diff --git a/js/core/core.ajax.js b/js/core/core.ajax.js
index 60d7f16eb..54382d63a 100644
--- a/js/core/core.ajax.js
+++ b/js/core/core.ajax.js
@@ -340,6 +340,6 @@ function _fnAjaxDataSrc ( oSettings, json )
 	}
 
 	return dataSrc !== "" ?
-		_fnGetObjectDataFn( dataSrc )( json ) :
+		_fnGetObjectDataFn( dataSrc, oSettings )( json ) :
 		json;
 }
diff --git a/js/core/core.columns.js b/js/core/core.columns.js
index 14b80cf13..e256ba4d6 100644
--- a/js/core/core.columns.js
+++ b/js/core/core.columns.js
@@ -97,8 +97,8 @@ function _fnColumnOptions( oSettings, iCol, oOptions )
 
 	/* Cache the data get and set functions for speed */
 	var mDataSrc = oCol.mData;
-	var mData = _fnGetObjectDataFn( mDataSrc );
-	var mRender = oCol.mRender ? _fnGetObjectDataFn( oCol.mRender ) : null;
+	var mData = _fnGetObjectDataFn( mDataSrc, oSettings );
+	var mRender = oCol.mRender ? _fnGetObjectDataFn( oCol.mRender, oSettings ) : null;
 
 	var attrTest = function( src ) {
 		return typeof src === 'string' && src.indexOf('@') !== -1;
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ function _fnColumnOptions( oSettings, iCol, oOptions )
 		var innerData = mData( rowData, type, undefined, meta );
 
 		return mRender && type ?
-			mRender( innerData, type, rowData, meta ) :
+			mRender.call( this, innerData, type, rowData, meta ) :
 			innerData;
 	};
 	oCol.fnSetData = function ( rowData, val, meta ) {
diff --git a/js/core/core.constructor.js b/js/core/core.constructor.js
index bf4567c73..0cdae7345 100644
--- a/js/core/core.constructor.js
+++ b/js/core/core.constructor.js
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@ _fnMap( oSettings, oInit, [
 	"fnStateLoadCallback",
 	"fnStateSaveCallback",
 	"renderer",
+	"newCellRender",
 	"searchDelay",
 	[ "iCookieDuration", "iStateDuration" ], // backwards compat
 	[ "oSearch", "oPreviousSearch" ],
diff --git a/js/core/core.data.js b/js/core/core.data.js
index 72c6275f2..1f40772d3 100644
--- a/js/core/core.data.js
+++ b/js/core/core.data.js
@@ -117,11 +117,23 @@ function _fnGetCellData( settings, rowIdx, colIdx, type )
 	var col            = settings.aoColumns[colIdx];
 	var rowData        = settings.aoData[rowIdx]._aData;
 	var defaultContent = col.sDefaultContent;
-	var cellData       = col.fnGetData( rowData, type, {
+	var meta		   = {
 		settings: settings,
-		row:      rowIdx,
-		col:      colIdx
-	} );
+		row:	  rowIdx,
+		col:	  colIdx
+	};
+	var cellData = col.fnGetData.call(this, rowData, type, meta);
+
+	//compatability stuff
+	if( type === 'display' ) {
+		if(cellData === undefined) {
+			//default behaviour with newCellRender, nothting to do here...
+			return;
+		} else {
+			//compatability: set node content to return value, if there is one
+			this.innerHTML = cellData;
+		}
+	}
 
 	if ( cellData === undefined ) {
 		if ( settings.iDrawError != draw && defaultContent === null ) {
@@ -143,7 +155,7 @@ function _fnGetCellData( settings, rowIdx, colIdx, type )
 		return cellData.call( rowData );
 	}
 
-	if ( cellData === null && type == 'display' ) {
+	if ( cellData === null && ( type === 'display' || type === 'adjust' ) ) {
 		return '';
 	}
 	return cellData;
@@ -192,10 +204,11 @@ function _fnSplitObjNotation( str )
  * Return a function that can be used to get data from a source object, taking
  * into account the ability to use nested objects as a source
  *  @param {string|int|function} mSource The data source for the object
+ *  @param {object} oSettings dataTables settings object
  *  @returns {function} Data get function
  *  @memberof DataTable#oApi
  */
-function _fnGetObjectDataFn( mSource )
+function _fnGetObjectDataFn( mSource, oSettings )
 {
 	if ( $.isPlainObject( mSource ) )
 	{
@@ -203,14 +216,21 @@ function _fnGetObjectDataFn( mSource )
 		var o = {};
 		$.each( mSource, function (key, val) {
 			if ( val ) {
-				o[key] = _fnGetObjectDataFn( val );
+				o[key] = _fnGetObjectDataFn( val, oSettings );
 			}
 		} );
 
+		//backwards compatibility
+		if(oSettings === undefined && oSettings.newCellRender !== true) {
+			if(o.adjust === undefined && o.display !== undefined) {
+				o.adjust = o.display;
+			}
+		}
+
 		return function (data, type, row, meta) {
 			var t = o[type] || o._;
 			return t !== undefined ?
-				t(data, type, row, meta) :
+				t.call(this, data, type, row, meta) :
 				data;
 		};
 	}
@@ -223,9 +243,16 @@ function _fnGetObjectDataFn( mSource )
 	}
 	else if ( typeof mSource === 'function' )
 	{
-		return function (data, type, row, meta) {
-			return mSource( data, type, row, meta );
-		};
+		if(oSettings !== undefined && oSettings.newCellRender === true) {
+			return function (data, type, row, meta) {
+				return mSource.call( this, data, type, row, meta );
+			};
+		} else {
+			return function (data, type, row, meta) {
+				//backwards-compatability
+				return mSource.call( this, data, type === 'adjust' ? 'display' : type, row, meta );
+			};
+		}
 	}
 	else if ( typeof mSource === 'string' && (mSource.indexOf('.') !== -1 ||
 		      mSource.indexOf('[') !== -1 || mSource.indexOf('(') !== -1) )
@@ -236,7 +263,7 @@ function _fnGetObjectDataFn( mSource )
 		 * return. This allows entire objects to be missing and sDefaultContent to
 		 * be used if defined, rather than throwing an error
 		 */
-		var fetchData = function (data, type, src) {
+		var fetchData = function (data, src) {
 			var arrayNotation, funcNotation, out, innerSrc;
 
 			if ( src !== "" )
@@ -266,7 +293,7 @@ function _fnGetObjectDataFn( mSource )
 
 						// Traverse each entry in the array getting the properties requested
 						for ( var j=0, jLen=data.length ; j<jLen ; j++ ) {
-							out.push( fetchData( data[j], type, innerSrc ) );
+							out.push( fetchData( data[j], innerSrc ) );
 						}
 
 						// If a string is given in between the array notation indicators, that
@@ -297,14 +324,14 @@ function _fnGetObjectDataFn( mSource )
 			return data;
 		};
 
-		return function (data, type) { // row and meta also passed, but not used
-			return fetchData( data, type, mSource );
+		return function (data) { // type, row and meta also passed, but not used
+			return fetchData( data, mSource );
 		};
 	}
 	else
 	{
 		/* Array or flat object mapping */
-		return function (data, type) { // row and meta also passed, but not used
+		return function (data) { // type, row and meta also passed, but not used
 			return data[mSource];
 		};
 	}
@@ -503,8 +530,8 @@ function _fnInvalidate( settings, rowIdx, src, colIdx )
 		while ( cell.childNodes.length ) {
 			cell.removeChild( cell.firstChild );
 		}
-
-		cell.innerHTML = _fnGetCellData( settings, rowIdx, col, 'display' );
+		
+		_fnGetCellData.call(cell, settings, rowIdx, col, 'display' );
 	};
 
 	// Are we reading last data from DOM or the data object?
diff --git a/js/core/core.draw.js b/js/core/core.draw.js
index f8d67c004..dea759215 100644
--- a/js/core/core.draw.js
+++ b/js/core/core.draw.js
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function _fnCreateTr ( oSettings, iRow, nTrIn, anTds )
 			// Need to create the HTML if new, or if a rendering function is defined
 			if ( !nTrIn || oCol.mRender || oCol.mData !== i )
 			{
-				nTd.innerHTML = _fnGetCellData( oSettings, iRow, i, 'display' );
+				_fnGetCellData.call(nTd, oSettings, iRow, i, 'display' );
 			}
 
 			/* Add user defined class */
diff --git a/js/core/core.sizing.js b/js/core/core.sizing.js
index 97a2a3670..33f18aca0 100644
--- a/js/core/core.sizing.js
+++ b/js/core/core.sizing.js
@@ -274,9 +274,14 @@ function _fnGetWidestNode( settings, colIdx )
 	}
 
 	var data = settings.aoData[ idx ];
-	return ! data.nTr ? // Might not have been created when deferred rendering
-		$('<td/>').html( _fnGetCellData( settings, idx, colIdx, 'display' ) )[0] :
-		data.anCells[ colIdx ];
+	if(data.nTr) {
+		return data.anCells[ colIdx ];
+	} else {
+		// Might not have been created when deferred rendering
+		var tempTd = document.createElement("td");
+		_fnGetCellData.call( tempTd, settings, idx, colIdx, 'display' );
+		return tempTd;
+	}
 }
 
 
@@ -292,7 +297,7 @@ function _fnGetMaxLenString( settings, colIdx )
 	var s, max=-1, maxIdx = -1;
 
 	for ( var i=0, ien=settings.aoData.length ; i<ien ; i++ ) {
-		s = _fnGetCellData( settings, i, colIdx, 'display' )+'';
+		s = _fnGetCellData( settings, i, colIdx, 'adjust' )+'';
 		s = s.replace( __re_html_remove, '' );
 
 		if ( s.length > max ) {