diff --git a/bindings/python/SConscript b/bindings/python/SConscript
index 7e350dd5e..bdd29c6ad 100644
--- a/bindings/python/SConscript
+++ b/bindings/python/SConscript
@@ -66,9 +66,6 @@ if env['PLATFORM'] == 'Darwin':
     libraries.append('boost_regex%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND'])
     if env['THREADING'] == 'multi':
         libraries.append('boost_thread%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND'])
-    if env['HAS_CAIRO']:
-        libraries.append('cairomm-1.0')
-        libraries.append('cairo')
 
     ##### Python linking on OS X is tricky ### 
     # Confounding problems are:
@@ -173,6 +170,9 @@ py_env.Append(CPPPATH = env['PYTHON_INCLUDES'])
 
 if env['HAS_CAIRO']:
     py_env.Append(CPPPATH = env['CAIROMM_CPPPATHS'])
+    py_env.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-DHAVE_CAIRO')
+    if env['PLATFORM'] == 'Darwin':
+        py_env.Append(LIBS=env['CAIROMM_LINKFLAGS'])
 
 if env['HAS_PYCAIRO']:
     py_env.ParseConfig('pkg-config --cflags pycairo')
diff --git a/demo/c++/SConscript b/demo/c++/SConscript
index 6c32de5e7..e71f23fbf 100644
--- a/demo/c++/SConscript
+++ b/demo/c++/SConscript
@@ -32,8 +32,12 @@ source = Split(
 
 demo_env = env.Clone()
 
+
 demo_env['CXXFLAGS'] = copy(env['LIBMAPNIK_CXXFLAGS'])
-demo_env.PrependUnique(CPPPATH=copy(env['CAIROMM_CPPPATHS']))
+
+if env['HAS_CAIRO']:
+    demo_env.PrependUnique(CPPPATH=copy(env['CAIROMM_CPPPATHS']))
+    demo_env.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-DHAVE_CAIRO')
 
 libraries =  copy(env['LIBMAPNIK_LIBS'])
 boost_program_options = 'boost_program_options%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND']
diff --git a/src/SConscript b/src/SConscript
index 04d368fa3..6161faf63 100644
--- a/src/SConscript
+++ b/src/SConscript
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@ if env['LINKING'] == 'static':
     lib_env.Append(CXXFLAGS="-fPIC")
 
 mapnik_lib_link_flag = ''
-libmapnik_cxxflags = copy(lib_env['CXXFLAGS'])
+
+# note: .data gets the actual list to allow a true copy
+# and avoids unintended pollution of other environments
+libmapnik_cxxflags = copy(lib_env['CXXFLAGS'].data)
 
 ABI_VERSION = env['ABI_VERSION']