diff --git a/include/mapnik/expression_grammar_x3_config.hpp b/include/mapnik/expression_grammar_x3_config.hpp
index c9ca4d7ee..402fdd6b3 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/expression_grammar_x3_config.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/expression_grammar_x3_config.hpp
@@ -27,11 +27,6 @@
 #include <mapnik/unicode.hpp>
 #include <string>
 
-#pragma GCC diagnostic push
-#include <mapnik/warning_ignore.hpp>
-#include <boost/spirit/home/x3.hpp>
-#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
-
 namespace mapnik { namespace grammar {
 
 namespace x3 = boost::spirit::x3;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/expression_grammar_x3_def.hpp b/include/mapnik/expression_grammar_x3_def.hpp
index a3ddcf51b..0ef8fe960 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/expression_grammar_x3_def.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/expression_grammar_x3_def.hpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  *
  * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2015 Artem Pavlenko
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Artem Pavlenko
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ namespace mapnik { namespace grammar {
         primary_expression
         );
 
-}}
+    }}
 
 namespace mapnik
 {
diff --git a/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_impl.hpp
deleted file mode 100644
index 22002bf33..000000000
--- a/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,62 +0,0 @@
-/*****************************************************************************
- *
- * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
- *
- * Copyright (C) 2015 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
- *
- *****************************************************************************/
-
-// mapnik
-#include <mapnik/path_expression_grammar.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/attribute.hpp>
-
-
-#pragma GCC diagnostic push
-#include <mapnik/warning_ignore.hpp>
-#include <boost/spirit/include/phoenix_core.hpp>
-#include <boost/spirit/include/phoenix_object.hpp>
-#include <boost/spirit/include/phoenix_stl.hpp>
-#pragma GCC diagnostic pop
-
-namespace mapnik
-{
-
-template <typename Iterator>
-path_expression_grammar<Iterator>::path_expression_grammar()
-    : path_expression_grammar::base_type(expr)
-{
-    standard_wide::char_type char_;
-    qi::_1_type _1;
-    qi::_val_type _val;
-    qi::lit_type lit;
-    qi::lexeme_type lexeme;
-    using phoenix::push_back;
-    using boost::phoenix::construct;
-
-    expr =
-        * (
-            str [ push_back(_val, _1)]
-            |
-            ( '[' >> attr [ push_back(_val, construct<mapnik::attribute>( _1 )) ] >> ']')
-            )
-        ;
-
-    attr %= +(char_ - ']');
-    str  %= lexeme[+(char_ -'[')];
-}
-
-}
diff --git a/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3.hpp
similarity index 58%
rename from include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar.hpp
rename to include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3.hpp
index 61a3db7ed..86e811fea 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3.hpp
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
  *
  * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
  *
- * Copyright (C) 2015 Artem Pavlenko
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 Artem Pavlenko
  *
  * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
  * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
@@ -20,40 +20,25 @@
  *
  *****************************************************************************/
 
-#ifndef MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_HPP
-#define MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_HPP
+#ifndef MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_X3_HPP
+#define MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_X3_HPP
 
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/path_expression.hpp>
 
 #pragma GCC diagnostic push
 #include <mapnik/warning_ignore.hpp>
-#include <boost/spirit/include/qi.hpp>
+#include <boost/spirit/home/x3.hpp>
 #pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 
-// stl
-#include <string>
-#include <vector>
+namespace mapnik { namespace grammar {
 
-namespace mapnik
-{
+namespace x3 = boost::spirit::x3;
+struct path_expression_class; // top-most ID
+using path_expression_grammar_type = x3::rule<path_expression_class, path_expression>;
 
-using namespace boost;
-namespace qi = boost::spirit::qi;
-namespace phoenix = boost::phoenix;
-namespace standard_wide =  boost::spirit::standard_wide;
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DECLARE(path_expression_grammar_type);
 
-using standard_wide::space_type;
+}}
 
-template <typename Iterator>
-struct path_expression_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, std::vector<path_component>(), space_type>
-{
-    path_expression_grammar();
-    qi::rule<Iterator, std::vector<path_component>() , space_type> expr;
-    qi::rule<Iterator, std::string() , space_type> attr;
-    qi::rule<Iterator, std::string() > str;
-};
-
-}
-
-#endif  // MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_HPP
+#endif  // MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_X3_HPP
diff --git a/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3_def.hpp b/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3_def.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7dc772aa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3_def.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+/*****************************************************************************
+ *
+ * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2016 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
+ *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_X3_DEF_HPP
+#define MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_X3_DEF_HPP
+// mapnik
+#include <mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/attribute.hpp>
+
+namespace mapnik { namespace grammar {
+
+namespace x3 = boost::spirit::x3;
+using x3::standard_wide::char_;
+using x3::lexeme;
+auto create_string = [](auto & ctx) { _val(ctx).push_back(_attr(ctx)); };
+auto create_attribute = [](auto & ctx) { _val(ctx).push_back(mapnik::attribute(_attr(ctx))); };
+// top-most rule
+path_expression_grammar_type const path_expression("path_expression");
+// rules
+x3::rule<class attr_expression, std::string> const attr_expression("attribute");
+x3::rule<class str_expression, std::string> const str_expression("string");
+
+auto const attr_expression_def = +(char_ - ']');
+auto const str_expression_def = lexeme[+(char_ -'[')];
+auto const path_expression_def = *(str_expression[create_string] | '[' > attr_expression[create_attribute] > ']');
+
+BOOST_SPIRIT_DEFINE(
+    path_expression,
+    attr_expression,
+    str_expression
+);
+
+}}
+
+namespace mapnik {
+
+grammar::path_expression_grammar_type path_expression_grammar()
+{
+    return grammar::path_expression;
+}
+
+}
+
+#endif //MAPNIK_PATH_EXPRESSIONS_GRAMMAR_X3_DEF_HPP
diff --git a/src/parse_path.cpp b/src/parse_path.cpp
index a3d67c2cb..ebf50fbcc 100644
--- a/src/parse_path.cpp
+++ b/src/parse_path.cpp
@@ -21,26 +21,35 @@
  *****************************************************************************/
 
 #include <mapnik/parse_path.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/path_expression_grammar.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/path_expression_grammar_impl.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/config.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/attribute.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/feature.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/value.hpp>
 
+#include <mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/path_expression_grammar_x3_def.hpp>
+
 // stl
 #include <stdexcept>
 
-namespace mapnik {
+namespace mapnik { namespace grammar {
+
+namespace x3 = boost::spirit::x3;
+using iterator_type = std::string::const_iterator;
+using context_type = x3::phrase_parse_context<x3::standard_wide::space_type>::type;
+
+BOOST_SPIRIT_INSTANTIATE(path_expression_grammar_type, iterator_type, context_type);
+
+}
 
 path_expression_ptr parse_path(std::string const& str)
 {
-    static const path_expression_grammar<std::string::const_iterator> g;
+    namespace x3 = boost::spirit::x3;
     auto path = std::make_shared<path_expression>();
-    boost::spirit::standard_wide::space_type space;
+    using boost::spirit::x3::standard_wide::space;
     std::string::const_iterator itr = str.begin();
     std::string::const_iterator end = str.end();
-    bool r = qi::phrase_parse(itr, end, g, space, *path);
+    bool r = x3::phrase_parse(itr, end, path_expression_grammar(), space, *path);
     if (r && itr == end)
     {
         return path;