diff --git a/include/mapnik/text/properties_util.hpp b/include/mapnik/text/properties_util.hpp
index e03ef782a..11db24886 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text/properties_util.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text/properties_util.hpp
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ void set_property_from_xml(T1 & val, char const* name, xml_node  const& node)
     }
 }
 
+void serialize_property(std::string const& name, symbolizer_base::value_type const& val, boost::property_tree::ptree & node);
+
 } // namespace mapnik
 
 #endif // MAPNIK_PROPERTIES_UTIL_HPP
diff --git a/src/build.py b/src/build.py
index d036f653a..94af4eecb 100644
--- a/src/build.py
+++ b/src/build.py
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ source = Split(
     text/scrptrun.cpp
     text/face.cpp
     text/placement_finder.cpp
+    text/properties_util.cpp
     text/renderer.cpp
     text/symbolizer_helpers.cpp
     text/text_properties.cpp
diff --git a/src/text/properties_util.cpp b/src/text/properties_util.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d05dd3a21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/text/properties_util.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+/*****************************************************************************
+ *
+ * This file is part of Mapnik (c++ mapping toolkit)
+ *
+ * Copyright (C) 2014 Artem Pavlenko
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+ *
+ *****************************************************************************/
+
+#include <mapnik/text/properties_util.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/expression_string.hpp>
+
+namespace mapnik { namespace detail {
+
+struct property_serializer : public boost::static_visitor<>
+{
+    property_serializer(std::string const& name, boost::property_tree::ptree & node)
+        : name_(name),
+          node_(node) {}
+
+    void operator() (expression_ptr const& expr) const
+    {
+        if (expr) node_.put("<xmlattr>." + name_, to_expression_string(*expr));
+    }
+
+    void operator() (value_bool val) const
+    {
+        node_.put("<xmlattr>." + name_, val );
+    }
+
+    void operator() (value_integer val) const
+    {
+        node_.put("<xmlattr>." + name_, val );
+    }
+
+    void operator() (value_double val) const
+    {
+        node_.put("<xmlattr>." + name_, val );
+    }
+
+    void operator() (std::string const& val) const
+    {
+        node_.put("<xmlattr>." + name_, val );
+    }
+
+
+    template <typename T>
+    void operator() (T const& val) const
+    {
+        std::cerr << "NOOP" << std::endl;
+    }
+
+    std::string const& name_;
+    boost::property_tree::ptree & node_;
+};
+}
+
+void serialize_property(std::string const& name, symbolizer_base::value_type const& val, boost::property_tree::ptree & node)
+{
+    boost::apply_visitor(detail::property_serializer(name,node), val);
+}
+
+}