diff --git a/tests/python_tests/sqlite_rtree_test.py b/tests/python_tests/sqlite_rtree_test.py
index 28ec29388..a43d52492 100644
--- a/tests/python_tests/sqlite_rtree_test.py
+++ b/tests/python_tests/sqlite_rtree_test.py
@@ -73,25 +73,58 @@ if 'sqlite' in mapnik.DatasourceCache.instance().plugin_names():
 
     def test_geometry_round_trip():
         test_db = '/tmp/mapnik-sqlite-point.db'
+        ogr_metadata = True
 
         # create test db
         conn = sqlite3.connect(test_db)
         cur = conn.cursor()
         cur.execute('''
-             CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS "point_table"
-             (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, geometry BLOB, "name" varchar)
+             CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS point_table
+             (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT, geometry BLOB, name varchar)
              ''')
+        # optional: but nice if we want to read with ogr
+        if ogr_metadata:
+            cur.execute('''CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS geometry_columns (
+                        f_table_name VARCHAR,
+                        f_geometry_column VARCHAR,
+                        geometry_type INTEGER,
+                        coord_dimension INTEGER,
+                        srid INTEGER,
+                        geometry_format VARCHAR )''')
+            cur.execute('''INSERT INTO geometry_columns
+                        (f_table_name, f_geometry_column, geometry_format,
+                        geometry_type, coord_dimension, srid) VALUES
+                        ('point_table','geometry','WKB', 1, 1, 4326)''')
         conn.commit()
         cur.close()
 
-        # add a point as wkb to match how an ogr created db looks
-        cur = conn.cursor()
-        wkb = mapnik.Path.from_wkt('POINT(-122 48)').to_wkb(mapnik.wkbByteOrder.XDR)
+        # add a point as wkb (using mapnik) to match how an ogr created db looks
+        x = -122 # longitude
+        y = 48 # latitude
+        wkt = 'POINT(%s %s)' % (x,y)
+        # little endian wkb (mapnik will auto-detect and ready either little or big endian (XDR))
+        wkb = mapnik.Path.from_wkt(wkt).to_wkb(mapnik.wkbByteOrder.NDR)
         values = (None,sqlite3.Binary(wkb),"test point")
+        cur = conn.cursor()
         cur.execute('''INSERT into "point_table" (id,geometry,name) values (?,?,?)''',values)
         conn.commit()
         cur.close()
 
+        def make_wkb_point(x,y):
+            import struct
+            byteorder = 1; # little endian
+            endianess = ''
+            if byteorder == 1:
+               endianess = '<'
+            else:
+               endianess = '>'
+            geom_type = 1; # for a point
+            return struct.pack('%sbldd' % endianess, byteorder, geom_type, x, y)
+
+        # confirm the wkb matches a manually formed wkb
+        wkb2 = make_wkb_point(x,y)
+        eq_(wkb,wkb2)
+
         # ensure we can read this data back out properly with mapnik
         ds = mapnik.Datasource(**{'type':'sqlite','file':test_db, 'table':'point_table'})
         fs = ds.featureset()
@@ -107,18 +140,19 @@ if 'sqlite' in mapnik.DatasourceCache.instance().plugin_names():
         cur.execute('''SELECT * from point_table''')
         conn.commit()
         result = cur.fetchone()
+        cur.close()
         feat_id = result[0]
         eq_(feat_id,1)
         name = result[2]
         eq_(name,'test point')
         geom_wkb_blob = result[1]
-        eq_(str(geom_wkb_blob),geoms.to_wkb(mapnik.wkbByteOrder.XDR))
+        eq_(str(geom_wkb_blob),geoms.to_wkb(mapnik.wkbByteOrder.NDR))
         new_geom = mapnik.Path.from_wkb(str(geom_wkb_blob))
         eq_(new_geom.to_wkt(),geoms.to_wkt())
 
         # cleanup
-        cur.close()
         os.unlink(test_db)
+        os.unlink(test_db + '.index')
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     setup()