diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 89a8e3850..7bbca2464 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -926,7 +926,7 @@ def boost_regex_has_icu(context):
 
 int main()
 {
-    icu::UnicodeString ustr;
+    U_NAMESPACE_QUALIFIER UnicodeString ustr;
     try {
         boost::u32regex pattern = boost::make_u32regex(ustr);
     }
diff --git a/include/mapnik/value_types.hpp b/include/mapnik/value_types.hpp
index a35491d03..0b64aca7e 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/value_types.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/value_types.hpp
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ typedef int value_integer;
 #endif
 
 typedef double value_double;
-typedef icu::UnicodeString  value_unicode_string;
+typedef U_NAMESPACE_QUALIFIER UnicodeString value_unicode_string;
 typedef bool value_bool;
 
 struct value_null
diff --git a/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp b/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
index 609b6ede1..646c60d25 100644
--- a/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
+++ b/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ void font_face_set::get_string_info(string_info & info, mapnik::value_unicode_st
     shaped.releaseBuffer(length);
 
     if (U_SUCCESS(err)) {
-        icu::StringCharacterIterator iter(shaped);
+        U_NAMESPACE_QUALIFIER StringCharacterIterator iter(shaped);
         for (iter.setToStart(); iter.hasNext();) {
             UChar ch = iter.nextPostInc();
             char_info char_dim = character_dimensions(ch);