diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 63bcea19b..2e44500b9 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ For a complete change history, see the git log.
 
 Not yet released
 
+- Increased grid encoding performance (#1315)
+
 - Added support for overriding fill, stroke, and opacity for svg markers using marker properties
 
 - Added support for setting opacity dynamically on images in polygon pattern and markers symbolizers
diff --git a/bindings/python/python_grid_utils.cpp b/bindings/python/python_grid_utils.cpp
index a837b5dc2..b1b5fa393 100644
--- a/bindings/python/python_grid_utils.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/python_grid_utils.cpp
@@ -233,9 +233,50 @@ void write_features(T const& grid_type,
                            boost::python::dict& feature_data,
                            std::vector<typename T::lookup_type> const& key_order)
 {
-    std::string const& key = grid_type.get_key();
-    std::set<std::string> const& attributes = grid_type.property_names();
     typename T::feature_type const& g_features = grid_type.get_grid_features();
+    if (g_features.size() <= 0)
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    std::set<std::string> const& attributes = grid_type.property_names();
+    typename T::feature_type::const_iterator feat_end = g_features.end();
+    BOOST_FOREACH ( std::string const& key_item, key_order )
+    {
+        if (key_item.empty())
+        {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        typename T::feature_type::const_iterator feat_itr = g_features.find(key_item);
+        if (feat_itr == feat_end)
+        {
+            continue;
+        }
+
+        bool found = false;
+        boost::python::dict feat;
+        mapnik::feature_ptr feature = feat_itr->second;
+        BOOST_FOREACH ( std::string const& attr, attributes )
+        {
+            if (attr == "__id__")
+            {
+                feat[attr.c_str()] = feature->id();
+            }
+            else if (feature->has_key(attr))
+            {
+                found = true;
+                feat[attr.c_str()] = feature->get(attr);
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (found)
+        {
+            feature_data[feat_itr->first] = feat;
+        }
+    }
+/*    std::string const& key = grid_type.get_key();
+    std::set<std::string> const& attributes = grid_type.property_names();
     typename T::feature_type::const_iterator feat_itr = g_features.begin();
     typename T::feature_type::const_iterator feat_end = g_features.end();
     bool include_key = (attributes.find(key) != attributes.end());
@@ -298,6 +339,7 @@ void write_features(T const& grid_type,
             MAPNIK_LOG_DEBUG(bindings) << "write_features: Should not get here: key " << key << " not found in grid feature properties";
         }
     }
+*/
 }
 
 template <typename T>
diff --git a/tests/python_tests/render_grid_test.py b/tests/python_tests/render_grid_test.py
index f42d4a6df..1b5147081 100644
--- a/tests/python_tests/render_grid_test.py
+++ b/tests/python_tests/render_grid_test.py
@@ -194,7 +194,7 @@ grid_feat_id = {'keys': ['', '3', '4', '2', '1'], 'data': {'1': {'Name': 'South
 
 grid_feat_id2 = {"data": {"1": {"Name": "South East"}, "2": {"Name": "South West"}, "3": {"Name": "North West"}, "4": {"Name": "North East"}}, "grid": ["                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "          !!                                  ##                ", "         !!!                                 ###                ", "          !!                                  ##                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "          $$                                  %%                ", "         $$$                                  %%                ", "          $$                                  %%                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                "], "keys": ["", "3", "4", "2", "1"]}
 
-grid_feat_id3 = {"data": {"1": {"Name": "South East"}, "2": {"Name": "South West"}, "3": {"Name": "North West"}, "4": {"Name": "North East"}}, "grid": ["                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "          !!                                  ##                ", "         !!!                                 ###                ", "          !!                                  ##                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "          $$                                  %%                ", "         $$$                                  %%                ", "          $                                   %%                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                "], "keys": ["", "3", "4", "2", "1"]}
+grid_feat_id3 = {"data": {"1": {"Name": "South East", "__id__": 1}, "2": {"Name": "South West", "__id__": 2}, "3": {"Name": "North West", "__id__": 3}, "4": {"Name": "North East", "__id__": 4}}, "grid": ["                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "          !!                                  ##                ", "         !!!                                 ###                ", "          !!                                  ##                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "          $$                                  %%                ", "         $$$                                  %%                ", "          $                                   %%                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                ", "                                                                "], "keys": ["", "3", "4", "2", "1"]}
 
 def test_render_grid3():
     """ test using feature id"""
@@ -225,10 +225,10 @@ def test_render_grid3():
     # resolve some center points in the
     # resampled view
     utf5 = grid_view.encode('utf',resolution=4)
-    eq_(resolve(utf5,25,10),{"Name": "North West"})
-    eq_(resolve(utf5,25,46),{"Name": "North East"})
-    eq_(resolve(utf5,38,10),{"Name": "South West"})
-    eq_(resolve(utf5,38,46),{"Name": "South East"})
+    eq_(resolve(utf5,25,10),{"Name": "North West","__id__": 3})
+    eq_(resolve(utf5,25,46),{"Name": "North East","__id__": 4})
+    eq_(resolve(utf5,38,10),{"Name": "South West","__id__": 2})
+    eq_(resolve(utf5,38,46),{"Name": "South East","__id__": 1})
 
 
 def gen_grid_for_id(pixel_key):
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ def test_line_rendering():
     m.zoom_all()
     #mapnik.render_to_file(m,'test.png')
     grid = mapnik.Grid(m.width,m.height,key='__id__')
-    mapnik.render_layer(m,grid,layer=0,fields=['__id__','Name'])
+    mapnik.render_layer(m,grid,layer=0,fields=['Name'])
     utf1 = grid.encode()
     eq_(utf1,line_expected,show_grids('line',utf1,line_expected))