diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 149590ce4..e743add27 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -288,6 +288,7 @@ opts.AddVariables(
     ('LIB_DIR_NAME','Name to use for the "lib" folder where fonts and plugins are installed','/mapnik2/'),
     PathVariable('PYTHON','Full path to Python executable used to build bindings', sys.executable),
     BoolVariable('FRAMEWORK_PYTHON', 'Link against Framework Python on Mac OS X', 'True'),
+    BoolVariable('PYTHON_DYNAMIC_LOOKUP', 'On OSX, do not directly link python lib, but rather dynamically lookup symbols', 'False'),
     ('FRAMEWORK_SEARCH_PATH','Custom framework search path on Mac OS X', ''),
     BoolVariable('FULL_LIB_PATH', 'Use the full path for the libmapnik.dylib "install_name" when linking on Mac OS X', 'True'),
     ListVariable('BINDINGS','Language bindings to build','all',['python']),
diff --git a/bindings/python/SConscript b/bindings/python/SConscript
index 2963ae4fd..437ac4c61 100644
--- a/bindings/python/SConscript
+++ b/bindings/python/SConscript
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ if env['PLATFORM'] == 'Darwin':
     
     # http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/DOCUMENTATION/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/ld.1.html
     
-    if env['FRAMEWORK_PYTHON']:
+    if env['PYTHON_DYNAMIC_LOOKUP']:
+        linkflags = '-undefined dynamic_lookup'
+    elif env['FRAMEWORK_PYTHON']:
         if env['FRAMEWORK_SEARCH_PATH']:
             # if the user has supplied a custom root path to search for 
             # a given Python framework, then use that to direct the linker