diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik_feature.cpp b/bindings/python/mapnik_feature.cpp
index 6e39b6382..73455524e 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik_feature.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik_feature.cpp
@@ -58,11 +58,6 @@ using mapnik::context_type;
 using mapnik::context_ptr;
 using mapnik::feature_kv_iterator;
 
-void set_geometry_impl( mapnik::feature_impl & feature, mapnik::new_geometry::geometry const& geom)
-{
-    feature.set_geometry_copy(geom);
-}
-
 mapnik::feature_ptr from_geojson_impl(std::string const& json, mapnik::context_ptr const& ctx)
 {
     mapnik::feature_ptr feature(mapnik::feature_factory::create(ctx,1));
diff --git a/include/mapnik/datasource.hpp b/include/mapnik/datasource.hpp
index 04b016cf3..06eccdc4a 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/datasource.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/datasource.hpp
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ public:
     };
 
     enum geometry_t : std::uint8_t {
+        Unknown = 0,
         Point = 1,
         LineString = 2,
         Polygon = 3,
diff --git a/include/mapnik/feature.hpp b/include/mapnik/feature.hpp
index b892abee8..51135c589 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/feature.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/feature.hpp
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ public:
         : id_(id),
         ctx_(ctx),
         data_(ctx_->mapping_.size()),
-        geom_(mapnik::util::no_init()),
+        geom_(new_geometry::geometry_empty()),
         raster_() {}
 
     inline mapnik::value_integer id() const { return id_;}
diff --git a/include/mapnik/geometry_centroid.hpp b/include/mapnik/geometry_centroid.hpp
index 5a0b1009e..668bb846a 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/geometry_centroid.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/geometry_centroid.hpp
@@ -42,7 +42,10 @@ struct geometry_centroid
     {
         return mapnik::util::apply_visitor(*this, geom);
     }
-
+    result_type operator() (geometry_empty const&) const
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
     result_type operator() (geometry_collection const& collection) const
     {
         return false;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/geometry_envelope.hpp b/include/mapnik/geometry_envelope.hpp
index 4c65673ec..2b6c50373 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/geometry_envelope.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/geometry_envelope.hpp
@@ -39,6 +39,11 @@ struct geometry_envelope
         return mapnik::util::apply_visitor(*this, geom);
     }
 
+    bbox_type operator() (mapnik::new_geometry::geometry_empty const&) const
+    {
+        return mapnik::box2d<double>();
+    }
+
     bbox_type operator() (mapnik::new_geometry::point const& pt) const
     {
         return mapnik::box2d<double>(pt.x, pt.y, pt.x, pt.y);
diff --git a/include/mapnik/geometry_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/geometry_impl.hpp
index 6298a0206..5d9065b89 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/geometry_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/geometry_impl.hpp
@@ -103,8 +103,9 @@ struct multi_point : line_string {};
 struct multi_line_string : std::vector<line_string> {};
 struct multi_polygon : std::vector<polygon> {};
 struct geometry_collection;
-
-using geometry = mapnik::util::variant<point,
+struct geometry_empty {};
+using geometry = mapnik::util::variant<geometry_empty,
+                                       point,
                                        line_string,
                                        polygon,
                                        multi_point,
diff --git a/include/mapnik/geometry_is_simple.hpp b/include/mapnik/geometry_is_simple.hpp
index ab733a35e..553662bb2 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/geometry_is_simple.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/geometry_is_simple.hpp
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ struct geometry_is_simple
         return mapnik::util::apply_visitor(*this, geom);
     }
 
+    result_type operator() (geometry_empty const& ) const
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     result_type operator() (geometry_collection const& collection) const
     {
         for (auto const& geom : collection)
diff --git a/include/mapnik/geometry_is_valid.hpp b/include/mapnik/geometry_is_valid.hpp
index 9047a3ce9..b1b13bd6b 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/geometry_is_valid.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/geometry_is_valid.hpp
@@ -40,6 +40,11 @@ struct geometry_is_valid
         return mapnik::util::apply_visitor(*this, geom);
     }
 
+    result_type operator() (geometry_empty const& ) const
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     result_type operator() (geometry_collection const& collection) const
     {
         for (auto const& geom : collection)
diff --git a/include/mapnik/geometry_type.hpp b/include/mapnik/geometry_type.hpp
index 7d3d3b7cb..a26b5d3c0 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/geometry_type.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/geometry_type.hpp
@@ -33,8 +33,12 @@ struct geometry_type
 {
     mapnik::new_geometry::geometry_types operator () (mapnik::new_geometry::geometry const& geom) const
     {
-        // check geometry variant is initialised (valid)
-        return geom.valid() ? mapnik::util::apply_visitor(*this, geom) : mapnik::new_geometry::geometry_types::Unknown;
+        return mapnik::util::apply_visitor(*this, geom);
+    }
+
+    mapnik::new_geometry::geometry_types operator() (geometry_empty const& ) const
+    {
+        return mapnik::new_geometry::geometry_types::Unknown;
     }
 
     mapnik::new_geometry::geometry_types operator () (mapnik::new_geometry::point const&) const
diff --git a/include/mapnik/hit_test_filter.hpp b/include/mapnik/hit_test_filter.hpp
index d273bd639..d5a8e7b2e 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/hit_test_filter.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/hit_test_filter.hpp
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@ struct hit_test_visitor
        y_(y),
        tol_(tol) {}
 
+    bool operator() (new_geometry::geometry_empty const& ) const
+    {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     bool operator() (new_geometry::point const& geom) const
     {
         return distance(geom.x, geom.y, x_, y_) <= tol_;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_ds_type.hpp b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_ds_type.hpp
index f7e1947d7..ac67ed86d 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_ds_type.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_ds_type.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ namespace detail {
 
 struct datasource_geometry_type
 {
+    mapnik::datasource::geometry_t operator () (mapnik::new_geometry::geometry_empty const&) const
+    {
+        return mapnik::datasource::Unknown;
+    }
+
     mapnik::datasource::geometry_t operator () (mapnik::new_geometry::point const&) const
     {
         return mapnik::datasource::Point;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
index 3e2a7a2e3..8fb10fa56 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
@@ -237,6 +237,11 @@ struct geometry_to_wkb
         return util::apply_visitor(*this, geom);
     }
 
+    result_type operator() (new_geometry::geometry_empty const&) const
+    {
+        return result_type();
+    }
+
     result_type operator() (new_geometry::point const& pt) const
     {
         return point_wkb(pt, byte_order_);
diff --git a/include/mapnik/vertex_processor.hpp b/include/mapnik/vertex_processor.hpp
index 48b590bde..49a5b3d52 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/vertex_processor.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/vertex_processor.hpp
@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ struct vertex_processor
     {
         util::apply_visitor(*this, geom);
     }
+    void operator() (geometry_empty const&)
+    {
+        // no-op
+    }
     void operator() (point const& pt)
     {
         point_vertex_adapter va(pt);