diff --git a/src/box2d.cpp b/src/box2d.cpp
index c6061dc06..68cda38c3 100644
--- a/src/box2d.cpp
+++ b/src/box2d.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  *****************************************************************************/
 //$Id: envelope.cpp 17 2005-03-08 23:58:43Z pavlenko $
 
+// mapnik
 #include <mapnik/box2d.hpp>
 
 // stl
@@ -28,8 +29,8 @@
 
 // boost
 #include <boost/tokenizer.hpp>
-#include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 #include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
+#include <boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp>
 
 namespace mapnik
 {
@@ -332,31 +333,31 @@ inline
 #endif
 bool box2d<T>::from_string(const std::string& s)
 {
-    bool success = false;
-
-    boost::char_separator<char> sep(", ");
-    boost::tokenizer<boost::char_separator<char> > tok(s, sep);
-
     unsigned i = 0;
     double d[4];
+    bool success = false;
+    boost::char_separator<char> sep(", ");
+    boost::tokenizer<boost::char_separator<char> > tok(s, sep);
     for (boost::tokenizer<boost::char_separator<char> >::iterator beg = tok.begin();
          beg != tok.end(); ++beg)
     {
-        try
-        {
-            d[i] = boost::lexical_cast<double>(boost::trim_copy(*beg));
-        }
-        catch (boost::bad_lexical_cast & ex)
+        std::string item(*beg);
+        boost::trim(item);
+        // note: we intentionally do not use mapnik::util::conversions::string2double
+        // here to ensure that shapeindex can statically compile mapnik::box2d without
+        // needing to link to libmapnik
+        std::string::const_iterator str_beg = item.begin();
+        std::string::const_iterator str_end = item.end();
+        bool r = boost::spirit::qi::phrase_parse(str_beg,str_end,boost::spirit::qi::double_,boost::spirit::ascii::space,d[i]);
+        if (!(r && (str_beg == str_end)))
         {
             break;
         }
-
         if (i == 3)
         {
             success = true;
             break;
         }
-
         ++i;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/load_map.cpp b/src/load_map.cpp
index 68239b48a..901098411 100644
--- a/src/load_map.cpp
+++ b/src/load_map.cpp
@@ -50,12 +50,12 @@
 #include <mapnik/rule.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/config_error.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/util/dasharray_parser.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/util/conversions.hpp>
 
 // boost
 #include <boost/optional.hpp>
 #include <boost/algorithm/string.hpp>
 #include <boost/algorithm/string/trim.hpp>
-#include <boost/lexical_cast.hpp>
 #include <boost/tokenizer.hpp>
 #include <boost/property_tree/ptree.hpp>
 #include <boost/property_tree/xml_parser.hpp>
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <sstream>
 
-using boost::lexical_cast;
-using boost::bad_lexical_cast;
 using boost::tokenizer;
 
 using std::endl;
@@ -260,13 +258,12 @@ void map_parser::parse_map(Map & map, xml_node const& pt, std::string const& bas
                 for (boost::tokenizer<boost::char_separator<char> >::iterator beg = tokens.begin();
                      beg != tokens.end(); ++beg)
                 {
-                    try
+                    std::string item(*beg);
+                    boost::trim(item);
+                    if (!mapnik::util::string2int(item,n[i]))
                     {
-                        n[i] = boost::lexical_cast<int>(boost::trim_copy(*beg));
-                    }
-                    catch (boost::bad_lexical_cast & ex)
-                    {
-                        std::clog << *beg << " : " << ex.what() << "\n";
+                        throw config_error(std::string("Invalid version string encountered: '")
+                            + *beg + "' in '" + *min_version_string + "'");
                         break;
                     }
                     if (i==2)
diff --git a/src/projection.cpp b/src/projection.cpp
index 5fc97e150..4c6ec153a 100644
--- a/src/projection.cpp
+++ b/src/projection.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,8 @@ std::string projection::expanded() const
     if (proj_) {
         std::string def(pj_get_def( proj_, 0 ));
         //boost::algorithm::ireplace_first(def,params_,"");
-        return boost::trim_copy(def);
+        boost::trim(def);
+        return def;
     }
     return std::string("");
 }
diff --git a/src/rapidxml_loader.cpp b/src/rapidxml_loader.cpp
index 4a9293f54..4c8398a69 100644
--- a/src/rapidxml_loader.cpp
+++ b/src/rapidxml_loader.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,8 @@ private:
         case rapidxml::node_data:
         case rapidxml::node_cdata:
         {
-            std::string trimmed = boost::algorithm::trim_copy(std::string(cur_node->value()));
+            std::string trimmed(cur_node->value());
+            boost::trim(trimmed);
             if (trimmed.empty()) break; //Don't add empty text nodes
             node.add_child(trimmed, 0, true);
         }