diff --git a/src/libxml2_loader.cpp b/src/libxml2_loader.cpp
index 85464f2e3..7973a109a 100644
--- a/src/libxml2_loader.cpp
+++ b/src/libxml2_loader.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 using boost::property_tree::ptree;
 using namespace std;
 
-#define DEFAULT_OPTIONS (XML_PARSE_NOERROR | XML_PARSE_NOENT | XML_PARSE_NOBLANKS | XML_PARSE_DTDLOAD)
+#define DEFAULT_OPTIONS (XML_PARSE_NOERROR | XML_PARSE_NOENT | XML_PARSE_NOBLANKS | XML_PARSE_DTDLOAD | XML_PARSE_NOCDATA)
 
 namespace mapnik 
 {
diff --git a/tests/python_tests/filter_test.py b/tests/python_tests/filter_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7a547e136
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/python_tests/filter_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+
+from nose.tools import *
+from utilities import Todo
+
+import mapnik
+
+map_ = '''<Map>
+    <Style name="s">
+        <Rule>
+            <Filter><![CDATA[(([region]>=0) and ([region]<=50))]]></Filter>
+        </Rule>
+        <Rule>
+            <Filter><![CDATA[([region]>=0) and ([region]<=50)]]></Filter>
+        </Rule>
+        <Rule>
+            <Filter>
+            
+            <![CDATA[
+
+            ([region] >= 0) 
+
+            and 
+
+            ([region] <= 50)
+            ]]>
+            
+            </Filter>
+        </Rule>
+        <Rule>
+            <Filter>([region]&gt;=0) and ([region]&lt;=50)</Filter>
+        </Rule>
+        <Rule>
+            <Filter>
+            ([region] &gt;= 0)
+             and
+            ([region] &lt;= 50)
+            </Filter>
+        </Rule>
+
+    </Style>
+</Map>'''
+
+def test_filter_init():    
+    m = mapnik.Map(1,1)
+    mapnik.load_map_from_string(m,map_)
+    filters = []
+    filters.append(mapnik.Filter("([region]>=0) and ([region]<=50)"))
+    filters.append(mapnik.Filter("(([region]>=0) and ([region]<=50))"))
+    filters.append(mapnik.Filter("((([region]>=0) and ([region]<=50)))"))
+    filters.append(mapnik.Filter('((([region]>=0) and ([region]<=50)))'))
+    filters.append(mapnik.Filter('''((([region]>=0) and ([region]<=50)))'''))
+    filters.append(mapnik.Filter('''
+    ((([region]>=0)
+    and
+    ([region]<=50)))
+    '''))
+    filters.append(mapnik.Filter('''
+    ([region]>=0)
+    and
+    ([region]<=50)
+    '''))
+    filters.append(mapnik.Filter('''
+    ([region]
+    >=
+    0)
+    and
+    ([region]
+    <= 
+    50)
+    '''))
+    
+    s = m.find_style('s')
+    
+    for r in s.rules:
+        filters.append(r.filter)
+    
+    first = filters[0]
+    for f in filters:
+        eq_(str(first),str(f))
\ No newline at end of file