diff --git a/plugins/input/gdal/gdal_featureset.cpp b/plugins/input/gdal/gdal_featureset.cpp
index 0c1624c95..6981f40bd 100644
--- a/plugins/input/gdal/gdal_featureset.cpp
+++ b/plugins/input/gdal/gdal_featureset.cpp
@@ -309,7 +309,10 @@ feature_ptr gdal_featureset::get_feature(mapnik::query const& q)
                     raster_nodata = red->GetNoDataValue(&raster_has_nodata);
                     GDALColorTable *color_table = red->GetColorTable();
                     bool has_nodata = nodata_value_ || raster_has_nodata;
-                    if (has_nodata && !color_table)
+
+                    // we can deduce the alpha channel from nodata in the Byte case
+                    // by reusing the reading of R,G,B bands directly
+                    if (has_nodata && !color_table && red->GetRasterDataType() != GDT_Byte)
                     {
                         double apply_nodata = nodata_value_ ? *nodata_value_ : raster_nodata;
                         // read the data in and create an alpha channel from the nodata values
@@ -372,10 +375,26 @@ feature_ptr gdal_featureset::get_feature(mapnik::query const& q)
                             throw datasource_exception(CPLGetLastErrorMsg());
                         }
                     }
-                    raster_io_error = blue->RasterIO(GF_Read, x_off, y_off, width, height, image.getBytes() + 2,
-                                                     image.width(), image.height(), GDT_Byte, 4, 4 * image.width());
-                    if (raster_io_error == CE_Failure) {
-                        throw datasource_exception(CPLGetLastErrorMsg());
+
+                    // In the case we skipped initializing the alpha channel
+                    if (has_nodata && !color_table && red->GetRasterDataType() == GDT_Byte)
+                    {
+                        double apply_nodata = nodata_value_ ? *nodata_value_ : raster_nodata;
+                        if( apply_nodata >= 0 && apply_nodata <= 255 )
+                        {
+                            int len = image.width() * image.height();
+                            GByte bNoData = (GByte)(apply_nodata + 0.5);
+                            GByte* pabyBytes = (GByte*) image.getBytes();
+                            for (int i = 0; i < len; ++i)
+                            {
+                                // TODO - we assume here the nodata value for the red band applies to all bands
+                                // more details about this at http://trac.osgeo.org/gdal/ticket/2734
+                                if( pabyBytes[4*i] == bNoData )
+                                    pabyBytes[4*i + 3] = 0;
+                                else
+                                    pabyBytes[4*i + 3] = 255;
+                            }
+                        }
                     }
                 }
                 else if (grey)