diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp
index 7ca761ca8..dd14a21d5 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp
@@ -24,20 +24,20 @@
 #define MAPNIK_JSON_ERROR_HANDLER_HPP
 
 #include <string>
+#include <mapnik/debug.hpp>
+#include <boost/spirit/home/support/info.hpp>
 
 namespace mapnik { namespace json {
 
-struct where_message
+template <typename Iterator>
+struct error_handler
 {
-    using result_type = std::string;
-
-    template <typename Iterator>
-    std::string operator() (Iterator first, Iterator last, std::size_t size) const
+    using result_type = void;
+    void operator() (
+        Iterator first, Iterator last,
+        Iterator err_pos, boost::spirit::info const& what) const
     {
-        std::string str(first, last);
-        if (str.length() > size)
-            return str.substr(0, size) + "..." ;
-        return str;
+        MAPNIK_LOG_ERROR(error_handler) << what << " expected but got: " << std::string(err_pos, std::min(err_pos + 16,last));
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/feature_collection_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/feature_collection_grammar_impl.hpp
index d7076b67f..93c49b7b9 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/feature_collection_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/feature_collection_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 
 // mapnik
+#include <mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/feature_collection_grammar.hpp>
 
 // spirit::qi
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar.hpp
index d9b50d8c9..104c6b2e7 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar.hpp
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 #include <mapnik/value.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/generic_json.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/value_converters.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/debug.hpp>
 // spirit::qi
 #include <boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp>
 #include <boost/spirit/include/phoenix.hpp>
@@ -89,18 +88,6 @@ struct extract_geometry
     }
 };
 
-template <typename Iterator>
-struct error_handler
-{
-    using result_type = void;
-    void operator() (
-        Iterator first, Iterator last,
-        Iterator err_pos, boost::spirit::info const& what) const
-    {
-        MAPNIK_LOG_ERROR(error_handler) << what << " expected but got: " << std::string(err_pos, std::min(err_pos + 16,last));
-    }
-};
-
 template <typename Iterator, typename FeatureType, typename ErrorHandler = error_handler<Iterator> >
 struct feature_grammar :
         qi::grammar<Iterator, void(FeatureType&),
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar_impl.hpp
index 0d93ad10a..5e416680d 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ template <typename Iterator, typename FeatureType, typename ErrorHandler>
 feature_grammar<Iterator,FeatureType,ErrorHandler>::feature_grammar(mapnik::transcoder const& tr)
     : feature_grammar::base_type(feature,"feature"),
       json_(),
-      put_property_(put_property(tr)),
-      error_handler(ErrorHandler())
+      put_property_(put_property(tr))
 {
     qi::lit_type lit;
     qi::long_long_type long_long;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp
index 677ef804f..25e724e42 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 #include <mapnik/make_unique.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/geometry_util.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp>
+
 // spirit::qi
 #include <boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp>
 #include <boost/spirit/include/phoenix_function.hpp>
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ namespace qi = boost::spirit::qi;
 namespace standard_wide =  boost::spirit::standard_wide;
 using standard_wide::space_type;
 
-template <typename Iterator>
+template <typename Iterator, typename ErrorHandler = error_handler<Iterator> >
 struct geometry_grammar :
         qi::grammar<Iterator,void(mapnik::geometry_container& )
         , space_type>
@@ -51,8 +51,9 @@ struct geometry_grammar :
     qi::symbols<char, int> geometry_type_dispatch;
     qi::rule<Iterator,void(mapnik::geometry_container& ),space_type> geometry_collection;
     positions_grammar<Iterator> coordinates;
-    boost::phoenix::function<where_message> where_message_;
     boost::phoenix::function<create_geometry_impl> create_geometry;
+    // error handler
+    boost::phoenix::function<ErrorHandler> const error_handler;
 };
 
 }}
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar_impl.hpp
index 0f587cfc8..b75af426b 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  *****************************************************************************/
 
 // mapnik
+#include <mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/geometry_grammar.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp>
 
@@ -33,8 +34,8 @@
 
 namespace mapnik { namespace json {
 
-template <typename Iterator>
-geometry_grammar<Iterator>::geometry_grammar()
+template <typename Iterator, typename ErrorHandler >
+geometry_grammar<Iterator, ErrorHandler>::geometry_grammar()
     : geometry_grammar::base_type(start,"geometry")
 {
 
@@ -83,20 +84,10 @@ geometry_grammar<Iterator>::geometry_grammar()
     // give some rules names
     geometry.name("Geometry");
     geometry_collection.name("GeometryCollection");
-    geometry_type_dispatch.name("Geometry dispatch");
+    geometry_type_dispatch.name("Geometry type");
     coordinates.name("Coordinates");
     // error handler
-    on_error<fail>
-        (
-            start
-            , std::clog
-            << boost::phoenix::val("Error! Expecting ")
-            << _4  // what failed?
-            << boost::phoenix::val(" here: \"")
-            << where_message_(_3, _2, 16) // max 16 chars
-            << boost::phoenix::val("\"")
-            << std::endl
-            );
+    on_error<fail>(start, error_handler(_1, _2, _3, _4));
 }
 
 }}
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp
index d85c91c08..3e4ca4c33 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ struct push_position_impl
     }
 };
 
-template <typename Iterator>
+template <typename Iterator, typename ErrorHandler = error_handler<Iterator> >
 struct positions_grammar :
         qi::grammar<Iterator,coordinates(),space_type>
 {
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ struct positions_grammar :
     qi::rule<Iterator, std::vector<std::vector<positions> >(), space_type> rings_array;
     boost::phoenix::function<set_position_impl> set_position;
     boost::phoenix::function<push_position_impl> push_position;
-    boost::phoenix::function<where_message> message;
+    // error handler
+    boost::phoenix::function<ErrorHandler> const error_handler;
 };
 
 }}
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp
index 3f42d1deb..0c1a5b789 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
 
 namespace mapnik { namespace json {
 
-template <typename Iterator>
-positions_grammar<Iterator>::positions_grammar()
+template <typename Iterator, typename ErrorHandler>
+positions_grammar<Iterator, ErrorHandler>::positions_grammar()
     : positions_grammar::base_type(coords,"coordinates")
 {
     qi::lit_type lit;
@@ -60,18 +60,13 @@ positions_grammar<Iterator>::positions_grammar()
     rings_array = lit('[') >> rings % lit(',') >> lit(']')
         ;
     coords.name("Coordinates");
+    pos.name("Position");
+    ring.name("Ring");
+    rings.name("Rings");
+    rings_array.name("Rings array");
+
     // error handler
-    on_error<fail>
-        (
-            coords,
-            std::clog
-            << boost::phoenix::val("Error! Expecting ")
-            << _4  // what failed?
-            << boost::phoenix::val(" here: \"")
-            << message(_3, _2, 16) // max 16 chars
-            << boost::phoenix::val("\"")
-            << std::endl
-            );
+    on_error<fail>(coords, error_handler(_1, _2, _3, _4));
 }
 
 }}
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/symbolizer_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/symbolizer_grammar.hpp
index 84751bd17..5f5ebe7c6 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/symbolizer_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/symbolizer_grammar.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <mapnik/util/variant.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/symbolizer.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/symbolizer_utils.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/generic_json.hpp>
 
 namespace mapnik { namespace json {
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ struct put_property
     }
 };
 
-template <typename Iterator>
+template <typename Iterator, typename ErrorHandler = error_handler<Iterator>>
 struct symbolizer_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, space_type, symbolizer()>
 {
     using json_value_type = util::variant<value_null,value_bool,value_integer,value_double, std::string>;
@@ -210,7 +211,7 @@ struct symbolizer_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, space_type, symbolizer()>
 
     phoenix::function<put_property> put_property_;
     // error
-    //boost::phoenix::function<where_message> where_message_;
+    on_error<fail>(sym, error_handler(_1, _2, _3, _4));
 };
 
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar.hpp
index 4cb8db83d..c09b7e5fe 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar.hpp
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/value.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/json/error_handler.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/generic_json.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/topology.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/json/value_converters.hpp>
@@ -44,21 +45,7 @@ namespace fusion = boost::fusion;
 namespace standard_wide = boost::spirit::standard_wide;
 using standard_wide::space_type;
 
-struct where_message
-{
-    using result_type = std::string;
-
-    template <typename Iterator>
-    std::string operator() (Iterator first, Iterator last, std::size_t size) const
-    {
-        std::string str(first, last);
-        if (str.length() > size)
-            return str.substr(0, size) + "..." ;
-        return str;
-    }
-};
-
-template <typename Iterator>
+template <typename Iterator, typename ErrorHandler = json::error_handler<Iterator> >
 struct topojson_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, space_type, topology()>
 
 {
@@ -91,8 +78,8 @@ private:
     qi::rule<Iterator, space_type, mapnik::json::json_value()> attribute_value;
     // id
     qi::rule<Iterator,space_type> id;
-    // error
-    boost::phoenix::function<where_message> where_message_;
+    // error handler
+    boost::phoenix::function<ErrorHandler> const error_handler;
 };
 
 }}
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar_impl.hpp
index 10aab4ccd..3231c9f67 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ namespace fusion = boost::fusion;
 namespace standard_wide = boost::spirit::standard_wide;
 using standard_wide::space_type;
 
-template <typename Iterator>
-topojson_grammar<Iterator>::topojson_grammar()
+template <typename Iterator, typename ErrorHandler>
+topojson_grammar<Iterator, ErrorHandler>::topojson_grammar()
     : topojson_grammar::base_type(topology, "topojson")
 {
     qi::lit_type lit;
@@ -220,19 +220,8 @@ topojson_grammar<Iterator>::topojson_grammar()
     polygon.name("polygon");
     multi_polygon.name("multi_polygon");
     geometry_collection.name("geometry_collection");
-
-    on_error<fail>
-        (
-            topology
-            , std::clog
-            << phoenix::val("Error! Expecting ")
-            << _4 // what failed?
-            << phoenix::val(" here: \"")
-            << where_message_(_3, _2, 16) // where? 16 is max chars to output
-            << phoenix::val("\"")
-            << std::endl
-            );
-
+    // error handler
+    on_error<fail>(topology, error_handler(_1, _2, _3, _4));
 }
 
 }}