diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 53fe21fc6..75638ccb2 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -1786,7 +1786,7 @@ if not preconfigured:
 
         # Common flags for g++/clang++ CXX compiler.
         # TODO: clean up code more to make -Wextra -Wsign-compare -Wsign-conversion -Wconversion viable
-        common_cxx_flags = '-Wall %s %s -ftemplate-depth-300 -Wsign-compare -Wshadow ' % (env['WARNING_CXXFLAGS'], pthread)
+        common_cxx_flags = '-fvisibility=hidden -fvisibility-inlines-hidden -Wall %s %s -ftemplate-depth-300 -Wsign-compare -Wshadow ' % (env['WARNING_CXXFLAGS'], pthread)
 
         if 'clang++' in env['CXX']:
             common_cxx_flags += ' -Wno-unsequenced '
@@ -1794,8 +1794,6 @@ if not preconfigured:
         if env['DEBUG']:
             env.Append(CXXFLAGS = common_cxx_flags + '-O0')
         else:
-            # TODO - add back -fvisibility-inlines-hidden
-            # https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/issues/1863
             env.Append(CXXFLAGS = common_cxx_flags + '-O%s' % (env['OPTIMIZATION']))
         if env['DEBUG_UNDEFINED']:
             env.Append(CXXFLAGS = '-fsanitize=undefined-trap -fsanitize-undefined-trap-on-error -ftrapv -fwrapv')
diff --git a/bootstrap.sh b/bootstrap.sh
index b148139bd..8657cd385 100755
--- a/bootstrap.sh
+++ b/bootstrap.sh
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ function make_config() {
     echo "
 CXX = '$CXX'
 CC = '$CC'
-CUSTOM_CXXFLAGS = '-fvisibility=hidden -fvisibility-inlines-hidden -DU_CHARSET_IS_UTF8=1'
 RUNTIME_LINK = 'static'
 INPUT_PLUGINS = 'all'
 PATH = '${MASON_LINKED_REL}/bin'