diff --git a/demo/c++/Makefile b/demo/c++/Makefile
index d30b71b40..dbd425380 100644
--- a/demo/c++/Makefile
+++ b/demo/c++/Makefile
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-CXXFLAGS = $(shell mapnik-config --cflags)
+CXXFLAGS = $(shell mapnik-config --includes --defines --cxxflags --dep-includes)
 LDFLAGS = $(shell mapnik-config --libs --dep-libs --ldflags)
 
 OBJ = rundemo.o
@@ -13,8 +13,15 @@ $(BIN) : $(OBJ)
 .c.o :
 	$(CXX) -c $(CXXFLAGS) $<
 
+gyp:
+	rm -rf ./build
+	gyp rundemo.gyp --depth=. -f make --generator-output=./build/
+	make -C ./build
+	build/out/Release/rundemo `mapnik-config --prefix`
+
 .PHONY : clean
 
 clean: 
 	rm -f $(OBJ)
 	rm -f $(BIN)
+	rm -f ./build
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/demo/c++/README.md b/demo/c++/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..77e071a15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/demo/c++/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+## rundemo.cpp
+
+This directory contains a simple c++ program demonstrating the Mapnik C++ API. It mimics the python 'rundemo.py' example with a couple exceptions.
+
+If building on unix you can have this program automatically build by configuring Mapnik like:
+
+    ./configure DEMO=True
+
+However, this example code also should be able to be built standalone.
+
+The following notes describe how to do that on various operating systems.
+
+## Depends
+
+ - Mapnik library development headers
+ - `mapnik-config` on unix and `mapnik-config.bat` on windows
+
+### Unix
+
+On OS X and Linux you also need `make`.
+
+### Windows
+
+On windows, additional dependencies to build are:
+
+ - MSVS 2010 with C++ compiler
+ - Python 2.x
+ - gyp: https://code.google.com/p/gyp | https://github.com/springmeyer/hello-gyp
+
+`mapnik-config.bat` should come with your Mapnik installation.
+
+First confirm it is on your path:
+
+    mapnik-config # should give usage
+
+To install gyp, which is pure python do:
+
+    svn checkout http://gyp.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/ gyp
+    cd gyp
+    sudo python setup.py install
+
+
+## Building the demo
+
+### Unix
+
+Simply type:
+
+   make
+
+Then to run do:
+
+   ./rundemo `mapnik-config --prefix`
+
+On OS X you can also create an xcode project:
+
+    gyp rundemo.gyp --depth=. -f xcode --generator-output=./build/
+    xcodebuild -project ./build/rundemo.xcodeproj
+    ./build/out/Release/rundemo `mapnik-config --prefix`
+
+
+### Windows
+
+First you need to build he visual studio files with gyp:
+
+    gyp rundemo.gyp --depth=. -f msvs -G msvs_version=2010
+
+Then you can compile the demo with `msbuild`:
+
+    msbuild build.sln
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/demo/c++/common.gypi b/demo/c++/common.gypi
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2dd800c78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/demo/c++/common.gypi
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+{
+  'variables': {
+    'conditions': [
+      ['OS == "mac"', {
+        'target_arch%': 'x64'
+      }, {
+        'target_arch%': 'ia32'
+      }]
+    ]
+  },
+  'target_defaults': {
+    'default_configuration': 'Release',
+    'defines': [  ],
+    'conditions': [
+      ['OS == "mac"', {
+        'defines': [ 'DARWIN' ]
+      }, {
+        'defines': [ 'LINUX' ]
+      }],
+      ['OS == "mac" and target_arch == "x64"', {
+        'xcode_settings': {
+          'ARCHS': [ 'x86_64' ]
+        },
+      }]
+    ],
+    'configurations': {
+      'Debug': {
+        'cflags': [ '-g', '-O0' ],
+        'xcode_settings': {
+          'OTHER_CFLAGS': [ '-g', '-O0' ]
+        }
+      },
+      'Release': {
+        'cflags': [ '-O3' ],
+        'defines': [ 'NDEBUG' ],
+        'xcode_settings': {
+          'OTHER_CFLAGS': [ '-O3' ]
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/demo/c++/readme.txt b/demo/c++/readme.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index c9d546bc5..000000000
--- a/demo/c++/readme.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,20 +0,0 @@
-This directory contains a simple c++ program demonstrating the Mapnik C++ API. It mimics the python 'rundemo.py' example with a couple exceptions.
-
-To build it re-configure SCons with DEMO=True then rebuild::
-
-    $ python scons/scons.py configure DEMO=True
-    $ python scons/scons.py
-
-
-The sample program will be compiled (but not installed).
-
-
-To run::
-
-    $ cd demo/c++
-    $ ./rundemo /usr/local/lib/mapnik
-
-For more detailed comments have a look in demo/python/rundemo.py
-
-Have fun!
-Artem.
diff --git a/demo/c++/rundemo.gyp b/demo/c++/rundemo.gyp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..559b39363
--- /dev/null
+++ b/demo/c++/rundemo.gyp
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+{
+  'includes': [ 'common.gypi' ],
+  'include_dirs': [
+     '<!@(mapnik-config --includes)',
+     '<!@(mapnik-config --dep-includes)',
+  ],
+  'defines': [
+     '<!@(mapnik-config --defines)',
+  ],
+  'targets': [
+    {
+      'target_name': 'rundemo',
+      'type': 'executable',
+      'sources': [
+        'rundemo.cpp',
+      ],
+      'conditions': [
+        [ 'OS=="mac"', {
+          'libraries': [
+            '-lmapnik',
+            '-undefined dynamic_lookup'
+          ],
+          'xcode_settings': {
+            'OTHER_CPLUSPLUSFLAGS':[
+               '<!@(mapnik-config --cflags)'
+            ],
+            'GCC_ENABLE_CPP_RTTI': 'YES',
+            'GCC_ENABLE_CPP_EXCEPTIONS': 'YES'
+          }
+        }],
+        [ 'OS=="win"', {
+            'msvs_settings': {
+               'AdditionalLibraryDirectories': [
+                  '<!@(mapnik-config --ldflags)'
+               ],
+            }
+        }]
+     ]
+    }
+  ],
+}
\ No newline at end of file