diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 948f9c3bb..30eda2629 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ Released ...
 
 Summary: TODO
 
+- Moved `label-position-tolerance` from unsigned type to double
+
 - Default PNG encoding method when `png` is supplied is now `png8:m=h`, so paletted png using hextree color quantization (#2028)
   Use `png32` now for full color png. More details at https://github.com/mapnik/mapnik/wiki/Image-IO.
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/text_properties.hpp b/include/mapnik/text_properties.hpp
index bbd7a6e85..ec03ba8de 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text_properties.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text_properties.hpp
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ struct MAPNIK_DECL text_symbolizer_properties
     /** distance between repeated labels on a single geometry */
     double label_spacing;
     /** distance the label can be moved on the line to fit, if 0 the default is used */
-    unsigned label_position_tolerance;
+    double label_position_tolerance;
     bool avoid_edges;
     double minimum_distance;
     double minimum_padding;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/text_symbolizer.hpp b/include/mapnik/text_symbolizer.hpp
index 3a8945ded..caddea2ce 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text_symbolizer.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text_symbolizer.hpp
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ struct MAPNIK_DECL text_symbolizer : public symbolizer_base
     void set_character_spacing(double spacing);
     double get_label_spacing() const func_deprecated; // spacing between repeated labels on lines
     void set_label_spacing(double spacing);
-    unsigned get_label_position_tolerance() const func_deprecated; //distance the label can be moved on the line to fit, if 0 the default is used
-    void set_label_position_tolerance(unsigned tolerance);
+    double get_label_position_tolerance() const func_deprecated; //distance the label can be moved on the line to fit, if 0 the default is used
+    void set_label_position_tolerance(double tolerance);
     bool get_force_odd_labels() const func_deprecated; // try render an odd amount of labels
     void set_force_odd_labels(bool force);
     double get_max_char_angle_delta() const func_deprecated; // maximum change in angle between adjacent characters
diff --git a/src/text_properties.cpp b/src/text_properties.cpp
index a695e17d8..46b997828 100644
--- a/src/text_properties.cpp
+++ b/src/text_properties.cpp
@@ -40,13 +40,13 @@ using boost::optional;
 
 text_symbolizer_properties::text_symbolizer_properties() :
     orientation(),
-    displacement(0,0),
+    displacement(0.0,0.0),
     label_placement(POINT_PLACEMENT),
     halign(H_AUTO),
     jalign(J_AUTO),
     valign(V_AUTO),
-    label_spacing(0),
-    label_position_tolerance(0),
+    label_spacing(0.0),
+    label_position_tolerance(0.0),
     avoid_edges(false),
     minimum_distance(0.0),
     minimum_padding(0.0),
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ text_symbolizer_properties::text_symbolizer_properties() :
     force_odd_labels(false),
     allow_overlap(false),
     largest_bbox_only(true),
-    text_ratio(0),
-    wrap_width(0),
+    text_ratio(0.0),
+    wrap_width(0.0),
     format(),
     tree_()
 {
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ void text_symbolizer_properties::from_xml(xml_node const &sym, fontset_map const
     if (text_ratio_) text_ratio = *text_ratio_;
     optional<double> wrap_width_ = sym.get_opt_attr<double>("wrap-width");
     if (wrap_width_) wrap_width = *wrap_width_;
-    optional<unsigned> label_position_tolerance_ = sym.get_opt_attr<unsigned>("label-position-tolerance");
+    optional<double> label_position_tolerance_ = sym.get_opt_attr<double>("label-position-tolerance");
     if (label_position_tolerance_) label_position_tolerance = *label_position_tolerance_;
     optional<double> spacing_ = sym.get_opt_attr<double>("spacing");
     if (spacing_) label_spacing = *spacing_;
diff --git a/src/text_symbolizer.cpp b/src/text_symbolizer.cpp
index 61ea9f6ac..02fc6ab8a 100644
--- a/src/text_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/text_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -280,12 +280,12 @@ void  text_symbolizer::set_label_spacing(double spacing)
     placement_options_->defaults.label_spacing = spacing;
 }
 
-unsigned  text_symbolizer::get_label_position_tolerance() const
+double text_symbolizer::get_label_position_tolerance() const
 {
     return placement_options_->defaults.label_position_tolerance;
 }
 
-void  text_symbolizer::set_label_position_tolerance(unsigned tolerance)
+void  text_symbolizer::set_label_position_tolerance(double tolerance)
 {
     placement_options_->defaults.label_position_tolerance = tolerance;
 }