diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik_shield_symbolizer.cpp b/bindings/python/mapnik_shield_symbolizer.cpp
index 28ae7083e..8a08900bb 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik_shield_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik_shield_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,13 @@
  *
  *****************************************************************************/
 
+/* The functions in this file produce deprecation warnings.
+ * But as shield symbolizer doesn't fully support more than one
+ * placement from python yet these functions are actually the
+ * correct ones.
+ */
+#define NO_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS
+
 // boost
 #include <boost/python.hpp>
 
@@ -53,12 +60,13 @@ tuple get_shield_displacement(const shield_symbolizer& s)
 
 void set_shield_displacement(shield_symbolizer & s, boost::python::tuple arg)
 {
-    s.set_shield_displacement(extract<double>(arg[0]),extract<double>(arg[1]));
+    s.get_placement_options()->defaults.displacement.first = extract<double>(arg[0]);
+    s.get_placement_options()->defaults.displacement.second = extract<double>(arg[1]);
 }
 
 tuple get_text_displacement(const shield_symbolizer& t)
 {
-    position const& pos = t.get_displacement();
+    position const& pos = t.get_placement_options()->defaults.displacement;
     return boost::python::make_tuple(pos.first, pos.second);
 }
 
@@ -79,46 +87,6 @@ void set_filename(shield_symbolizer & t, std::string const& file_expr)
 
 }
 
-struct shield_symbolizer_pickle_suite : boost::python::pickle_suite
-{
-    static boost::python::tuple
-    getinitargs(const shield_symbolizer& s)
-    {
-        std::string filename = path_processor_type::to_string(*s.get_filename());
-        //(name, font name, font size, font color, image file, image type, width, height)
-        return boost::python::make_tuple( "TODO",//s.get_name(),
-                                          s.get_face_name(),s.get_text_size(),s.get_fill(),filename,guess_type(filename));
-
-    }
-
-    static  boost::python::tuple
-    getstate(const shield_symbolizer& s)
-    {
-        return boost::python::make_tuple(s.get_halo_fill(),s.get_halo_radius());
-    }
-
-    // TODO add lots more...
-    static void
-    setstate (shield_symbolizer& s, boost::python::tuple state)
-    {
-        using namespace boost::python;
-        /*if (len(state) != 1)
-          {
-          PyErr_SetObject(PyExc_ValueError,
-          ("expected 1-item tuple in call to __setstate__; got %s"
-          % state).ptr()
-          );
-          throw_error_already_set();
-          }*/
-
-        s.set_halo_fill(extract<color>(state[0]));
-        s.set_halo_radius(extract<float>(state[1]));
-
-    }
-
-};
-
-
 void export_shield_symbolizer()
 {
     using namespace boost::python;
@@ -126,7 +94,7 @@ void export_shield_symbolizer()
                                                         init<expression_ptr,
                                                         std::string const&,
                                                         unsigned, mapnik::color const&,
-                                                        path_expression_ptr>("TODO")
+                                                        path_expression_ptr>()
         )
         //.def_pickle(shield_symbolizer_pickle_suite())
         .add_property("allow_overlap",
diff --git a/include/mapnik/text_symbolizer.hpp b/include/mapnik/text_symbolizer.hpp
index 05a9c2a39..1824f62fe 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text_symbolizer.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text_symbolizer.hpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 // stl
 #include <string>
 
-#if (1 && __GNUC__ > 3 || (__GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 1))
+#if (!defined(NO_DEPRECATION_WARNINGS) && __GNUC__ > 3 || (__GNUC__ == 3 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 1))
 #define func_deprecated __attribute__ ((deprecated))
 #else
 #define func_deprecated