diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/generic_json_grammar_x3.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/generic_json_grammar_x3.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d633cf9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/generic_json_grammar_x3.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+/*****************************************************************************
+ *
+ * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2015 Artem Pavlenko
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+ *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef MAPNIK_JSON_GENERIC_JSON_GRAMMAR_X3_HPP
+#define MAPNIK_JSON_GENERIC_JSON_GRAMMAR_X3_HPP
+
+#include <mapnik/value/types.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/util/variant.hpp>
+
+#pragma GCC diagnostic push
+#include <mapnik/warning_ignore.hpp>
+#include <boost/spirit/home/x3.hpp>
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
+
+#include <vector>
+
+namespace mapnik { namespace json {
+
+namespace x3 = boost::spirit::x3;
+
+struct json_value;
+
+using json_array = std::vector<json_value>;
+using json_object_element = std::pair<std::string, json_value>;
+using json_object = std::vector<json_object_element>;
+using json_value_base = mapnik::util::variant<value_null,
+                                              value_bool,
+                                              value_integer,
+                                              value_double,
+                                              std::string,
+                                              json_array,
+                                              json_object>;
+struct json_value : json_value_base
+{
+#if __cpp_inheriting_constructors >= 200802
+
+    using json_value_base::json_value_base;
+
+#else
+
+    json_value() = default;
+
+    template <typename T>
+    json_value(T && val)
+        : json_value_base(std::forward<T>(val)) {}
+
+#endif
+};
+
+namespace grammar {
+
+using generic_json_grammar_type = x3::rule<class generic_json_tag, json_value>;
+using generic_json_key_value_type = x3::rule<class json_object_element_tag, json_object_element>;
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DECLARE(generic_json_grammar_type);
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DECLARE(generic_json_key_value_type);
+}
+
+grammar::generic_json_grammar_type const& generic_json_grammar();
+grammar::generic_json_key_value_type const& generic_json_key_value();
+
+}}
+
+#endif // MAPNIK_JSON_GENERIC_JSON_GRAMMAR_X3_HPP
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/generic_json_grammar_x3_def.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/generic_json_grammar_x3_def.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..390c2251e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/generic_json_grammar_x3_def.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+/*****************************************************************************
+ *
+ * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Artem Pavlenko
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+ *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef MAPNIK_JSON_GENERIC_JSON_GRAMMAR_X3_DEF_HPP
+#define MAPNIK_JSON_GENERIC_JSON_GRAMMAR_X3_DEF_HPP
+
+#include <boost/fusion/include/std_pair.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/json/generic_json_grammar_x3.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/json/unicode_string_grammar_x3_def.hpp>
+
+namespace mapnik { namespace json { namespace grammar {
+
+namespace x3 = boost::spirit::x3;
+
+auto make_null = [] (auto const& ctx)
+{
+    _val(ctx) = mapnik::value_null{};
+};
+
+auto make_true = [] (auto const& ctx)
+{
+    _val(ctx) = true;
+};
+
+auto make_false = [] (auto const& ctx)
+{
+    _val(ctx) = false;
+};
+
+auto assign = [](auto const& ctx)
+{
+    _val(ctx) = _attr(ctx);
+};
+
+auto assign_key = [](auto const& ctx)
+{
+    std::get<0>(_val(ctx)) = _attr(ctx);
+};
+
+auto assign_value = [](auto const& ctx)
+{
+    std::get<1>(_val(ctx)) = _attr(ctx);
+};
+
+
+using x3::lit;
+using x3::string;
+// exported rules
+// start
+generic_json_grammar_type const value("JSON Value");
+generic_json_key_value_type const key_value("JSON Object element");
+// rules
+x3::rule<class json_object_tag, json_object> object("JSON Object");
+x3::rule<class json_array_tag, json_array> array("JSON Array");
+x3::rule<class json_number_tag, json_value> number("JSON Number");
+
+auto const json_double = x3::real_parser<value_double, x3::strict_real_policies<value_double>>();
+auto const json_integer = x3::int_parser<value_integer, 10, 1, -1>();
+
+// import unicode string rule
+namespace { auto const& json_string = mapnik::json::unicode_string_grammar(); }
+ // generic json types
+auto const value_def = object | array | json_string | number
+    ;
+
+auto const key_value_def = json_string[assign_key] > lit(':') > value[assign_value]
+    ;
+
+auto const object_def = lit('{')
+    > -(key_value % lit(','))
+   > lit('}')
+   ;
+
+auto const array_def = lit('[')
+    > -(value % lit(','))
+    > lit(']')
+    ;
+
+auto const number_def = json_double[assign]
+    | json_integer[assign]
+    | lit("true") [make_true]
+    | lit ("false") [make_false]
+    | lit("null")[make_null]
+    ;
+
+#pragma GCC diagnostic push
+#include <mapnik/warning_ignore.hpp>
+
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DEFINE(
+    value,
+    object,
+    key_value,
+    array,
+    number
+    );
+
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
+
+}}}
+
+namespace mapnik { namespace json {
+
+grammar::generic_json_grammar_type const& generic_json_grammar()
+{
+    return grammar::value;
+}
+grammar::generic_json_key_value_type const& generic_json_key_value()
+{
+    return grammar::key_value;
+}
+
+}}
+
+#endif // MAPNIK_JSON_GENERIC_JSON_GRAMMAR_X3_DEF_HPP