diff --git a/include/mapnik/geometry.hpp b/include/mapnik/geometry.hpp
index aecc4536d..d57083fcc 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/geometry.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/geometry.hpp
@@ -91,10 +91,11 @@ public:
         double x = 0;
         double y = 0;
         rewind(0);
-        for (unsigned i=0;i<size();++i)
+        for (unsigned i=0; i < size(); ++i)
         {
-            vertex(&x,&y);
-            if (i==0)
+            unsigned cmd = vertex(&x,&y);
+            if (cmd == SEG_CLOSE) continue;
+            if (i == 0)
             {
                 result.init(x,y,x,y);
             }
@@ -126,11 +127,31 @@ public:
         push_vertex(x,y,SEG_CLOSE);
     }
 
-    void close()
+    void set_close()
     {
         if (cont_.size() > 3)
         {
-            cont_.set_command(cont_.size() - 1, SEG_CLOSE);
+            unsigned cmd;
+            double x,y;
+            int index = cont_.size() - 1;
+            unsigned last_cmd = cont_.get_vertex(index,&x,&y);
+            if (last_cmd == SEG_LINETO)
+            {
+                double last_x = x;
+                double last_y = y;
+                for (int pos = index - 1; pos >=0 ; --pos)
+                {
+                    cmd = cont_.get_vertex(pos,&x,&y);
+                    if (cmd == SEG_MOVETO)
+                    {
+                        if (x == last_x && y == last_y)
+                        {
+                            cont_.set_command(index , SEG_CLOSE);
+                        }
+                        break;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_generator_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_generator_grammar.hpp
index 408bbf212..791b9db76 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_generator_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_generator_grammar.hpp
@@ -116,7 +116,28 @@ struct json_coordinate_policy : karma::real_policies<T>
 {
     typedef boost::spirit::karma::real_policies<T> base_type;
     static int floatfield(T n) { return base_type::fmtflags::fixed; }
-    static unsigned precision(T n) { return 12 ;}
+
+    static unsigned precision(T n)
+    {
+        if (n == 0.0) return 0;
+        using namespace boost::spirit;
+        return static_cast<unsigned>(15 - boost::math::trunc(log10(traits::get_absolute_value(n))));
+    }
+
+    template <typename OutputIterator>
+    static bool dot(OutputIterator& sink, T n, unsigned precision)
+    {
+        if (n == 0) return true;
+        return base_type::dot(sink, n, precision);
+    }
+
+    template <typename OutputIterator>
+    static bool fraction_part(OutputIterator& sink, T n
+                       , unsigned adjprec, unsigned precision)
+    {
+        if (n == 0) return true;
+        return base_type::fraction_part(sink, n, adjprec, precision);
+    }
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp
index 64a776f3e..4fd7159ca 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ struct close_path
     void operator() (T path) const
     {
         BOOST_ASSERT( path!=0 );
-        path->close();
+        path->set_close();
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
index 10572ec12..399fc02eb 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_to_wkb.hpp
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ wkb_buffer_ptr to_polygon_wkb( GeometryType const& g, wkbByteOrder byte_order)
 
     double x = 0;
     double y = 0;
+    double start_x = 0;
+    double start_y = 0;
     std::size_t size = 1 + 4 + 4 ; // byteOrder + wkbType + numRings
     for (unsigned i=0; i< num_points; ++i)
     {
@@ -179,8 +181,15 @@ wkb_buffer_ptr to_polygon_wkb( GeometryType const& g, wkbByteOrder byte_order)
         if (command == SEG_MOVETO)
         {
             rings.push_back(new linear_ring); // start new loop
+            start_x = x;
+            start_y = y;
             size += 4; // num_points
         }
+        else if (command == SEG_CLOSE)
+        {
+            x = start_x;
+            y = start_y;
+        }
         rings.back().push_back(std::make_pair(x,y));
         size += 2 * 8; // point
     }
diff --git a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_wkt_generator.hpp b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_wkt_generator.hpp
index ee75c3dbd..929168e81 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/util/geometry_wkt_generator.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/util/geometry_wkt_generator.hpp
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include <boost/fusion/include/boost_tuple.hpp>
 #include <boost/type_traits/remove_pointer.hpp>
 
+#include <boost/math/special_functions/trunc.hpp> // trunc to avoid needing C++11
 //#define BOOST_SPIRIT_USE_PHOENIX_V3 1
 
 namespace boost { namespace spirit { namespace traits {
@@ -92,13 +93,40 @@ struct multi_geometry_
 
     template <typename U>
     struct result { typedef bool type; };
-
     bool operator() (geometry_container const& geom) const
     {
         return geom.size() > 1 ? true : false;
     }
 };
 
+template <typename T>
+struct get_x
+{
+    typedef T value_type;
+
+    template <typename U>
+    struct result { typedef double type; };
+
+    double operator() (value_type const& val) const
+    {
+        return boost::get<1>(val);
+    }
+};
+
+template <typename T>
+struct get_y
+{
+    typedef T value_type;
+
+    template <typename U>
+    struct result { typedef double type; };
+
+    double operator() (value_type const& val) const
+    {
+        return boost::get<2>(val);
+    }
+};
+
 template <typename T>
 struct multi_geometry_type
 {
@@ -116,7 +144,27 @@ struct wkt_coordinate_policy : karma::real_policies<T>
 {
     typedef boost::spirit::karma::real_policies<T> base_type;
     static int floatfield(T n) { return base_type::fmtflags::fixed; }
-    static unsigned precision(T n) { return 6 ;}
+    static unsigned precision(T n)
+    {
+        if (n == 0.0) return 0;
+        using namespace boost::spirit; // for traits
+        return static_cast<unsigned>(15 - boost::math::trunc(log10(traits::get_absolute_value(n))));
+    }
+
+    template <typename OutputIterator>
+    static bool dot(OutputIterator& sink, T n, unsigned precision)
+    {
+        if (n == 0) return true;
+        return base_type::dot(sink, n, precision);
+    }
+
+    template <typename OutputIterator>
+    static bool fraction_part(OutputIterator& sink, T n
+                       , unsigned adjprec, unsigned precision)
+    {
+        if (n == 0) return true;
+        return base_type::fraction_part(sink, n, adjprec, precision);
+    }
 };
 
 }
@@ -136,13 +184,15 @@ struct wkt_generator :
     karma::rule<OutputIterator, geometry_type const& ()> polygon;
 
     karma::rule<OutputIterator, geometry_type const& ()> coords;
-    karma::rule<OutputIterator, karma::locals<unsigned>, geometry_type const& ()> coords2;
+    karma::rule<OutputIterator, karma::locals<unsigned,double,double>, geometry_type const& ()> coords2;
     karma::rule<OutputIterator, coord_type ()> point_coord;
-    karma::rule<OutputIterator, coord_type (unsigned& )> polygon_coord;
+    karma::rule<OutputIterator, karma::locals<double,double>, coord_type (unsigned&, double&, double& )> polygon_coord;
 
     // phoenix functions
     phoenix::function<detail::get_type<geometry_type> > _type;
     phoenix::function<detail::get_first<geometry_type> > _first;
+    phoenix::function<detail::get_x<typename geometry_type::value_type> > _x;
+    phoenix::function<detail::get_y<typename geometry_type::value_type> > _y;
     //
     karma::real_generator<double, detail::wkt_coordinate_policy<double> > coordinate;
 };
diff --git a/include/mapnik/wkt/wkt_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/wkt/wkt_grammar.hpp
index 5d5c20562..2dd3244d3 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/wkt/wkt_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/wkt/wkt_grammar.hpp
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ namespace mapnik { namespace wkt {
         void operator() (T path) const
         {
             BOOST_ASSERT( path!=0 );
-            path->close();
+            path->set_close();
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/plugins/input/shape/shape_io.cpp b/plugins/input/shape/shape_io.cpp
index 51c53e9df..12d481fad 100644
--- a/plugins/input/shape/shape_io.cpp
+++ b/plugins/input/shape/shape_io.cpp
@@ -175,7 +175,8 @@ void shape_io::read_polygon(shape_file::record_type & record, mapnik::geometry_c
         double x = record.read_double();
         double y = record.read_double();
         poly->move_to(x, y);
-
+        double start_x = x;
+        double start_y = y;
         for (int j=start+1;j<end-1;j++)
         {
             x = record.read_double();
@@ -184,8 +185,14 @@ void shape_io::read_polygon(shape_file::record_type & record, mapnik::geometry_c
         }
         x = record.read_double();
         y = record.read_double();
-        poly->close(x, y);
-
+        if (x == start_x && y == start_y)
+        {
+            poly->close(x, y);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            poly->line_to(x, y);
+        }
         geom.push_back(poly);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/wkb.cpp b/src/wkb.cpp
index dfef08a69..a43754387 100644
--- a/src/wkb.cpp
+++ b/src/wkb.cpp
@@ -357,7 +357,18 @@ private:
                     {
                         poly->line_to(ar[j].x, ar[j].y);
                     }
-                    poly->close(ar[num_points-1].x, ar[num_points-1].y);
+
+                    if (ar[0].x == ar[num_points-1].x &&
+                        ar[0].y == ar[num_points-1].y)
+                    {
+                        poly->close(ar[num_points-1].x, ar[num_points-1].y);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        // leave un-closed polygon intact - don't attempt to close them
+                        poly->line_to(ar[num_points-1].x, ar[num_points-1].y);
+                    }
+                    poly->set_close();
                 }
             }
             if (poly->size() > 2) // ignore if polygon has less than 3 vertices
@@ -393,7 +404,16 @@ private:
                     {
                         poly->line_to(ar[j].x, ar[j].y);
                     }
-                    poly->close(ar[num_points-1].x, ar[num_points-1].y);
+                    if (ar[0].x == ar[num_points-1].x &&
+                        ar[0].y == ar[num_points-1].y)
+                    {
+                        poly->close(ar[num_points-1].x, ar[num_points-1].y);
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        // leave un-closed polygon intact- don't attempt to close them
+                        poly->line_to(ar[num_points-1].x, ar[num_points-1].y);
+                    }
                 }
             }
             if (poly->size() > 2) // ignore if polygon has less than 3 vertices
diff --git a/src/wkt/wkt_generator.cpp b/src/wkt/wkt_generator.cpp
index 9e04640b1..03900ee4e 100644
--- a/src/wkt/wkt_generator.cpp
+++ b/src/wkt/wkt_generator.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,11 @@ wkt_generator<OutputIterator, Geometry>::wkt_generator(bool single)
     using boost::spirit::karma::_1;
     using boost::spirit::karma::lit;
     using boost::spirit::karma::_a;
+    using boost::spirit::karma::_b;
+    using boost::spirit::karma::_c;
     using boost::spirit::karma::_r1;
+    using boost::spirit::karma::_r2;
+    using boost::spirit::karma::_r3;
     using boost::spirit::karma::eps;
     using boost::spirit::karma::string;
 
@@ -92,15 +96,23 @@ wkt_generator<OutputIterator, Geometry>::wkt_generator(bool single)
     point_coord = &uint_ << coordinate << lit(' ') << coordinate
         ;
 
-    polygon_coord %= ( &uint_(mapnik::SEG_MOVETO) << eps[_r1 += 1]
+    polygon_coord %= ( &uint_(mapnik::SEG_MOVETO)
+                       << eps[_r1 += 1][_a = _r2 = _x(_val)][ _b = _r3 = _y(_val)]
                        << string[ if_ (_r1 > 1) [_1 = "),("]
-                                  .else_[_1 = "("] ] | &uint_ << ",")
-        << coordinate
+                                  .else_[_1 = "("]]
+                       |
+                       &uint_(mapnik::SEG_LINETO)
+                       << lit(',') << eps[_a = _x(_val)][_b = _y(_val)]
+                       |
+                       &uint_(mapnik::SEG_CLOSE)
+                       << lit(',') << eps[_a = _r2][_b = _r3]
+        )
+        << coordinate[_1 = _a]
         << lit(' ')
-        << coordinate
+        << coordinate[_1 = _b]
         ;
 
-    coords2 %= *polygon_coord(_a)
+    coords2 %= *polygon_coord(_a,_b,_c)
         ;
 
     coords = point_coord % lit(',')