diff --git a/tests/python_tests/json_feature_properties_test.py b/tests/python_tests/json_feature_properties_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2eb92a20a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/python_tests/json_feature_properties_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+#encoding: utf8
+
+from nose.tools import *
+import os,sys
+import mapnik
+import json
+
+chars = [
+ {
+   "name":"single_quote",
+   "test": "string with ' quote",
+   "json": '{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \' quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"escaped_single_quote",
+   "test":"string with \' quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \' quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"double_quote",
+   "test":'string with " quote',
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\" quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"double_quote2",
+   "test":"string with \" quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\" quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"reverse_solidus", # backslash
+   "test":"string with \\ quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\\ quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"solidus", # forward slash
+   "test":"string with / quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with / quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"backspace",
+   "test":"string with \b quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\b quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"formfeed",
+   "test":"string with \f quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\f quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"newline",
+   "test":"string with \n quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\n quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"carriage_return",
+   "test":"string with \r quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\r quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"horiztonal_tab",
+   "test":"string with \t quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\t quote"}}'
+ },
+ # remainder are c++ reserved, but not json
+ {
+   "name":"vert_tab",
+   "test":"string with \v quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \\u000b quote"}}'
+ },
+ {
+   "name":"alert",
+   "test":"string with \a quote",
+   "json":'{"type":"Feature","id":1,"geometry":null,"properties":{"name":"string with \u0007 quote"}}'
+ }
+]
+
+ctx = mapnik.Context()
+ctx.push('name')
+
+def test_char_escaping():
+    for char in chars:
+        feat = mapnik.Feature(ctx,1)
+        expected = char['test']
+        feat["name"] = expected
+        eq_(feat["name"],expected)
+        # confirm the python json module
+        # is working as we would expect
+        pyjson2 = json.loads(char['json'])
+        eq_(pyjson2['properties']['name'],expected)
+        # confirm our behavior is the same as python json module
+        # for the original string
+        geojson_feat_string = feat.to_geojson()
+        eq_(geojson_feat_string,char['json'],"Mapnik's json escaping is not to spec: actual(%s) and expected(%s)" % (geojson_feat_string,char['json']))
+        # and the round tripped string
+        pyjson = json.loads(geojson_feat_string)
+        eq_(pyjson['properties']['name'],expected)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    [eval(run)() for run in dir() if 'test_' in run]