diff --git a/include/image_data.hpp b/include/image_data.hpp
index 0b44c4954..be41462a5 100644
--- a/include/image_data.hpp
+++ b/include/image_data.hpp
@@ -32,93 +32,93 @@ namespace mapnik
     template <class T> class ImageData
     {
     private:
-	const unsigned width_;
-	const unsigned height_;
-	T *pData_;
-	ImageData& operator=(const ImageData&);
+        const unsigned width_;
+        const unsigned height_;
+        T *pData_;
+        ImageData& operator=(const ImageData&);
     public:
-	ImageData(unsigned width,unsigned height)
-	    : width_(width),
-	      height_(height),
-	      pData_((width!=0 && height!=0)? static_cast<T*>(::operator new(sizeof(T)*width*height)):0)
-	{
-	    if (pData_) memset(pData_,0,sizeof(T)*width_*height_);
-	}
+        ImageData(unsigned width,unsigned height)
+            : width_(width),
+              height_(height),
+              pData_((width!=0 && height!=0)? static_cast<T*>(::operator new(sizeof(T)*width*height)):0)
+        {
+            if (pData_) memset(pData_,0,sizeof(T)*width_*height_);
+        }
 
-	ImageData(const ImageData<T>& rhs)
-	    :width_(rhs.width_),
-	     height_(rhs.height_),
-	     pData_((rhs.width_!=0 && rhs.height_!=0)? new T[rhs.width_*rhs.height_]:0)
-	{
-	    if (pData_) memcpy(pData_,rhs.pData_,sizeof(T)*rhs.width_* rhs.height_);
-	}
-	inline T& operator() (unsigned i,unsigned j)
-	{
-	    assert(i<width_ && j<height_);
-	    return pData_[j*width_+i];
-	}
-	inline const T& operator() (unsigned i,unsigned j) const
-	{
-	    assert(i<width_ && j<height_);
-	    return pData_[j*width_+i];
-	}
-	inline unsigned width() const
-	{
-	    return width_;
-	}
-	inline unsigned height() const
-	{
-	    return height_;
-	}
-	inline void set(const T& t)
-	{
-	    for (unsigned i=0;i<width_;++i)
-	    {
-		for (unsigned j=0;j<height_;++j)
-		{
-		    (*this)(i,j)=t;
-		}
-	    }
-	}
-	inline const T* getData() const
-	{
-	    return pData_;
-	}
+        ImageData(const ImageData<T>& rhs)
+            :width_(rhs.width_),
+             height_(rhs.height_),
+             pData_((rhs.width_!=0 && rhs.height_!=0)? new T[rhs.width_*rhs.height_]:0)
+        {
+            if (pData_) memcpy(pData_,rhs.pData_,sizeof(T)*rhs.width_* rhs.height_);
+        }
+        inline T& operator() (unsigned i,unsigned j)
+        {
+            assert(i<width_ && j<height_);
+            return pData_[j*width_+i];
+        }
+        inline const T& operator() (unsigned i,unsigned j) const
+        {
+            assert(i<width_ && j<height_);
+            return pData_[j*width_+i];
+        }
+        inline unsigned width() const
+        {
+            return width_;
+        }
+        inline unsigned height() const
+        {
+            return height_;
+        }
+        inline void set(const T& t)
+        {
+            for (unsigned i=0;i<width_;++i)
+            {
+                for (unsigned j=0;j<height_;++j)
+                {
+                    (*this)(i,j)=t;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        inline const T* getData() const
+        {
+            return pData_;
+        }
 
-	inline T* getData()
-	{
-	    return pData_;
-	}
+        inline T* getData()
+        {
+            return pData_;
+        }
 
-	inline const unsigned char* getBytes() const
-	{
-	    return (unsigned char*)pData_;
-	}
+        inline const unsigned char* getBytes() const
+        {
+            return (unsigned char*)pData_;
+        }
 	
-	inline unsigned char* getBytes()
-	{
-	    return (unsigned char*)pData_;
-	}
+        inline unsigned char* getBytes()
+        {
+            return (unsigned char*)pData_;
+        }
 	
-	inline const T* getRow(unsigned row) const
-	{
-	    return pData_+row*width_;
-	}
-	inline void setRow(unsigned row,const T* buf,unsigned size)
-	{
-	    assert(row<height_);
-	    assert(size<=(width_*sizeof(T)));
-	    memcpy(pData_+row*width_,buf,size*sizeof(T));
-	}
-	inline void setRow(unsigned row,unsigned x0,unsigned x1,const T* buf)
-	{
-	    memcpy(pData_+row*width_+x0,buf,(x1-x0)*sizeof(T));
-	}
+        inline const T* getRow(unsigned row) const
+        {
+            return pData_+row*width_;
+        }
+        inline void setRow(unsigned row,const T* buf,unsigned size)
+        {
+            assert(row<height_);
+            assert(size<=(width_*sizeof(T)));
+            memcpy(pData_+row*width_,buf,size*sizeof(T));
+        }
+        inline void setRow(unsigned row,unsigned x0,unsigned x1,const T* buf)
+        {
+            memcpy(pData_+row*width_+x0,buf,(x1-x0)*sizeof(T));
+        }
 
-	inline ~ImageData()
-	{
-	    ::operator delete(pData_),pData_=0;
-	}
+        inline ~ImageData()
+        {
+            ::operator delete(pData_),pData_=0;
+        }
 	
     };
 
diff --git a/include/point_symbolizer.hpp b/include/point_symbolizer.hpp
index 1f61595a5..56c02e828 100644
--- a/include/point_symbolizer.hpp
+++ b/include/point_symbolizer.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ namespace mapnik
 {   
     struct MAPNIK_DECL point_symbolizer
     {	
+        explicit point_symbolizer();
         point_symbolizer(std::string const& file,
                          std::string const& type,
                          unsigned width,unsigned height);
diff --git a/src/point_symbolizer.cpp b/src/point_symbolizer.cpp
index 5ae479d40..43ef806aa 100644
--- a/src/point_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/point_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -22,38 +22,46 @@
 
 //$Id$
 
+#include <boost/scoped_ptr.hpp>
 #include "point_symbolizer.hpp"
 #include "image_data.hpp"
 #include "image_reader.hpp"
 
 namespace mapnik
 {
-    point_symbolizer::point_symbolizer(std::string const& file,
-				       std::string const& type,
-				       unsigned width,unsigned height) 
-	: symbol_(new ImageData32(width,height))
+    point_symbolizer::point_symbolizer()
+        : symbol_(new ImageData32(4,4))
     {
-	try 
-	{
-	    std::auto_ptr<ImageReader> reader(get_image_reader(type,file));
-	    if (reader.get())
-	    {
-		reader->read(0,0,*symbol_);		
-	    }
-	} 
-	catch (...) 
-	{
-	    std::clog<<"exception caught..." << std::endl;
-	}
+        //default point symbol is black 4x4px square
+        symbol_->set(0xff000000);
+    }
+    
+    point_symbolizer::point_symbolizer(std::string const& file,
+                                       std::string const& type,
+                                       unsigned width,unsigned height) 
+        : symbol_(new ImageData32(width,height))
+    {
+        try 
+        {
+            boost::scoped_ptr<ImageReader> reader(get_image_reader(type,file));
+            if (reader.get())
+            {
+                reader->read(0,0,*symbol_);		
+            }
+        } 
+        catch (...) 
+        {
+            std::clog<<"exception caught..." << std::endl;
+        }
     }
     
     point_symbolizer::point_symbolizer(point_symbolizer const& rhs)
-	: symbol_(rhs.symbol_) 
+        : symbol_(rhs.symbol_) 
     {}
     
     ImageData32 const& point_symbolizer::get_data() const
     {
-	return *(symbol_.get());
+        return *(symbol_.get());
     }
 }