diff --git a/src/agg_renderer.cpp b/src/agg_renderer.cpp
index c011f97dd..80e7e22fb 100644
--- a/src/agg_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/agg_renderer.cpp
@@ -476,40 +476,81 @@ namespace mapnik
             
             ren.set_pixel_size(sym.get_text_size());
             ren.set_fill(sym.get_fill());
+            ren.set_halo_fill(sym.get_halo_fill());
+            ren.set_halo_radius(sym.get_halo_radius());
+
+            placement_finder<label_collision_detector4> finder(detector_);
             
             string_info info(text);
-
-            faces->get_string_info(info);
             
-            placement_finder<label_collision_detector4> finder(detector_);
+            faces->get_string_info(info);
+           
+
+            int w = data->width();
+            int h = data->height();
             
             unsigned num_geom = feature.num_geometries();
             for (unsigned i=0;i<num_geom;++i)
             {
-               geometry2d const& geom = feature.get_geometry(i);
-               if (geom.num_points() > 0) // don't bother with empty geometries 
+               geometry2d const& geom = feature.get_geometry(i); 
+               if (geom.num_points() > 0 ) 
                {    
                   path_type path(t_,geom,prj_trans);
                   placement text_placement(info, sym);
                   text_placement.avoid_edges = sym.get_avoid_edges();
-                  finder.find_point_placements<path_type>(text_placement,path);
-                  
-                  for (unsigned int ii = 0; ii < text_placement.placements.size(); ++ ii)
-                  { 
-                     int w = data->width();
-                     int h = data->height();
-                     
-                     double x = text_placement.placements[ii].starting_x;
-                     double y = text_placement.placements[ii].starting_y;
-                     
-                     int px=int(x - (w/2));
-                     int py=int(y - (h/2));
-                     
-                     pixmap_.set_rectangle_alpha(px,py,*data);
-                     
-                     Envelope<double> dim = ren.prepare_glyphs(&text_placement.placements[ii]);
+                  if (sym.get_label_placement() == POINT_PLACEMENT) 
+                  {
+                     double label_x;
+                     double label_y;
+                     double z=0.0;
+                     geom.label_position(&label_x, &label_y);
+                     prj_trans.backward(label_x,label_y, z);
+                     t_.forward(&label_x,&label_y);
+                     finder.find_point_placement(text_placement,label_x,label_y);
+
+                     for (unsigned int ii = 0; ii < text_placement.placements.size(); ++ ii)
+                     { 
+                        double x = text_placement.placements[ii].starting_x;
+                        double y = text_placement.placements[ii].starting_y;
+                        // remove displacement from image label
+                        position pos = sym.get_displacement();
+                        double lx = x - boost::get<0>(pos);
+                        double ly = y - boost::get<1>(pos);
+                        int px=int(lx - (0.5 * w)) ;
+                        int py=int(ly - (0.5 * h)) ;
+                        Envelope<double> label_ext (floor(lx - 0.5 * w), floor(ly - 0.5 * h), ceil (lx + 0.5 * w), ceil (ly + 0.5 * h));
                         
-                     ren.render(x,y);
+                        if ( detector_.has_placement(label_ext))
+                        {    
+                           pixmap_.set_rectangle_alpha(px,py,*data);
+                           Envelope<double> dim = ren.prepare_glyphs(&text_placement.placements[ii]);
+                           ren.render(x,y);
+                           detector_.insert(label_ext);
+                        }
+                     }
+                     finder.update_detector(text_placement);
+                  }
+                  
+                  else if (geom.num_points() > 1 && sym.get_label_placement() == LINE_PLACEMENT) 
+                  {
+                     finder.find_point_placements<path_type>(text_placement,path);
+                     
+                     for (unsigned int ii = 0; ii < text_placement.placements.size(); ++ ii)
+                     {
+                        int w = data->width();
+                        int h = data->height();	                     
+                        double x = text_placement.placements[ii].starting_x;
+                        double y = text_placement.placements[ii].starting_y;
+                        
+                        int px=int(x - (w/2));
+                        int py=int(y - (h/2));
+                        
+                        pixmap_.set_rectangle_alpha(px,py,*data);
+                        
+                        Envelope<double> dim = ren.prepare_glyphs(&text_placement.placements[ii]);
+                        ren.render(x,y);
+                     }
+                     finder.update_detector(text_placement);
                   }
                }
             }
@@ -722,6 +763,7 @@ namespace mapnik
                      prj_trans.backward(label_x,label_y, z);
                      t_.forward(&label_x,&label_y);
                      finder.find_point_placement(text_placement,label_x,label_y);
+                     finder.update_detector(text_placement);
                   }
                   else //LINE_PLACEMENT
                   {
diff --git a/src/load_map.cpp b/src/load_map.cpp
index e873eb452..30c539618 100644
--- a/src/load_map.cpp
+++ b/src/load_map.cpp
@@ -849,7 +849,29 @@ namespace mapnik
                 {
                     throw config_error(std::string("Must have face_name or fontset_name"));
                 }
+                // text displacement
+                int dx = get_attr(sym, "dx", 0);
+                int dy = get_attr(sym, "dy", 0);
+                shield_symbol.set_displacement(dx,dy);
+                
+                label_placement_e placement =
+                   get_attr<label_placement_e>(sym, "placement", POINT_PLACEMENT);
+                shield_symbol.set_label_placement( placement );
 
+
+                // halo fill and radius
+                optional<Color> halo_fill = get_opt_attr<Color>(sym, "halo_fill");
+                if (halo_fill)
+                {
+                   shield_symbol.set_halo_fill( * halo_fill );
+                }
+                optional<unsigned> halo_radius = 
+                   get_opt_attr<unsigned>(sym, "halo_radius");
+                if (halo_radius)
+                {
+                   shield_symbol.set_halo_radius(*halo_radius);
+                }
+                
                 // minimum distance between labels
                 optional<unsigned> min_distance = 
                     get_opt_attr<unsigned>(sym, "min_distance");
diff --git a/src/placement_finder.cpp b/src/placement_finder.cpp
index dcf338c50..b960b803a 100644
--- a/src/placement_finder.cpp
+++ b/src/placement_finder.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace mapnik
         max_char_angle_delta(sym.get_max_char_angle_delta()),
         minimum_distance(sym.get_minimum_distance()),
         avoid_edges(sym.get_avoid_edges()),
-        has_dimensions(true), 
+        has_dimensions(false), 
         dimensions(std::make_pair(sym.get_image()->width(),
                                   sym.get_image()->height()))
    {
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ namespace mapnik
     
       for (unsigned i = 0; i < p.info.num_characters(); i++)
       {
-         character_info ci;;
+         character_info ci;
          ci = p.info.at(i);
             
          unsigned c = ci.character;
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ namespace mapnik
          else
          {
             current_placement->add_node(c, x, y, 0.0);
-    
+            
             Envelope<double> e;
             if (p.has_dimensions)
             {
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ namespace mapnik
          x += ci.width;
       }
       p.placements.push_back(current_placement.release());
-      update_detector(p);
+      //update_detector(p);
    }