diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik_python.cpp b/bindings/python/mapnik_python.cpp
index bccff0a17..b5d6474fc 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik_python.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik_python.cpp
@@ -224,6 +224,7 @@ unsigned mapnik_version()
 
 BOOST_PYTHON_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(load_map_overloads, load_map, 2, 3);
 BOOST_PYTHON_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(load_map_string_overloads, load_map_string, 2, 3);
+BOOST_PYTHON_FUNCTION_OVERLOADS(save_map_overloads, save_map, 2, 3);
 
 BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(_mapnik)
 {
@@ -406,7 +407,8 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(_mapnik)
 
     def("load_map_from_string", & load_map_string, load_map_string_overloads());
 
-    def("save_map", & save_map,
+    def("save_map", & save_map, save_map_overloads());
+/*
         "\n"
         "Save Map object to XML file\n"
         "\n"
@@ -420,6 +422,7 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(_mapnik)
         ">>> save_map(m,'mapfile_mercator.xml')\n"
         "\n"
         );
+*/
 
     def("mapnik_version", &mapnik_version,"Get the Mapnik version number");
     
diff --git a/include/mapnik/save_map.hpp b/include/mapnik/save_map.hpp
index 4cc90b491..7ee71daf8 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/save_map.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/save_map.hpp
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 
 namespace mapnik
 {
-    MAPNIK_DECL void save_map(Map const& map, std::string const& filename);
+    MAPNIK_DECL void save_map(Map const& map, std::string const& filename, bool explicit_defaults = false);
 }
 
 #endif // SAVE_MAP_HPP
diff --git a/src/save_map.cpp b/src/save_map.cpp
index bd6281d25..3a0bb4731 100644
--- a/src/save_map.cpp
+++ b/src/save_map.cpp
@@ -52,7 +52,9 @@ namespace mapnik
     class serialize_symbolizer : public boost::static_visitor<>
     {
         public:
-            serialize_symbolizer( ptree & r ) : rule_(r) {}
+            serialize_symbolizer( ptree & r , bool explicit_defaults): 
+            rule_(r),
+            explicit_defaults_(explicit_defaults) {}
 
             void operator () ( const  point_symbolizer & sym )
             {
@@ -69,23 +71,23 @@ namespace mapnik
                 const stroke & strk = sym.get_stroke();
                 stroke dfl = stroke();
 
-                if ( strk.get_color() != dfl.get_color() )
+                if ( strk.get_color() != dfl.get_color() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "stroke", strk.get_color() );    
                 }
-                if ( strk.get_width() != dfl.get_width() )
+                if ( strk.get_width() != dfl.get_width() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "stroke-width", strk.get_width() );    
                 }
-                if ( strk.get_opacity() != dfl.get_opacity() )
+                if ( strk.get_opacity() != dfl.get_opacity() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "stroke-opacity", strk.get_opacity() );    
                 }
-                if ( strk.get_line_join() != dfl.get_line_join() )
+                if ( strk.get_line_join() != dfl.get_line_join() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "stroke-linejoin", strk.get_line_join() );    
                 }
-                if ( strk.get_line_cap() != dfl.get_line_cap() )
+                if ( strk.get_line_cap() != dfl.get_line_cap() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "stroke-linecap", strk.get_line_cap() );    
                 }
@@ -116,11 +118,11 @@ namespace mapnik
                         ptree::value_type("PolygonSymbolizer", ptree()))->second;
                 polygon_symbolizer dfl;
 
-                if ( sym.get_fill() != dfl.get_fill() )
+                if ( sym.get_fill() != dfl.get_fill() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "fill", sym.get_fill() );    
                 }
-                if ( sym.get_opacity() != dfl.get_opacity() )
+                if ( sym.get_opacity() != dfl.get_opacity() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "fill-opacity", sym.get_opacity() );    
                 }
@@ -141,15 +143,15 @@ namespace mapnik
                         ptree::value_type("RasterSymbolizer", ptree()))->second;
                 raster_symbolizer dfl;
 
-                if ( sym.get_mode() != dfl.get_mode() )
+                if ( sym.get_mode() != dfl.get_mode() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "mode", sym.get_mode() );
                 }
-                if ( sym.get_scaling() != dfl.get_scaling() )
+                if ( sym.get_scaling() != dfl.get_scaling() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "scaling", sym.get_scaling() );
                 }
-                if ( sym.get_opacity() != dfl.get_opacity() )
+                if ( sym.get_opacity() != dfl.get_opacity() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "opacity", sym.get_opacity() );
                 }
@@ -181,11 +183,11 @@ namespace mapnik
                         ptree::value_type("BuildingSymbolizer", ptree()))->second;
                 building_symbolizer dfl;
 
-                if ( sym.get_fill() != dfl.get_fill() )
+                if ( sym.get_fill() != dfl.get_fill() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "fill", sym.get_fill() );    
                 }
-                if ( sym.get_opacity() != dfl.get_opacity() )
+                if ( sym.get_opacity() != dfl.get_opacity() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_css( sym_node, "fill-opacity", sym.get_opacity() );    
                 }
@@ -245,59 +247,60 @@ namespace mapnik
                                     0, color(0,0,0) );
 
                 position displacement = sym.get_displacement();
-                if ( displacement.get<0>() != dfl.get_displacement().get<0>() )
+                if ( displacement.get<0>() != dfl.get_displacement().get<0>() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "dx", displacement.get<0>() );    
                 }
-                if ( displacement.get<1>() != dfl.get_displacement().get<1>() )
+                if ( displacement.get<1>() != dfl.get_displacement().get<1>() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "dy", displacement.get<1>() );    
                 }
 
-                if (sym.get_label_placement() != dfl.get_label_placement() )
+                if (sym.get_label_placement() != dfl.get_label_placement() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "placement", sym.get_label_placement() );    
                 }
                 
-                if (sym.get_vertical_alignment() != dfl.get_vertical_alignment() )
+                if (sym.get_vertical_alignment() != dfl.get_vertical_alignment() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "vertical_alignment", sym.get_vertical_alignment() );    
                 }
                 
-                if (sym.get_halo_radius() != dfl.get_halo_radius())
+                if (sym.get_halo_radius() != dfl.get_halo_radius() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "halo_radius", sym.get_halo_radius() );    
                 }
                 const color & c = sym.get_halo_fill();
-                if ( c != dfl.get_halo_fill() )
+                if ( c != dfl.get_halo_fill() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "halo_fill", c );    
                 }
-                if (sym.get_text_ratio() != dfl.get_text_ratio() )
+                if (sym.get_text_ratio() != dfl.get_text_ratio() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "text_ratio", sym.get_text_ratio() );    
                 }
-                if (sym.get_wrap_width() != dfl.get_wrap_width())
+                if (sym.get_wrap_width() != dfl.get_wrap_width() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "wrap_width", sym.get_wrap_width() );    
                 }
-                if (sym.get_label_spacing() != dfl.get_label_spacing())
+                if (sym.get_label_spacing() != dfl.get_label_spacing() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "spacing", sym.get_label_spacing() );    
                 }
-                if (sym.get_minimum_distance() != dfl.get_minimum_distance())
+                if (sym.get_minimum_distance() != dfl.get_minimum_distance() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "min_distance", sym.get_minimum_distance() );    
                 }
-                if (sym.get_allow_overlap() != dfl.get_allow_overlap() )
+                if (sym.get_allow_overlap() != dfl.get_allow_overlap() || explicit_defaults_ )
                 {
                     set_attr( node, "allow_overlap", sym.get_allow_overlap() );    
                 }
             }
             ptree & rule_;
+            bool explicit_defaults_;
     };
 
-    void serialize_rule( ptree & style_node, const rule_type & rule)
+    void serialize_rule( ptree & style_node, const rule_type & rule, bool explicit_defaults)
     {
         ptree & rule_node = style_node.push_back(
                 ptree::value_type("Rule", ptree() ))->second;
@@ -329,7 +332,7 @@ namespace mapnik
             }
         }
 
-        if (rule.get_min_scale() != dfl.get_min_scale())
+        if (rule.get_min_scale() != dfl.get_min_scale() )
         {
             ptree & min_scale = rule_node.push_back( ptree::value_type(
                     "MinScaleDenominator", ptree()))->second;
@@ -345,11 +348,11 @@ namespace mapnik
 
         symbolizers::const_iterator begin = rule.get_symbolizers().begin();
         symbolizers::const_iterator end = rule.get_symbolizers().end();
-        serialize_symbolizer serializer( rule_node );
+        serialize_symbolizer serializer( rule_node, explicit_defaults);
         std::for_each( begin, end , boost::apply_visitor( serializer ));
     }
 
-    void serialize_style( ptree & map_node, Map::const_style_iterator style_it )
+    void serialize_style( ptree & map_node, Map::const_style_iterator style_it, bool explicit_defaults )
     {
         const feature_type_style & style = style_it->second;
         const std::string & name = style_it->first;
@@ -363,7 +366,7 @@ namespace mapnik
         rules::const_iterator end = style.get_rules().end();
         for (; it != end; ++it)
         {
-            serialize_rule( style_node, * it );    
+            serialize_rule( style_node, * it , explicit_defaults);    
         }
 
     }
@@ -465,7 +468,7 @@ namespace mapnik
         }
     }
 
-    void save_map(Map const & map, std::string const& filename)
+    void save_map(Map const & map, std::string const& filename, bool explicit_defaults)
     {
         ptree pt;
 
@@ -492,7 +495,7 @@ namespace mapnik
         Map::const_style_iterator end = map.styles().end();
         for (; it != end; ++it)
         {
-            serialize_style( map_node, it);
+            serialize_style( map_node, it, explicit_defaults);
         }
 
         std::vector<Layer> const & layers = map.layers();