diff --git a/tests/python_tests/shapefile_test.py b/tests/python_tests/shapefile_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..89b2dd5c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/python_tests/shapefile_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from nose.tools import *
+from utilities import execution_path
+
+import os, mapnik2
+
+def setup():
+    # All of the paths used are relative, if we run the tests
+    # from another directory we need to chdir()
+    os.chdir(execution_path('.'))
+
+if 'shape' in mapnik2.DatasourceCache.instance().plugin_names():
+    
+    # Shapefile initialization
+    def test_shapefile_init():
+        s = mapnik2.Shapefile(file='../../demo/data/boundaries')
+    
+        e = s.envelope()
+       
+        assert_almost_equal(e.minx, -11121.6896651, places=7)
+        assert_almost_equal(e.miny, -724724.216526, places=6)
+        assert_almost_equal(e.maxx, 2463000.67866, places=5)
+        assert_almost_equal(e.maxy, 1649661.267, places=3)
+    
+    # Shapefile properties
+    def test_shapefile_properties():
+        s = mapnik2.Shapefile(file='../../demo/data/boundaries', encoding='latin1')
+        f = s.features_at_point(s.envelope().center()).features[0]
+    
+        eq_(f['CGNS_FID'], u'6f733341ba2011d892e2080020a0f4c9')
+        eq_(f['COUNTRY'], u'CAN')
+        eq_(f['F_CODE'], u'FA001')
+        eq_(f['NAME_EN'], u'Quebec')
+        # this seems to break if icu data linking is not working
+        eq_(f['NOM_FR'], u'Qu\xe9bec')
+        eq_(f['NOM_FR'], u'Québec')
+        eq_(f['Shape_Area'], 1512185733150.0)
+        eq_(f['Shape_Leng'], 19218883.724300001)
+    
+        # Check that the deprecated interface still works,
+        # remove me once the deprecated code is cleaned up
+        eq_(f.properties['Shape_Leng'], 19218883.724300001)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    setup()
+    [eval(run)() for run in dir() if 'test_' in run]
+