diff --git a/utils/svg2png/svg2png.cpp b/utils/svg2png/svg2png.cpp
index 7e3aca532..0dc8efca0 100644
--- a/utils/svg2png/svg2png.cpp
+++ b/utils/svg2png/svg2png.cpp
@@ -52,28 +52,26 @@
 
 struct main_marker_visitor
 {
-    main_marker_visitor(std::string & svg_name,
-                        int & return_value,
+    main_marker_visitor(std::string const& svg_name,
                         bool verbose,
                         bool auto_open)
         : svg_name_(svg_name),
-          return_value_(return_value),
           verbose_(verbose),
           auto_open_(auto_open) {}
 
-    void operator() (mapnik::marker_null const&)
+    int operator() (mapnik::marker_null const&)
     {
         std::clog << "svg2png error: '" << svg_name_ << "' is not a valid vector!\n";
-        return_value_ = -1;
+        return -1;
     }
 
-    void operator() (mapnik::marker_rgba8 const&)
+    int operator() (mapnik::marker_rgba8 const&)
     {
         std::clog << "svg2png error: '" << svg_name_ << "' is not a valid vector!\n";
-        return_value_ = -1;
+        return  -1;
     }
 
-    void operator() (mapnik::marker_svg const& marker)
+    int operator() (mapnik::marker_svg const& marker)
     {
         using pixfmt = agg::pixfmt_rgba32_pre;
         using renderer_base = agg::renderer_base<pixfmt>;
@@ -111,28 +109,29 @@ struct main_marker_visitor
 
         svg_renderer_this.render(ras_ptr, sl, renb, mtx, opacity, bbox);
 
-        boost::algorithm::ireplace_last(svg_name_,".svg",".png");
+        std::string png_name(svg_name_);
+        boost::algorithm::ireplace_last(png_name,".svg",".png");
         demultiply_alpha(im);
-        mapnik::save_to_file<mapnik::image_rgba8>(im,svg_name_,"png");
+        mapnik::save_to_file<mapnik::image_rgba8>(im,png_name,"png");
+        int status = 0;
         if (auto_open_)
         {
             std::ostringstream s;
 #ifdef DARWIN
-            s << "open " << svg_name_;
+            s << "open " << png_name;
 #else
-            s << "xdg-open " << svg_name_;
+            s << "xdg-open " << png_name;
 #endif
             int ret = system(s.str().c_str());
             if (ret != 0)
-                return_value_ = ret;
+                status = ret;
         }
         std::clog << "rendered to: " << svg_name_ << "\n";
-
+        return status;
     }
 
   private:
-    std::string & svg_name_;
-    int & return_value_;
+    std::string const& svg_name_;
     bool verbose_;
     bool auto_open_;
 };
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@ int main (int argc,char** argv)
 
     bool verbose = false;
     bool auto_open = false;
-    int return_value = 0;
+    int status = 0;
     std::vector<std::string> svg_files;
     mapnik::logger::instance().set_severity(mapnik::logger::error);
 
@@ -214,8 +213,8 @@ int main (int argc,char** argv)
             }
 
             std::shared_ptr<mapnik::marker const> marker = mapnik::marker_cache::instance().find(svg_name, false);
-            main_marker_visitor visitor(svg_name, return_value, verbose, auto_open);
-            mapnik::util::apply_visitor(visitor, *marker);
+            main_marker_visitor visitor(svg_name, verbose, auto_open);
+            status = mapnik::util::apply_visitor(visitor, *marker);
         }
     }
     catch (...)
@@ -229,5 +228,5 @@ int main (int argc,char** argv)
     // to make sure valgrind output is clean
     // http://xmlsoft.org/xmlmem.html
     xmlCleanupParser();
-    return return_value;
+    return status;
 }