diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index d5fefa601..8ba829b07 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -1009,6 +1009,8 @@ if not preconfigured:
             # but will retain logic for future use
             #if platform.mac_ver()[0].startswith('10.5'):
             #    common_cxx_flags += '-DOSX_LEOPARD '
+        elif env['PLATFORM'] == 'SunOS':
+            pthread = '-pthreads'        
         else:
             pthread = '-pthread'
         
diff --git a/bindings/python/SConscript b/bindings/python/SConscript
index 38cc7d8f3..b8a67af32 100644
--- a/bindings/python/SConscript
+++ b/bindings/python/SConscript
@@ -42,6 +42,16 @@ if env['BOOST_PYTHON_LIB']:
 else:
     libraries.append('boost_python%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND'])
 
+
+# set up an understanding of where libmapnik is being installed
+# so that the python module can locate it at runtime
+# and so that we can add its runpath to _mapnik.so if needed (e.g. solaris)
+# Note: we use prefix rather than install_prefix here since install_prefix is for package building
+# and we intend for python to look to the standard prefix location to find the fonts and plugins
+mapnik_lib_path  = os.path.normpath(prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'])
+mapnik_lib_dir_path  = os.path.normpath(prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + env['LIB_DIR_NAME'])
+
+
 if env['PLATFORM'] == 'Darwin':
     libraries.append(env['ICU_LIB_NAME'])
     libraries.append('boost_regex%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND'])
@@ -92,6 +102,10 @@ if env['PLATFORM'] == 'Darwin':
     # if we are not linking to a framework then use the *nix standard approach
     else:
         linkflags = '-lpython%s' % env['PYTHON_VERSION']
+elif env['PLATFORM'] == 'SunOS':
+    # make sure to explicitly link mapnik.so against
+    # libmapnik in its installed location
+    linkflags = '-R%s' % mapnik_lib_path
 
 
 
@@ -111,16 +125,9 @@ else:
     paths += "fontscollectionpath = os.path.normpath(mapniklibpath + '/fonts')"
 
 
-# write out the location of the 'mapniklibpath' into a python file
-# so that the python module can locate it at runtime
-exp =  r"%s{2,}" % os.sep
-# Note: we use prefix rather than install_prefix here since install_prefix is for package building
-# and we intend for python to look to the standard prefix location to find the fonts and plugins
-mapnik_lib_path  = re.sub(exp,os.sep, prefix + '/' + env['LIBDIR_SCHEMA'] + env['LIB_DIR_NAME'])
-
 if not os.path.exists('mapnik'):
     os.mkdir('mapnik')
-file('mapnik/paths.py','w').write(paths % (mapnik_lib_path))
+file('mapnik/paths.py','w').write(paths % (mapnik_lib_dir_path))
 
 try:
     os.chmod('mapnik/paths.py',0666)