diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik_image.cpp b/bindings/python/mapnik_image.cpp
index e16d283c7..7bdd9b90c 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik_image.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik_image.cpp
@@ -25,9 +25,11 @@
 #include <boost/python/module.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/def.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/graphics.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/image_util.hpp>
 
 using mapnik::Image32;
 using namespace boost::python;
+using mapnik::save_to_file;
 
 PyObject* rawdata( Image32 const& im)
 {
@@ -35,6 +37,7 @@ PyObject* rawdata( Image32 const& im)
     return ::PyString_FromStringAndSize((const char*)im.raw_data(),size);
 }
 
+void (*save_to_file2)(std::string const&,std::string const&, mapnik::Image32 const&) = mapnik::save_to_file;
 void export_image()
 {
     using namespace boost::python;
@@ -46,5 +49,6 @@ void export_image()
                       (&Image32::getBackground,return_value_policy<copy_const_reference>()),
                        &Image32::setBackground, "The background color of the image.")
 	;    
-    def("rawdata",&rawdata);
+    def("rawdata",&rawdata); // FIXME : I dont think we need this one
+    def("save_to_file", save_to_file2);
 }
diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik_image_view.cpp b/bindings/python/mapnik_image_view.cpp
index 53a8c8be0..9d218622c 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik_image_view.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik_image_view.cpp
@@ -22,10 +22,6 @@
 //$Id$
 
 #include <boost/python.hpp>
-
-//#include <boost/python/module.hpp>
-//#include <boost/python/def.hpp>
-//#include <mapnik/graphics.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/image_util.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/image_view.hpp>
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/image_util.hpp b/include/mapnik/image_util.hpp
index 3054a98e3..908b27b48 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/image_util.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/image_util.hpp
@@ -217,14 +217,22 @@ namespace mapnik {
             }
         }
     }
-
+   
+   inline MAPNIK_DECL void save_to_file (std::string const& file,
+                                         std::string const& type,
+                                         Image32 const& image) 
+   {
+      save_to_file<ImageData32>(file,type,image.data());
+   }
+   
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
-  template MAPNIK_DECL void save_to_file<ImageData32>(std::string const&,
-						      std::string const& ,
-						      ImageData32 const&);
-  template MAPNIK_DECL void save_to_file<image_view<ImageData32> > (std::string const&,
-								    std::string const& ,
-								    image_view<ImageData32> const&);
+   template MAPNIK_DECL void save_to_file<ImageData32>(std::string const&,
+                                                       std::string const& ,
+                                                       ImageData32 const&);
+         
+   template MAPNIK_DECL void save_to_file<image_view<ImageData32> > (std::string const&,
+                                                                     std::string const& ,
+                                                                     image_view<ImageData32> const&);
 #endif
 
 }