diff --git a/include/mapnik/csv/csv_grammar.hpp b/include/mapnik/csv/csv_grammar.hpp
index 195542b5f..1ede5d0b7 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/csv/csv_grammar.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/csv/csv_grammar.hpp
@@ -31,16 +31,20 @@
 namespace mapnik {
 
 namespace qi = boost::spirit::qi;
-using csv_value  = std::string;
-using csv_line = std::vector<csv_value>;
-using csv_data = std::vector<csv_line>;
+using csv_value = boost::iterator_range<char const*>;
+using csv_record = std::vector<csv_value>;
+using csv_data = std::vector<csv_record>;
 
 template <typename Iterator>
-struct csv_line_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, csv_line(std::string const&), qi::blank_type>
+struct csv_record_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, csv_record(std::string const&), qi::blank_type>
 {
-    csv_line_grammar() : csv_line_grammar::base_type(line)
+    using iterator_range = boost::iterator_range<Iterator>;
+
+    csv_record_grammar()
+        : csv_record_grammar::base_type(line)
     {
         using namespace qi;
+        qi::raw_type raw;
         qi::_a_type _a;
         qi::_r1_type _r1;
         qi::lit_type lit;
@@ -61,25 +65,25 @@ struct csv_line_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, csv_line(std::string const&), qi
             ("\\\"", '\"')
             ("\"\"", '\"') // double quote
             ;
-
-        line = column(_r1)  % char_(_r1)
+        line = column(_r1) % char_(_r1)
             ;
-        column = quoted | *(char_ - (lit(_r1) /*| eol*/))
+        column = quoted | raw[*(char_ - (lit(_r1) /*| eol*/))]
             ;
         quoted = omit[char_("\"'")[_a = _1]] > text(_a) > -lit(_a)
             ;
-        text = *(unesc_char | (char_ - char_(_r1)))
+        text = raw[*(unesc_char | (char_ - char_(_r1)))]
             ;
         BOOST_SPIRIT_DEBUG_NODES((line)(column)(quoted));
     }
   private:
-    qi::rule<Iterator, csv_line(std::string const&), qi::blank_type> line;
+    qi::rule<Iterator, csv_record(std::string const&), qi::blank_type> line;
     qi::rule<Iterator, csv_value(std::string const&)> column; // no-skip
     qi::rule<Iterator, csv_value(char)> text;
     qi::rule<Iterator, qi::locals<char>, csv_value()> quoted;
     qi::symbols<char const, char const> unesc_char;
 };
 
+
 template <typename Iterator>
 struct csv_file_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, csv_data(std::string const&), qi::blank_type>
 {
@@ -94,10 +98,9 @@ struct csv_file_grammar : qi::grammar<Iterator, csv_data(std::string const&), qi
     }
   private:
     qi::rule<Iterator, csv_data(std::string const&), qi::blank_type> start;
-    csv_line_grammar<Iterator> line;
+    csv_record_grammar<Iterator> line;
 };
 
-
 }
 
 #endif // MAPNIK_CVS_GRAMMAR_HPP
diff --git a/include/mapnik/wkt/wkt_factory.hpp b/include/mapnik/wkt/wkt_factory.hpp
index 14f509dda..50e1a1466 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/wkt/wkt_factory.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/wkt/wkt_factory.hpp
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ inline bool from_wkt(std::string const& wkt, mapnik::geometry::geometry<double>
     using namespace boost::spirit;
     static const mapnik::wkt::wkt_grammar<std::string::const_iterator> g;
     ascii::space_type space;
-    std::string::const_iterator first = wkt.begin();
-    std::string::const_iterator last =  wkt.end();
+    auto first = wkt.begin();
+    auto last =  wkt.end();
     return qi::phrase_parse(first, last, (g)(boost::phoenix::ref(geom)), space);
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.cpp b/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.cpp
index a727524d0..0ebc4236c 100644
--- a/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.cpp
+++ b/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.cpp
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ void csv_datasource::parse_csv(T & stream,
         auto headers = csv_utils::parse_line(manual_headers_, sep);
         for (auto const& header : headers)
         {
-            std::string val = mapnik::util::trim_copy(header);
+            std::string val = mapnik::util::trim_copy(std::string(header.begin(), header.end()));
             detail::locate_geometry_column(val, index++, locator_);
             headers_.push_back(val);
         }
@@ -176,13 +176,13 @@ void csv_datasource::parse_csv(T & stream,
                 auto headers = csv_utils::parse_line(csv_line, sep);
                 // skip blank lines
                 std::string val;
-                if (headers.size() > 0 && headers[0].empty()) ++line_number;
+                if (headers.size() > 0 && headers[0].begin() == headers[0].end()) ++line_number;
                 else
                 {
                     std::size_t index = 0;
                     for (auto const& header : headers)
                     {
-                        val = mapnik::util::trim_copy(header);
+                        val = mapnik::util::trim_copy(std::string(header.begin(), header.end()));
                         if (val.empty())
                         {
                             if (strict_)
@@ -338,7 +338,8 @@ void csv_datasource::parse_csv(T & stream,
                         // encoded consistenly as empty strings
                         continue;
                     }
-                    std::string value = mapnik::util::trim_copy(*beg++);
+                    std::string value = mapnik::util::trim_copy(std::string(beg->begin(),beg->end()));
+                    ++beg;
                     int value_length = value.length();
                     if (locator_.index == i && (locator_.type == detail::geometry_column_locator::WKT
                                                 || locator_.type == detail::geometry_column_locator::GEOJSON)) continue;
@@ -404,7 +405,7 @@ void csv_datasource::parse_csv(T & stream,
                 std::ostringstream s;
                 s << "CSV Plugin: expected geometry column: could not parse row "
                   << line_number << " "
-                  << values[locator_.index] << "'";
+                  << "FIXME values[locator_.index]" << "'";
                 if (strict_)
                 {
                     throw mapnik::datasource_exception(s.str());
diff --git a/plugins/input/csv/csv_utils.hpp b/plugins/input/csv/csv_utils.hpp
index b2981cefd..440ac0e8e 100644
--- a/plugins/input/csv/csv_utils.hpp
+++ b/plugins/input/csv/csv_utils.hpp
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@
 namespace csv_utils
 {
 
-static const mapnik::csv_line_grammar<char const*> line_g;
+static const mapnik::csv_record_grammar<char const*> line_g;
 
 template <typename Iterator>
-static mapnik::csv_line parse_line(Iterator start, Iterator end, std::string const& separator, std::size_t num_columns)
+static mapnik::csv_record parse_line(Iterator start, Iterator end, std::string const& separator, std::size_t num_columns)
 {
-    mapnik::csv_line values;
+    mapnik::csv_record values;
     if (num_columns > 0) values.reserve(num_columns);
     boost::spirit::standard::blank_type blank;
     if (!boost::spirit::qi::phrase_parse(start, end, (line_g)(boost::phoenix::cref(separator)), blank, values))
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ static mapnik::csv_line parse_line(Iterator start, Iterator end, std::string con
     return values;
 }
 
-static inline mapnik::csv_line parse_line(std::string const& line_str, std::string const& separator)
+static inline mapnik::csv_record parse_line(std::string const& line_str, std::string const& separator)
 {
     auto start = line_str.c_str();
     auto end   = start + line_str.length();
@@ -201,39 +201,47 @@ static inline void locate_geometry_column(std::string const& header, std::size_t
     }
 }
 
-static mapnik::geometry::geometry<double> extract_geometry(std::vector<std::string> const& row, geometry_column_locator const& locator)
+static mapnik::geometry::geometry<double> extract_geometry(std::vector<boost::iterator_range<char const*> > const& row,
+                                                           geometry_column_locator const& locator)
 {
     mapnik::geometry::geometry<double> geom;
     if (locator.type == geometry_column_locator::WKT)
     {
-        if (mapnik::from_wkt(row[locator.index], geom))
+        std::string wkt(row[locator.index].begin(), row[locator.index].end());
+        //auto itr = row[locator.index].begin();
+        //auto end = row[locator.index].end();
+        if (mapnik::from_wkt(wkt, geom))
         {
             // correct orientations ..
             mapnik::geometry::correct(geom);
         }
         else
         {
-            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to parse WKT:" + row[locator.index]);
+            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to parse WKT:" + std::string(row[locator.index].begin(),row[locator.index].end()));
         }
     }
     else if (locator.type == geometry_column_locator::GEOJSON)
     {
 
-        if (!mapnik::json::from_geojson(row[locator.index], geom))
+        std::string json(row[locator.index].begin(), row[locator.index].end());
+        //if (!mapnik::json::from_geojson(row[locator.index].begin(), row[locator.index].end(), geom))
+        if (!mapnik::json::from_geojson(json, geom))
         {
-            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to parse GeoJSON:" + row[locator.index]);
+            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to parse geojson:" + std::string(row[locator.index].begin(),row[locator.index].end()));
         }
+
     }
     else if (locator.type == geometry_column_locator::LON_LAT)
     {
         double x, y;
-        if (!mapnik::util::string2double(row[locator.index],x))
+        if (!mapnik::util::string2double(row[locator.index].begin(),row[locator.index].end(), x))
         {
-            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to parse Longitude(Easting):" + row[locator.index]);
+            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to parser longitude (easting)" + std::string(row[locator.index].begin(),row[locator.index].end()));
         }
-        if (!mapnik::util::string2double(row[locator.index2],y))
+        if (!mapnik::util::string2double(row[locator.index2].begin(), row[locator.index2].end(), y))
         {
-            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to parse Latitude(Northing):" + row[locator.index2]);
+
+            throw std::runtime_error("Failed to parser latitude (northing)" + std::string(row[locator.index2].begin(),row[locator.index2].end()));
         }
         geom = mapnik::geometry::point<double>(x,y);
     }
@@ -254,7 +262,8 @@ void process_properties(Feature & feature, Headers const& headers, Values const&
             feature.put(fld_name,tr.transcode(""));
             continue;
         }
-        std::string value = mapnik::util::trim_copy(*val_beg++);
+        std::string value = mapnik::util::trim_copy(std::string(val_beg->begin(),val_beg->end()));
+        ++val_beg;
         int value_length = value.length();
 
         if (locator.index == i && (locator.type == detail::geometry_column_locator::WKT
diff --git a/test/standalone/csv_test.cpp b/test/standalone/csv_test.cpp
index c15692906..fde0611f4 100644
--- a/test/standalone/csv_test.cpp
+++ b/test/standalone/csv_test.cpp
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ TEST_CASE("csv") {
             using mapnik::geometry::geometry_types;
 
             for (auto const &file : {
-                    std::string("test/data/csv/geojson_double_quote_escape.csv")
+                          std::string("test/data/csv/geojson_double_quote_escape.csv")
                         , std::string("test/data/csv/geojson_single_quote.csv")
                         , std::string("test/data/csv/geojson_2x_double_quote_filebakery_style.csv")
                         }) {