split, unique_materials_split, dataname in split_mesh(verts_loc, faces, unique_materials, filepath, SPLIT_OB_OR_GROUP, SPLIT_MATERIALS):
+    for verts_loc_split, faces_split, unique_materials_split, dataname in split_mesh(verts_loc, faces, unique_materials, unique_objects, filepath, SPLIT_OB_OR_GROUP, SPLIT_MATERIALS):
         # Create meshes from the data, warning 'vertex_groups' wont support splitting
         create_mesh(scene, new_objects, has_ngons, CREATE_FGONS, CREATE_EDGES, verts_loc_split, verts_tex, faces_split, unique_materials_split, unique_material_images, unique_smooth_groups, vertex_groups, dataname)