diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index dd89b3aec..949920138 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -106,15 +106,13 @@ script:
  # (and might work) for the next build
  - DURATION=2400
  - scripts/travis-command-wrapper.py -s "date" -i 120 --deadline=$(( $(date +%s) + ${DURATION} )) make
- # dump glibcxx symbols >= 3.4.20 (if this returns output
- # then it means the binaries will not run on ubuntu trusty without upgrading libstdc++)
- - nm src/libmapnik* | grep "GLIBCXX_3.4.2[0-9]" || true
  - RESULT=0
  - make test || RESULT=$?
  # we allow visual failures with g++ for now: https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/issues/3567
  - if [[ ${RESULT} != 0 ]] && [[ ${CXX} =~ 'clang++' ]]; then false; fi;
  - enabled ${COVERAGE} coverage
  - enabled ${BENCH} make bench
+ - ./scripts/check_glibcxx.sh
 
 after_success:
  - enabled ${TRIGGER} trigger_downstream
diff --git a/scons/scons-time.py b/scons/scons-time.py
index 3fdb8f2eb..79f5bc109 100755
--- a/scons/scons-time.py
+++ b/scons/scons-time.py
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ def tee_to_file(command, log):
     return '%s 2>&1 | tee %s' % (command, log)
 
 
-    
+
 class SConsTimer(object):
     """
     Usage: scons-time SUBCOMMAND [ARGUMENTS]
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ class SConsTimer(object):
         'SCons'         : 'Total SCons execution time',
         'commands'      : 'Total command execution time',
     }
-    
+
     time_string_all = 'Total .* time'
 
     #
diff --git a/scons/sconsign.py b/scons/sconsign.py
index 7391807c4..be7844faa 100755
--- a/scons/sconsign.py
+++ b/scons/sconsign.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 # OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION
 # WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 
+
 from __future__ import print_function
 
 __revision__ = "src/script/sconsign.py 74b2c53bc42290e911b334a6b44f187da698a668 2017/11/14 13:16:53 bdbaddog"
diff --git a/scripts/check_glibcxx.sh b/scripts/check_glibcxx.sh
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..ae298939e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/check_glibcxx.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -eu
+set -o pipefail
+shopt -s nullglob
+
+: '
+
+Ensure no GLIBCXX_3.4.2x symbols are present in the binary
+if ENABLE_GLIBC_WORKAROUND is set.
+
+If symbols >= 3.4.20 then it means the binaries would not run on ubuntu trusty without upgrading libstdc++
+
+'
+
+FINAL_RETURN_CODE=0
+
+function check() {
+    local RESULT=0
+    nm ${1} | grep "GLIBCXX_3.4.2[0-9]" > /tmp/out.txt || RESULT=$?
+    if [[ ${RESULT} != 0 ]]; then
+        echo "Success: GLIBCXX_3.4.2[0-9] symbols not present in binary (as expected)"
+    else
+        echo "$(cat /tmp/out.txt | c++filt)"
+        if [[ ${ENABLE_GLIBC_WORKAROUND:-false} == true ]]; then
+            FINAL_RETURN_CODE=1
+        fi
+    fi
+}
+
+for i in src/libmapnik*; do
+    echo "checking $i"
+    check $i
+done
+
+exit ${FINAL_RETURN_CODE}
diff --git a/src/build.py b/src/build.py
index 528db58e9..62cbc7012 100644
--- a/src/build.py
+++ b/src/build.py
@@ -312,6 +312,13 @@ cairo/process_markers_symbolizer.cpp
 cairo/process_group_symbolizer.cpp
 """)
 
+if env['ENABLE_GLIBC_WORKAROUND']:
+    source += Split(
+            """
+            glibc_workaround.cpp
+            """
+        )
+
 if env['HAS_CAIRO']:
     lib_env.AppendUnique(LIBPATH=env['CAIRO_LIBPATHS'])
     lib_env.Append(CPPDEFINES = '-DHAVE_CAIRO')
diff --git a/src/glibc_workaround.cpp b/src/glibc_workaround.cpp
index c07a22d9a..27c97f4dd 100644
--- a/src/glibc_workaround.cpp
+++ b/src/glibc_workaround.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,25 @@
+/*****************************************************************************
+ *
+ * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2017 Artem Pavlenko
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+ *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
 #ifdef __linux__
 
 #ifdef MAPNIK_ENABLE_GLIBC_WORKAROUND