diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar.hpp
index 906e7126d..601511e1c 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar.hpp
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ struct extract_bounding_box_grammar :
     qi::rule<Iterator, qi::locals<Iterator>, void(boxes_type&), space_type> features;
     qi::rule<Iterator, qi::locals<int, box_type>, void(boxes_type&, Iterator const&), space_type> feature;
     qi::rule<Iterator, qi::locals<box_type>, box_type(), space_type> coords;
-    qi::rule<Iterator, boost::optional<position_type>(), space_type> pos;
+    qi::rule<Iterator, position_type(), space_type> pos;
     qi::rule<Iterator, void(box_type&), space_type> ring;
     qi::rule<Iterator, void(box_type&), space_type> rings;
     qi::rule<Iterator, void(box_type&), space_type> rings_array;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar_impl.hpp
index bdc1b98b2..a43192aae 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/extract_bounding_box_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -42,18 +42,15 @@ struct calculate_bounding_box_impl
     template <typename T0, typename T1>
     result_type operator() (T0 & bbox, T1 const& pos) const
     {
-        if (pos)
+        typename T0::value_type x = pos.x;
+        typename T0::value_type y = pos.y;
+        if (!bbox.valid())
         {
-            typename T0::value_type x = pos->x;
-            typename T0::value_type y = pos->y;
-            if (!bbox.valid())
-            {
-                bbox.init(x, y);
-            }
-            else
-            {
-                bbox.expand_to_include(x, y);
-            }
+            bbox.init(x, y);
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            bbox.expand_to_include(x, y);
         }
     }
 };
@@ -132,16 +129,16 @@ extract_bounding_box_grammar<Iterator, Boxes, ErrorHandler>::extract_bounding_bo
         >> lit(':') >> (rings_array(_a) | rings (_a) | ring(_a) | pos[calculate_bounding_box(_a,_1)])[_val = _a]
         ;
 
-    pos = lit('[') > -(double_ > lit(',') > double_) > omit[*(lit(',') > double_)] > lit(']')
+    pos = lit('[') > double_ > lit(',') > double_ > omit[*(lit(',') > double_)] > lit(']')
         ;
 
-    ring = lit('[') >> pos[calculate_bounding_box(_r1,_1)] % lit(',') > lit(']')
+    ring = lit('[') >> -(pos[calculate_bounding_box(_r1,_1)] % lit(',')) >> lit(']')
         ;
 
-    rings = lit('[') >> ring(_r1)  % lit(',') > lit(']')
+    rings = lit('[') >> (ring(_r1)  % lit(',') > lit(']'))
         ;
 
-    rings_array = lit('[') >> rings(_r1) % lit(',') > lit(']')
+    rings_array = lit('[') >> (rings(_r1) % lit(',') > lit(']'))
         ;
 
     coords.name("Coordinates");
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp
index 6984300f9..a09f4e24f 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar.hpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ struct positions_grammar :
 {
     positions_grammar(ErrorHandler & error_handler);
     qi::rule<Iterator, coordinates(),space_type> coords;
-    qi::rule<Iterator, boost::optional<position>(), space_type> pos;
+    qi::rule<Iterator, position(), space_type> pos;
     qi::rule<Iterator, positions(), space_type> ring;
     qi::rule<Iterator, std::vector<positions>(), space_type> rings;
     qi::rule<Iterator, std::vector<std::vector<positions> >(), space_type> rings_array;
diff --git a/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp
index 65f2a93c0..94bfe6a56 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/json/positions_grammar_impl.hpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ struct set_position_impl
     template <typename T0,typename T1>
     result_type operator() (T0 & coords, T1 const& pos) const
     {
-        if (pos) coords = *pos;
+        coords = pos;
     }
 };
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ struct push_position_impl
     template <typename T0, typename T1>
     result_type operator() (T0 & coords, T1 const& pos) const
     {
-        if (pos) coords.emplace_back(*pos);
+        coords.emplace_back(pos);
     }
 };
 
@@ -75,13 +75,13 @@ positions_grammar<Iterator, ErrorHandler>::positions_grammar(ErrorHandler & erro
 
     coords = rings_array[_val = _1] | rings [_val = _1] | ring[_val = _1] |  pos[set_position(_val,_1)]
         ;
-    pos = lit('[') > -(double_ > lit(',') > double_) > omit[*(lit(',') > double_)] > lit(']')
+    pos = lit('[') > double_ > lit(',') > double_ > omit[*(lit(',') > double_)] > lit(']')
         ;
-    ring = lit('[') >> pos[push_position(_val,_1)] % lit(',') > lit(']')
+    ring = lit('[') >> -(pos[push_position(_val,_1)] % lit(',')) >> lit(']')
         ;
-    rings = lit('[') >> ring % lit(',') > lit(']')
+    rings = lit('[') >> (ring % lit(',') > lit(']'))
         ;
-    rings_array = lit('[') >> rings % lit(',') > lit(']')
+    rings_array = lit('[') >> (rings % lit(',') > lit(']'))
         ;
     coords.name("Coordinates");
     pos.name("Position");