diff --git a/include/mapnik/text_path.hpp b/include/mapnik/text_path.hpp
index 7905f25ce..f29cd903d 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text_path.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text_path.hpp
@@ -118,32 +118,32 @@ public:
     }
 };
 
+typedef char_info const * char_info_ptr;
+
 
 /** List of all characters and their positions and formats for a placement. */
 class text_path : boost::noncopyable
 {
     struct character_node
     {
-        int c;
+        char_info_ptr c;
         pixel_position pos;
         double angle;
-        char_properties *format;
 
-        character_node(int c_, double x_, double y_, double angle_, char_properties *format_)
-            : c(c_), pos(x_, y_), angle(angle_), format(format_)
+        character_node(char_info_ptr c_, double x_, double y_, double angle_)
+            : c(c_), pos(x_, y_), angle(angle_)
         {
 
         }
 
         ~character_node() {}
 
-        void vertex(int *c_, double *x_, double *y_, double *angle_, char_properties **format_)
+        void vertex(char_info_ptr *c_, double *x_, double *y_, double *angle_)
         {
             *c_ = c;
             *x_ = pos.x;
             *y_ = pos.y;
             *angle_ = angle;
-            *format_ = format;
         }
     };
 
@@ -163,15 +163,15 @@ public:
     ~text_path() {}
 
     /** Adds a new char to the list. */
-    void add_node(int c, double x, double y, double angle, char_properties *format)
+    void add_node(char_info_ptr c, double x, double y, double angle)
     {
-        nodes_.push_back(character_node(c, x, y, angle, format));
+        nodes_.push_back(character_node(c, x, y, angle));
     }
 
     /** Return node. Always returns a new node. Has no way to report that there are no more nodes. */
-    void vertex(int *c, double *x, double *y, double *angle, char_properties **format)
+    void vertex(char_info_ptr *c, double *x, double *y, double *angle)
     {
-        nodes_[itr_++].vertex(c, x, y, angle, format);
+        nodes_[itr_++].vertex(c, x, y, angle);
     }
 
     /** Start again at first node. */
diff --git a/src/cairo_renderer.cpp b/src/cairo_renderer.cpp
index a89822f78..815bcf497 100644
--- a/src/cairo_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/cairo_renderer.cpp
@@ -581,17 +581,16 @@ public:
 
         for (int iii = 0; iii < path.num_nodes(); iii++)
         {
-            int c;
+            char_info_ptr c;
             double x, y, angle;
-            char_properties *format;
 
-            path.vertex(&c, &x, &y, &angle, &format);
+            path.vertex(&c, &x, &y, &angle);
 
-            face_set_ptr faces = font_manager.get_face_set(format->face_name, format->fontset);
-            float text_size = format->text_size;
+            face_set_ptr faces = font_manager.get_face_set(c->format->face_name, c->format->fontset);
+            float text_size = c->format->text_size;
             faces->set_character_sizes(text_size);
 
-            glyph_ptr glyph = faces->get_glyph(c);
+            glyph_ptr glyph = faces->get_glyph(c->c);
 
             if (glyph)
             {
@@ -609,11 +608,11 @@ public:
                 set_font_face(manager, glyph->get_face());
 
                 glyph_path(glyph->get_index(), sx + x, sy - y);
-                set_line_width(format->halo_radius);
+                set_line_width(c->format->halo_radius);
                 set_line_join(ROUND_JOIN);
-                set_color(format->halo_fill);
+                set_color(c->format->halo_fill);
                 stroke();
-                set_color(format->fill);
+                set_color(c->format->fill);
                 show_glyph(glyph->get_index(), sx + x, sy - y);
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp b/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
index 617a85f50..6b115275e 100644
--- a/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
+++ b/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
@@ -313,11 +313,10 @@ box2d<double> text_renderer<T>::prepare_glyphs(text_path *path)
 
     for (int i = 0; i < path->num_nodes(); i++)
     {
-        int c;
+        char_info_ptr c;
         double x, y, angle;
-        char_properties *properties;
 
-        path->vertex(&c, &x, &y, &angle, &properties);
+        path->vertex(&c, &x, &y, &angle);
 
 #ifdef MAPNIK_DEBUG
         // TODO Enable when we have support for setting verbosity
@@ -331,10 +330,10 @@ box2d<double> text_renderer<T>::prepare_glyphs(text_path *path)
         pen.x = int(x * 64);
         pen.y = int(y * 64);
 
-        face_set_ptr faces = font_manager_.get_face_set(properties->face_name, properties->fontset);
-        faces->set_character_sizes(properties->text_size);
+        face_set_ptr faces = font_manager_.get_face_set(c->format->face_name, c->format->fontset);
+        faces->set_character_sizes(c->format->text_size);
 
-        glyph_ptr glyph = faces->get_glyph(unsigned(c));
+        glyph_ptr glyph = faces->get_glyph(unsigned(c->c));
         FT_Face face = glyph->get_face()->get_face();
 
         matrix.xx = (FT_Fixed)( cos( angle ) * 0x10000L );
@@ -372,7 +371,7 @@ box2d<double> text_renderer<T>::prepare_glyphs(text_path *path)
         }
 
         // take ownership of the glyph
-        glyphs_.push_back(new glyph_t(image, properties));
+        glyphs_.push_back(new glyph_t(image, c->format));
     }
 
     return box2d<double>(bbox.xMin, bbox.yMin, bbox.xMax, bbox.yMax);
diff --git a/src/placement_finder.cpp b/src/placement_finder.cpp
index 3b46104dd..d4f0f3977 100644
--- a/src/placement_finder.cpp
+++ b/src/placement_finder.cpp
@@ -396,7 +396,6 @@ void placement_finder<DetectorT>::find_point_placement(double label_x, double la
 
         double cwidth = ci.width + ci.format->character_spacing;
 
-        unsigned c = ci.c;
         if (i == index_to_wrap_at)
         {
             index_to_wrap_at = line_breaks_[++line_number];
@@ -420,7 +419,7 @@ void placement_finder<DetectorT>::find_point_placement(double label_x, double la
             double dx = x * cosa - y*sina;
             double dy = x * sina + y*cosa;
 
-            current_placement->add_node(c, dx, dy, rad, ci.format);
+            current_placement->add_node(&ci, dx, dy, rad);
 
             // compute the Bounding Box for each character and test for:
             // overlap, minimum distance or edge avoidance - exit if condition occurs
@@ -732,7 +731,6 @@ std::auto_ptr<text_path> placement_finder<DetectorT>::get_placement_offset(const
         // grab the next character according to the orientation
         char_info const &ci = orientation > 0 ? info_.at(i) : info_.at(info_.num_characters() - i - 1);
         double cwidth = ci.width + ci.format->character_spacing;
-        unsigned c = ci.c;
 
         double last_character_angle = angle;
 
@@ -826,9 +824,10 @@ std::auto_ptr<text_path> placement_finder<DetectorT>::get_placement_offset(const
             render_y -= cwidth*sina + char_height*cosa;
             render_angle += M_PI;
         }
-        current_placement->add_node(c,render_x - current_placement->center.x,
+        current_placement->add_node(&ci,
+                                     render_x - current_placement->center.x,
                                     -render_y + current_placement->center.y,
-                                    render_angle, ci.format);
+                                    render_angle);
 
         //Normalise to 0 <= angle < 2PI
         while (render_angle >= 2*M_PI)
@@ -867,13 +866,13 @@ bool placement_finder<DetectorT>::test_placement(const std::auto_ptr<text_path>
     bool status = true;
     for (unsigned i = 0; i < info_.num_characters(); ++i)
     {
+        //TODO: I think this can be simplified by taking the char_info from vertex() but this needs to be carefully tested!
         // grab the next character according to the orientation
         char_info const& ci = orientation > 0 ? info_.at(i) : info_.at(info_.num_characters() - i - 1);
         double cwidth = ci.width + ci.format->character_spacing;
-        int c;
+        char_info_ptr c;
         double x, y, angle;
-        char_properties *properties;
-        current_placement->vertex(&c, &x, &y, &angle, &properties);
+        current_placement->vertex(&c, &x, &y, &angle);
         x = current_placement->center.x + x;
         y = current_placement->center.y - y;