diff --git a/include/mapnik/box2d.hpp b/include/mapnik/box2d.hpp
index b90644f91..f9f59ba28 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/box2d.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/box2d.hpp
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ public:
     bool valid() const;
     void move(T x, T y);
     std::string to_string() const;
+    T area() const;
 
     // define some operators
     box2d_type& operator+=(box2d_type const& other);
diff --git a/include/mapnik/box2d_impl.hpp b/include/mapnik/box2d_impl.hpp
index b1c462d16..232a25d58 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/box2d_impl.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/box2d_impl.hpp
@@ -407,6 +407,11 @@ std::string box2d<T>::to_string() const
     return s.str();
 }
 
+template <typename T>
+T  box2d<T>::area() const
+{
+    return width() * height();
+}
 
 template <typename T>
 box2d<T>&  box2d<T>::operator+=(box2d<T> const& other)
diff --git a/src/text/symbolizer_helpers.cpp b/src/text/symbolizer_helpers.cpp
index caa29da0f..b8857f933 100644
--- a/src/text/symbolizer_helpers.cpp
+++ b/src/text/symbolizer_helpers.cpp
@@ -187,23 +187,26 @@ base_symbolizer_helper::base_symbolizer_helper(
     initialize_points();
 }
 
-struct largest_bbox_first
+template <typename It>
+static It largest_bbox(It begin, It end)
 {
-    bool operator() (geometry::geometry<double> const* g0, geometry::geometry<double> const* g1) const
+    if (begin == end)
     {
-        box2d<double> b0 = geometry::envelope(*g0);
-        box2d<double> b1 = geometry::envelope(*g1);
-        return b0.width() * b0.height() > b1.width() * b1.height();
+        return end;
     }
-    bool operator() (base_symbolizer_helper::geometry_cref const& g0,
-                     base_symbolizer_helper::geometry_cref const& g1) const
+    It largest_geom = begin;
+    double largest_bbox = geometry::envelope(*largest_geom).area();
+    for (++begin; begin != end; ++begin)
     {
-        // TODO - this has got to be expensive! Can we cache bbox's if there are repeated calls to same geom?
-        box2d<double> b0 = geometry::envelope(g0);
-        box2d<double> b1 = geometry::envelope(g1);
-        return b0.width() * b0.height() > b1.width() * b1.height();
+        double bbox = geometry::envelope(*begin).area();
+        if (bbox > largest_bbox)
+        {
+            largest_bbox = bbox;
+            largest_geom = begin;
+        }
     }
-};
+    return largest_geom;
+}
 
 void base_symbolizer_helper::initialize_geometries() const
 {
@@ -216,10 +219,16 @@ void base_symbolizer_helper::initialize_geometries() const
             type == geometry::geometry_types::MultiPolygon)
         {
             bool largest_box_only = text_props_->largest_bbox_only;
-            if (largest_box_only)
+            if (largest_box_only && geometries_to_process_.size() > 1)
             {
-                geometries_to_process_.sort(largest_bbox_first());
+                auto largest_geom = largest_bbox(
+                    geometries_to_process_.begin(),
+                    geometries_to_process_.end());
                 geo_itr_ = geometries_to_process_.begin();
+                if (geo_itr_ != largest_geom)
+                {
+                    std::swap(*geo_itr_, *largest_geom);
+                }
                 geometries_to_process_.erase(++geo_itr_, geometries_to_process_.end());
             }
         }