diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 6c95116fe..2bd91d5e7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ For a complete change history, see the SVN log.
 Mapnik Trunk
 ------------
 
+- Added support to PointSymbolizer ('ignore_placement') for skipping adding placed points to collision detector (#564)
+
 - Added ability to register fonts within XML using Map level 'font_directory' parameter (#168)
 
 - TextSymbolizer: Change text_convert to text_transform to better match css naming (r2211)
diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik_point_symbolizer.cpp b/bindings/python/mapnik_point_symbolizer.cpp
index bc0453e8a..d79a13f0c 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik_point_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik_point_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -43,17 +43,17 @@ struct point_symbolizer_pickle_suite : boost::python::pickle_suite
     static  boost::python::tuple
     getstate(const point_symbolizer& p)
     {
-        return boost::python::make_tuple(p.get_allow_overlap(),p.get_opacity());
+        return boost::python::make_tuple(p.get_allow_overlap(),p.get_opacity(),p.get_ignore_placement());
     }
 
     static void
     setstate (point_symbolizer& p, boost::python::tuple state)
     {
         using namespace boost::python;
-        if (len(state) != 2)
+        if (len(state) != 3)
         {
             PyErr_SetObject(PyExc_ValueError,
-                            ("expected 2-item tuple in call to __setstate__; got %s"
+                            ("expected 3-item tuple in call to __setstate__; got %s"
                              % state).ptr()
                 );
             throw_error_already_set();
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ struct point_symbolizer_pickle_suite : boost::python::pickle_suite
                 
         p.set_allow_overlap(extract<bool>(state[0]));
         p.set_opacity(extract<float>(state[1]));
+        p.set_ignore_placement(extract<bool>(state[3]));
         
     }
 
@@ -95,5 +96,8 @@ void export_point_symbolizer()
         .add_property("opacity",
                       &point_symbolizer::get_opacity,
                       &point_symbolizer::set_opacity)
+        .add_property("ignore_placement",
+                      &point_symbolizer::get_ignore_placement,
+                      &point_symbolizer::set_ignore_placement)
         ;
 }
diff --git a/include/mapnik/point_symbolizer.hpp b/include/mapnik/point_symbolizer.hpp
index 11b628175..086a2b30f 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/point_symbolizer.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/point_symbolizer.hpp
@@ -38,9 +38,12 @@ struct MAPNIK_DECL point_symbolizer :
     point_symbolizer(point_symbolizer const& rhs);
     void set_allow_overlap(bool overlap);
     bool get_allow_overlap() const;
+    void set_ignore_placement(bool ignore_placement);
+    bool get_ignore_placement() const;
         
 private:
     bool overlap_;
+    bool ignore_placement_;
 };
 }
 
diff --git a/src/agg/process_point_symbolizer.cpp b/src/agg/process_point_symbolizer.cpp
index f73681bc7..82399991e 100644
--- a/src/agg/process_point_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/agg/process_point_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -114,7 +114,8 @@ void agg_renderer<T>::process(point_symbolizer const& sym,
                     detector_.has_placement(extent))
                 {
                     svg_renderer.render(*ras_ptr, sl, ren, tr, renb.clip_box(), sym.get_opacity());
-                    detector_.insert(extent);
+                    if (!sym.get_ignore_placement())
+                        detector_.insert(extent);
                     metawriter_with_properties writer = sym.get_metawriter();
                     if (writer.first)
                     {
@@ -155,7 +156,8 @@ void agg_renderer<T>::process(point_symbolizer const& sym,
                     detector_.has_placement(label_ext))
                 {
                     pixmap_.set_rectangle_alpha2(*(*data), px, py, sym.get_opacity());
-                    detector_.insert(label_ext);
+                    if (!sym.get_ignore_placement())
+                        detector_.insert(label_ext);
                     metawriter_with_properties writer = sym.get_metawriter();
                     if (writer.first) writer.first->add_box(label_ext, feature, t_, writer.second);
                 }
diff --git a/src/load_map.cpp b/src/load_map.cpp
index 753638cb2..262f6363f 100644
--- a/src/load_map.cpp
+++ b/src/load_map.cpp
@@ -754,6 +754,8 @@ void map_parser::parse_point_symbolizer( rule_type & rule, ptree const & sym )
         optional<std::string> base =  get_opt_attr<string>(sym, "base");
         optional<boolean> allow_overlap =
             get_opt_attr<boolean>(sym, "allow_overlap");
+        optional<boolean> ignore_placement =
+            get_opt_attr<boolean>(sym, "ignore_placement");
         optional<float> opacity =
             get_opt_attr<float>(sym, "opacity");
         
@@ -792,6 +794,10 @@ void map_parser::parse_point_symbolizer( rule_type & rule, ptree const & sym )
                 {
                     symbol.set_opacity( * opacity );
                 }
+                if (ignore_placement)
+                {
+                    symbol.set_ignore_placement( * ignore_placement );            
+                }
                 if (transform_wkt)
                 {
                     agg::trans_affine tr;
@@ -831,6 +837,10 @@ void map_parser::parse_point_symbolizer( rule_type & rule, ptree const & sym )
             {
                 symbol.set_opacity( * opacity );
             }
+            if (ignore_placement)
+            {
+                symbol.set_ignore_placement( * ignore_placement );            
+            }
 
             parse_metawriter_in_symbolizer(symbol, sym);
             rule.append(symbol);