diff --git a/include/mapnik/image_any.hpp b/include/mapnik/image_any.hpp
index b5d539d39..707f8248a 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/image_any.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/image_any.hpp
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #define MAPNIK_IMAGE_ANY_HPP
 
 #include <mapnik/image.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/image_null.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/util/variant.hpp>
 
 namespace mapnik {
diff --git a/include/mapnik/image_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/image_impl.hpp
index ac7d090ff..e47f2a086 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/image_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/image_impl.hpp
@@ -312,19 +312,6 @@ inline image_dtype image<T>::get_dtype()  const
     return dtype;
 }
 
-/*
-using image_rgba8 = image<rgba8_t>;
-using image_gray8 = image<gray8_t>;
-using image_gray8s = image<gray8s_t>;
-using image_gray16 = image<gray16_t>;
-using image_gray16s = image<gray16s_t>;
-using image_gray32 = image<gray32_t>;
-using image_gray32s = image<gray32s_t>;
-using image_gray32f = image<gray32f_t>;
-using image_gray64 = image<gray64_t>;
-using image_gray64s = image<gray64s_t>;
-using image_gray64f = image<gray64f_t>;
-*/
 } // end ns
 
 #endif // MAPNIK_IMAGE_IMPL_HPP
diff --git a/src/image_null.cpp b/include/mapnik/image_null.hpp
similarity index 85%
rename from src/image_null.cpp
rename to include/mapnik/image_null.hpp
index 595cfc358..531f9fb7c 100644
--- a/src/image_null.cpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/image_null.hpp
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 /*****************************************************************************
  *
  * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
@@ -21,9 +20,12 @@
  *
  *****************************************************************************/
 
+#ifndef MAPNIK_IMAGE_NULL_HPP
+#define MAPNIK_IMAGE_NULL_HPP
+
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/config.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/image.hpp>
+//#include <mapnik/image.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/pixel_types.hpp>
 
 //stl
@@ -49,12 +51,13 @@ public:
     image(image<null_t> const& rhs) {}
     image(image<null_t> && rhs) noexcept {}
 
-    void swap(image<null_t> & rhs) {}
     std::size_t width() const { return 0; }
     std::size_t height() const { return 0; }
     unsigned getSize() const { return 0; }
     unsigned getRowSize() const { return 0; }
     void set(pixel_type const& t) { throw std::runtime_error("Can not set values for null image"); }
+    pixel_type& operator() (std::size_t i, std::size_t j) { throw std::runtime_error("Can not get or set values for null image"); }
+    const pixel_type& operator() (std::size_t i, std::size_t j) const { throw std::runtime_error("Can not get or set values for null image"); }
     const unsigned char* getBytes() const { return nullptr; }
     unsigned char* getBytes() {return nullptr; }
     double get_offset() const { return 0.0; }
@@ -69,3 +72,5 @@ public:
 };
 
 } // end ns mapnik
+
+#endif // MAPNIK_IMAGE_NULL_HPP
diff --git a/src/build.py b/src/build.py
index 00bb95346..0d9ebcaf9 100644
--- a/src/build.py
+++ b/src/build.py
@@ -178,7 +178,6 @@ source = Split(
     image_view.cpp
     image_view_any.cpp
     image_any.cpp
-    image_null.cpp
     image_util.cpp
     image_util_jpeg.cpp
     image_util_png.cpp
diff --git a/src/image.cpp b/src/image.cpp
index cb14729fe..a899ec164 100644
--- a/src/image.cpp
+++ b/src/image.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/config.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/image.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/image_null.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/image_impl.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/pixel_types.hpp>