diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar_impl.hpp
index c6db10b51..9e21baa08 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -148,13 +148,10 @@ extract_bounding_box_grammar<Iterator, Boxes, ErrorHandler>::extract_bounding_bo
     json.value = json.object | json.array | json.string_ | json.number
         ;
 
-    json.pairs = json.key_value % lit(',')
+    json.key_value = json.string_ >> lit(':') >> json.value
         ;
 
-    json.key_value = (json.string_ >> lit(':') >> json.value)
-        ;
-
-    json.object = lit('{') >> json.pairs >> lit('}')
+    json.object = lit('{') >>  json.key_value % lit(',') >> lit('}')
         ;
 
     json.array = lit('[')
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar_impl.hpp
index c6340d779..476826108 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/feature_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -53,14 +53,11 @@ feature_grammar<Iterator,FeatureType,ErrorHandler>::feature_grammar(mapnik::tran
     json_.value =  json_.object | json_.array | json_.string_ | json_.number
         ;
 
-    json_.pairs = json_.key_value % lit(',')
-        ;
-
     json_.key_value = json_.string_ > lit(':') > json_.value
         ;
 
     json_.object = lit('{')
-        > json_.pairs
+        > json_.key_value % lit(',')
         > lit('}')
         ;
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/generic_json.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/generic_json.hpp
index 26a1fd1e3..7acbc3430 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/generic_json.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/generic_json.hpp
@@ -167,7 +167,6 @@ struct generic_json
     qi::rule<Iterator, json_value(), space_type> number;
     qi::rule<Iterator, std::unordered_map<std::string, json_value>(), space_type> object;
     qi::rule<Iterator, std::vector<json_value>(), space_type> array;
-    qi::rule<Iterator, std::unordered_map<std::string, json_value>(), space_type> pairs;
     qi::real_parser<double, qi::strict_real_policies<double>> strict_double;
     // conversions
     boost::phoenix::function<mapnik::detail::value_converter<mapnik::value_integer>> integer_converter;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar_impl.hpp
index 535cca727..3c6086da9 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/geometry_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -58,14 +58,11 @@ geometry_grammar<Iterator, ErrorHandler>::geometry_grammar()
     json_.value =  json_.object | json_.array | json_.string_ | json_.number
         ;
 
-    json_.pairs = json_.key_value % lit(',')
-        ;
-
-    json_.key_value = (json_.string_ > lit(':') > json_.value)
+    json_.key_value = json_.string_ > lit(':') > json_.value
         ;
 
     json_.object = lit('{')
-        > json_.pairs
+        > json_.key_value % lit(',')
         > lit('}')
         ;
     json_.array = lit('[')
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar_impl.hpp
index 4fdedc86b..f41ccb97c 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/topojson_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -133,13 +133,10 @@ topojson_grammar<Iterator, ErrorHandler>::topojson_grammar()
     json.value = json.object | json.array | json.string_ | json.number
         ;
 
-    json.pairs = json.key_value % lit(',')
+    json.key_value = json.string_ >> lit(':') >> json.value
         ;
 
-    json.key_value = (json.string_ >> lit(':') >> json.value)
-        ;
-
-    json.object = lit('{') >> json.pairs >> lit('}')
+    json.object = lit('{') >> json.key_value % lit(',') >> lit('}')
         ;
 
     json.array = lit('[')