diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 8de5cf1ea..9061a1e5c 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ opts.AddVariables(
     ('BOOST_TOOLKIT','Specify boost toolkit, e.g., gcc41.','',False),
     ('BOOST_ABI', 'Specify boost ABI, e.g., d.','',False),
     ('BOOST_VERSION','Specify boost version, e.g., 1_35.','',False),
+    ('BOOST_PYTHON_LIB','Specify library name or full path to boost_python lib (e.g. "boost_python-py26" or "/usr/lib/libboost_python.dylib")',''),
     
     # Variables for required dependencies
     ('FREETYPE_CONFIG', 'The path to the freetype-config executable.', 'freetype-config'),
@@ -358,7 +359,7 @@ def rollback_option(context,variable):
         if item.key == variable:
             env[variable] = item.default
 
-def FindBoost(context, prefixes):
+def FindBoost(context, prefixes, thread_flag):
     """Routine to auto-find boost header dir, lib dir, and library naming structure.
     
     """
@@ -669,7 +670,7 @@ if not preconfigured:
     else:
         thread_flag = ''
         
-    conf.FindBoost(BOOST_SEARCH_PREFIXES)
+    conf.FindBoost(BOOST_SEARCH_PREFIXES,thread_flag)
     
     # get boost version from boost headers rather than previous approach
     # of fetching from the user provided INCLUDE path
diff --git a/bindings/python/SConscript b/bindings/python/SConscript
index 83b11a021..e38e57b67 100644
--- a/bindings/python/SConscript
+++ b/bindings/python/SConscript
@@ -30,7 +30,18 @@ install_prefix = env['DESTDIR'] + '/' + prefix
 
 linkflags = ''
 libraries = ['mapnik','png','jpeg']
-libraries.append('boost_python%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND'])
+headers = [env['PYTHON_INCLUDES']] + env['CPPPATH']
+
+if env['BOOST_PYTHON_LIB']:
+    if os.path.sep in env['BOOST_PYTHON_LIB']:
+        pylib_dir = os.path.dirname(env['BOOST_PYTHON_LIB'])
+        env.Prepend(LIBPATH = pylib_dir)
+        pylib_name = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(env['BOOST_PYTHON_LIB']))[0].replace('lib','',1)
+        libraries.append(pylib_name)
+    else:
+        libraries.append(env['BOOST_PYTHON_LIB'].replace('lib','',1))
+else:
+    libraries.append('boost_python%s' % env['BOOST_APPEND'])
 
 if env['PLATFORM'] == 'Darwin':
     libraries.append(env['ICU_LIB_NAME'])
@@ -82,7 +93,7 @@ if env['PLATFORM'] == 'Darwin':
     else:
         linkflags = '-lpython%s' % env['PYTHON_VERSION']
 
-headers = [env['PYTHON_INCLUDES']] + env['CPPPATH']
+
 
 paths = '''
 """Configuration paths of Mapnik fonts and input plugins (autogenerated by SCons)."""
diff --git a/include/mapnik/feature_style_processor.hpp b/include/mapnik/feature_style_processor.hpp
index d6d862764..c85ffd028 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/feature_style_processor.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/feature_style_processor.hpp
@@ -34,9 +34,13 @@
 #include <mapnik/utils.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/projection.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/scale_denominator.hpp>
+
+/*
 #ifdef MAPNIK_DEBUG
 #include <mapnik/wall_clock_timer.hpp>
 #endif
+*/
+
 //stl
 #include <vector>
 
@@ -70,9 +74,11 @@ namespace mapnik
 	 
          void apply()
          {
+/*
 #ifdef MAPNIK_DEBUG           
             mapnik::wall_clock_progress_timer t(std::clog, "map rendering took: ");
 #endif          
+*/
             Processor & p = static_cast<Processor&>(*this);
             p.start_map_processing(m_);
                        
@@ -106,9 +112,11 @@ namespace mapnik
          void apply_to_layer(Layer const& lay, Processor & p, 
                              projection const& proj0,double scale_denom)
          {
+/*
 #ifdef MAPNIK_DEBUG
-   wall_clock_progress_timer timer(clog, "end layer rendering: ");
+            wall_clock_progress_timer timer(clog, "end layer rendering: ");
 #endif
+*/
             p.start_layer_processing(lay);
             boost::shared_ptr<datasource> ds=lay.datasource();
             if (ds)
diff --git a/include/mapnik/wall_clock_timer.hpp b/include/mapnik/wall_clock_timer.hpp
index 8ba9ec5f0..bd471b988 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/wall_clock_timer.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/wall_clock_timer.hpp
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@
  *
  *****************************************************************************/
 
+
 #ifndef MAPNIK_WALL_CLOCK_TIMER_INCLUDED
 #define MAPNIK_WALL_CLOCK_TIMER_INCLUDED
 
+/*
 #include <sys/time.h>
 
 namespace mapnik {
@@ -88,4 +90,6 @@ namespace mapnik {
     };
     
 };
+
+*/
 #endif // MAPNIK_WALL_CLOCK_TIMER_INCLUDED
diff --git a/plugins/input/postgis/postgis.cpp b/plugins/input/postgis/postgis.cpp
index 2218672ac..f929fc9d4 100644
--- a/plugins/input/postgis/postgis.cpp
+++ b/plugins/input/postgis/postgis.cpp
@@ -26,9 +26,11 @@
 #include <mapnik/global.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/ptree_helpers.hpp>
 
+/*
 #ifdef MAPNIK_DEBUG
 #include <mapnik/wall_clock_timer.hpp>
 #endif
+*/
 
 #include "connection_manager.hpp"
 #include "postgis.hpp"
@@ -450,9 +452,12 @@ boost::shared_ptr<IResultSet> postgis_datasource::get_resultset(boost::shared_pt
 
 featureset_ptr postgis_datasource::features(const query& q) const
 {
+
+/*
 #ifdef MAPNIK_DEBUG
     mapnik::wall_clock_progress_timer timer(clog, "end feature query: ");
 #endif
+*/
 
    Envelope<double> const& box = q.get_bbox();
    double scale_denom = q.scale_denominator();