diff --git a/include/mapnik/image_util_jpeg.hpp b/include/mapnik/image_util_jpeg.hpp
index b4d2648db..f0ba502ff 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/image_util_jpeg.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/image_util_jpeg.hpp
@@ -28,7 +28,9 @@
 #include <iostream>
 
 namespace mapnik {
-
+namespace detail {
+int parse_jpeg_quality(std::string params);
+}
 struct jpeg_saver
 {
     jpeg_saver(std::ostream &, std::string const&);
diff --git a/src/image_util_jpeg.cpp b/src/image_util_jpeg.cpp
index 22cd3539d..9a1e726a4 100644
--- a/src/image_util_jpeg.cpp
+++ b/src/image_util_jpeg.cpp
@@ -41,14 +41,14 @@ namespace mapnik
 jpeg_saver::jpeg_saver(std::ostream & stream, std::string const& t)
     : stream_(stream), t_(t) {}
 
-template <typename T>
-void process_rgba8_jpeg(T const& image, std::string const& type, std::ostream & stream)
+namespace detail {
+
+int parse_jpeg_quality(std::string params)
 {
-#if defined(HAVE_JPEG)
     int quality = 85;
-    if (type != "jpeg")
+    if (params != "jpeg")
     {
-        for (auto const& kv : parse_image_options(type))
+        for (auto const& kv : parse_image_options(params))
         {
             auto const& key = kv.first;
             auto const& val = kv.second;
@@ -73,6 +73,16 @@ void process_rgba8_jpeg(T const& image, std::string const& type, std::ostream &
             }
         }
     }
+    return quality;
+}
+
+}
+
+template <typename T>
+void process_rgba8_jpeg(T const& image, std::string const& type, std::ostream & stream)
+{
+#if defined(HAVE_JPEG)
+    int quality = detail::parse_jpeg_quality(type);
     save_as_jpeg(stream, quality, image);
 #else
     throw image_writer_exception("jpeg output is not enabled in your build of Mapnik");
diff --git a/test/unit/imaging/image_io_test.cpp b/test/unit/imaging/image_io_test.cpp
index d0a984d7d..6daeca899 100644
--- a/test/unit/imaging/image_io_test.cpp
+++ b/test/unit/imaging/image_io_test.cpp
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <mapnik/image.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/image_reader.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/image_util.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/image_util_jpeg.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/util/fs.hpp>
 #include <vector>
 #include <algorithm>
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ SECTION("readers") {
         {
             REQUIRE( std::string(ex.what()) == std::string("JPEG Reader: libjpeg could not read image: Not a JPEG file: starts with 0x89 0x50") );
         }
+
 #endif
 
         REQUIRE_THROWS(mapnik::image_rgba8 im(-10,-10)); // should throw rather than overflow
@@ -95,5 +97,17 @@ SECTION("readers") {
 
 } // END SECTION
 
+SECTION("writers options")
+{
+#if defined(HAVE_JPEG)
+    // test we can parse both jpegXX and quality=XX options
+    REQUIRE_THROWS(mapnik::detail::parse_jpeg_quality("jpegXX"));
+    REQUIRE_THROWS(mapnik::detail::parse_jpeg_quality("jpeg:quality=XX"));
+    int q0 = mapnik::detail::parse_jpeg_quality("jpeg50");
+    int q1 = mapnik::detail::parse_jpeg_quality("jpeg:quality=50");
+    REQUIRE(q0 == q1);
+#endif
+
+} // END SECTION
 
 } // END TEST_CASE