diff --git a/src/cairo_io.cpp b/src/cairo_io.cpp
index d0ea38a42..a1c3e8cf1 100644
--- a/src/cairo_io.cpp
+++ b/src/cairo_io.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ void save_to_cairo_file(mapnik::Map const& map,
         else if (type == "svg")
         {
             surface = cairo_surface_ptr(cairo_svg_surface_create(filename.c_str(),width,height),cairo_surface_closer());
+            cairo_svg_surface_restrict_to_version(surface.get(), CAIRO_SVG_VERSION_1_2);
         }
 #endif
 #ifdef CAIRO_HAS_PS_SURFACE
diff --git a/test/unit/renderer/cairo_io.cpp b/test/unit/renderer/cairo_io.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ef5beb780
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/renderer/cairo_io.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#include "catch.hpp"
+
+#include <mapnik/cairo_io.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/util/fs.hpp>
+
+#pragma GCC diagnostic push
+#include <mapnik/warning_ignore.hpp>
+#include <boost/filesystem/convenience.hpp>
+#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
+
+#include <fstream>
+
+#if defined(HAVE_CAIRO)
+TEST_CASE("cairo_io") {
+
+SECTION("save_to_cairo_file - SVG") {
+    std::string directory_name("/tmp/mapnik-tests/");
+    boost::filesystem::create_directories(directory_name);
+    REQUIRE(mapnik::util::exists(directory_name));
+
+    std::string output_file(directory_name + "test_save_to_cairo_file.svg");
+
+    mapnik::Map map(256, 256);
+    mapnik::save_to_cairo_file(map, output_file);
+
+    std::ifstream stream(output_file, std::ios_base::in | std::ios_base::binary);
+    std::string actual_output(std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(stream.rdbuf()), std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
+
+    // Check the Cairo SVG surface is using SVG 1.2
+    CHECK(actual_output.find("version=\"1.2\"") != std::string::npos);
+}
+
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/test/visual/renderer.hpp b/test/visual/renderer.hpp
index 40f56cec7..c832a5ec7 100644
--- a/test/visual/renderer.hpp
+++ b/test/visual/renderer.hpp
@@ -180,7 +180,17 @@ struct cairo_vector_renderer : vector_renderer_base
 };
 
 #ifdef CAIRO_HAS_SVG_SURFACE
-struct cairo_svg_renderer : cairo_vector_renderer<cairo_svg_surface_create_for_stream>
+inline cairo_surface_t *create_svg_1_2(cairo_write_func_t write_func,
+                                       void *closure,
+                                       double width,
+                                       double height)
+{
+    cairo_surface_t * surface = cairo_svg_surface_create_for_stream(write_func, closure, width, height);
+    cairo_svg_surface_restrict_to_version(surface, CAIRO_SVG_VERSION_1_2);
+    return surface;
+}
+
+struct cairo_svg_renderer : cairo_vector_renderer<create_svg_1_2>
 {
     static constexpr const char * name = "cairo-svg";
     static constexpr const char * ext = ".svg";