diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 4f63ec52f..868de44b8 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -366,6 +366,7 @@ opts.AddVariables(
     BoolVariable('PGSQL2SQLITE', 'Compile and install a utility to convert postgres tables to sqlite', 'False'),
     BoolVariable('COLOR_PRINT', 'Print build status information in color', 'True'),
     BoolVariable('SAMPLE_INPUT_PLUGINS', 'Compile and install sample plugins', 'False'),
+    BoolVariable('BIGINT', 'Compile support for 64-bit integers in mapnik::value', 'True'),
     )
 
 # variables to pickle after successful configure step
@@ -429,7 +430,8 @@ pickle_store = [# Scons internal variables
         'CAIROMM_CPPPATHS',
         'SVG_RENDERER',
         'SQLITE_LINKFLAGS',
-        'BOOST_LIB_VERSION_FROM_HEADER'
+        'BOOST_LIB_VERSION_FROM_HEADER',
+        'BIGINT'
         ]
 
 # Add all other user configurable options to pickle pickle_store
@@ -1115,6 +1117,9 @@ if not preconfigured:
             # expression_string.cpp and map.cpp use fromUTF* function only available in >= ICU 4.2
             env['MISSING_DEPS'].append(env['ICU_LIB_NAME'])
 
+    if env['BIGINT']:
+        env.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-DBIGINT')
+
     if env['THREADING'] == 'multi':
         thread_flag = thread_suffix
     else:
diff --git a/include/mapnik/value.hpp b/include/mapnik/value.hpp
index 3989d6a56..e6ab8e87b 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/value.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/value.hpp
@@ -107,8 +107,6 @@ struct value_null
     }
 };
 
-#define BIGINT
-
 #ifdef BIGINT
 typedef long long value_integer;
 #else