diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik_style.cpp b/bindings/python/mapnik_style.cpp
index 9b1945fcd..7eb9e449b 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik_style.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik_style.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 #include <mapnik/value_error.hpp>
 #include "mapnik_enumeration.hpp"
 #include <mapnik/feature_type_style.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/image_filter_grammar.hpp> // image_filter_grammar
 #include <mapnik/image_filter_types.hpp> // generate_image_filters
 
 using mapnik::feature_type_style;
@@ -45,18 +44,12 @@ std::string get_image_filters(feature_type_style & style)
 
 void set_image_filters(feature_type_style & style, std::string const& filters)
 {
-    std::string::const_iterator itr = filters.begin();
-    std::string::const_iterator end = filters.end();
-    mapnik::image_filter_grammar<std::string::const_iterator,
-                                 std::vector<mapnik::filter::filter_type> > filter_grammar;
     std::vector<mapnik::filter::filter_type> new_filters;
-    bool result = boost::spirit::qi::phrase_parse(itr,end,
-                                                  filter_grammar,
-                                                  boost::spirit::qi::ascii::space,
-                                                  new_filters);
-    if (!result || itr!=end)
+
+    bool result = parse_image_filters(filters, new_filters);
+    if (!result)
     {
-        throw mapnik::value_error("failed to parse image-filters: '" + std::string(itr,end) + "'");
+        throw mapnik::value_error("failed to parse image-filters: '" + filters + "'");
     }
     style.image_filters().swap(new_filters);
 }
diff --git a/include/mapnik/image_filter_types.hpp b/include/mapnik/image_filter_types.hpp
index c8f5ea11b..d651e9c68 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/image_filter_types.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/image_filter_types.hpp
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
 #ifndef MAPNIK_IMAGE_FILTER_TYPES_HPP
 #define MAPNIK_IMAGE_FILTER_TYPES_HPP
 
+// mapnik
+#include <mapnik/config.hpp>
+
 // boost
 #include <boost/variant/variant_fwd.hpp>
 
@@ -125,7 +128,9 @@ inline std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream& os, invert)
 
 inline std::ostream& operator<< (std::ostream& os, filter_type const& filter);
 
-bool generate_image_filters(std::back_insert_iterator<std::string> & sink, std::vector<filter_type> const& v);
+MAPNIK_DECL bool generate_image_filters(std::back_insert_iterator<std::string> & sink, std::vector<filter_type> const& v);
+
+MAPNIK_DECL bool parse_image_filters(std::string const& filters, std::vector<filter_type>& image_filters);
 
 }}
 
diff --git a/src/image_filter_types.cpp b/src/image_filter_types.cpp
index cfb8cc0dc..a9bc4c3ce 100644
--- a/src/image_filter_types.cpp
+++ b/src/image_filter_types.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  *****************************************************************************/
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/image_filter_types.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/image_filter_grammar.hpp> // image_filter_grammar
 
 // boost
 #include <boost/spirit/include/karma.hpp>
@@ -63,4 +64,17 @@ bool generate_image_filters(std::back_insert_iterator<std::string>& sink, std::v
     return r;
 }
 
+bool parse_image_filters(std::string const& filters, std::vector<filter_type>& image_filters)
+{
+    std::string::const_iterator itr = filters.begin();
+    std::string::const_iterator end = filters.end();
+    mapnik::image_filter_grammar<std::string::const_iterator,
+                                 std::vector<mapnik::filter::filter_type> > filter_grammar;
+    bool r = boost::spirit::qi::phrase_parse(itr,end,
+                                             filter_grammar,
+                                             boost::spirit::qi::ascii::space,
+                                             image_filters);
+    return r && itr==end;
+}
+
 }}
diff --git a/src/load_map.cpp b/src/load_map.cpp
index 053eea13e..8dc5a44d5 100644
--- a/src/load_map.cpp
+++ b/src/load_map.cpp
@@ -425,15 +425,10 @@ void map_parser::parse_style(Map & map, xml_node const& sty)
         if (filters)
         {
             std::string filter_str = *filters;
-            std::string::const_iterator itr = filter_str.begin();
-            std::string::const_iterator end = filter_str.end();
-            bool result = boost::spirit::qi::phrase_parse(itr,end,
-                                                          sty.get_tree().image_filters_grammar,
-                                                          boost::spirit::qi::ascii::space,
-                                                          style.image_filters());
-            if (!result || itr!=end)
+            bool result = filter::parse_image_filters(filter_str, style.image_filters());
+            if (!result)
             {
-                throw config_error("failed to parse image-filters: '" + std::string(itr,end) + "'");
+                throw config_error("failed to parse image-filters: '" + filter_str + "'");
             }
         }