diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1bdf0e468..165d2b4a8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ Released ...
 
 Summary: TODO
 
+- CSV Plugin: added the ability to pass an `extent` in options
+
 - Fixed crash when rendering to cairo context from python (#2031)
 
 - Moved `label-position-tolerance` from unsigned type to double
diff --git a/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.cpp b/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.cpp
index e1478cd36..c55318b2d 100644
--- a/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.cpp
+++ b/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,8 @@ csv_datasource::csv_datasource(parameters const& params)
       manual_headers_(mapnik::util::trim_copy(*params.get<std::string>("headers", ""))),
       strict_(*params.get<mapnik::boolean>("strict", false)),
       filesize_max_(*params.get<double>("filesize_max", 20.0)),  // MB
-      ctx_(boost::make_shared<mapnik::context_type>())
+      ctx_(boost::make_shared<mapnik::context_type>()),
+      extent_initialized_(false)
 {
     /* TODO:
        general:
@@ -97,6 +98,12 @@ csv_datasource::csv_datasource(parameters const& params)
        http://boost-spirit.com/home/articles/qi-example/tracking-the-input-position-while-parsing/
     */
 
+    boost::optional<std::string> ext = params.get<std::string>("extent");
+    if (ext && !ext->empty())
+    {
+        extent_initialized_ = extent_.from_string(*ext);
+    }
+
     boost::optional<std::string> inline_string = params.get<std::string>("inline");
     if (inline_string)
     {
@@ -407,7 +414,8 @@ void csv_datasource::parse_csv(T & stream,
     }
 
     mapnik::value_integer feature_count(0);
-    bool extent_initialized = false;
+    bool extent_started = false;
+
     std::size_t num_headers = headers_.size();
 
     for (std::size_t i = 0; i < headers_.size(); ++i)
@@ -740,14 +748,17 @@ void csv_datasource::parse_csv(T & stream,
             {
                 if (parsed_wkt || parsed_json)
                 {
-                    if (!extent_initialized)
+                    if (!extent_initialized_)
                     {
-                        extent_initialized = true;
-                        extent_ = feature->envelope();
-                    }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        extent_.expand_to_include(feature->envelope());
+                        if (!extent_started)
+                        {
+                            extent_started = true;
+                            extent_ = feature->envelope();
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            extent_.expand_to_include(feature->envelope());
+                        }
                     }
                     features_.push_back(feature);
                     null_geom = false;
@@ -778,14 +789,17 @@ void csv_datasource::parse_csv(T & stream,
                     feature->add_geometry(pt);
                     features_.push_back(feature);
                     null_geom = false;
-                    if (!extent_initialized)
+                    if (!extent_initialized_)
                     {
-                        extent_initialized = true;
-                        extent_ = feature->envelope();
-                    }
-                    else
-                    {
-                        extent_.expand_to_include(feature->envelope());
+                        if (!extent_started)
+                        {
+                            extent_started = true;
+                            extent_ = feature->envelope();
+                        }
+                        else
+                        {
+                            extent_.expand_to_include(feature->envelope());
+                        }
                     }
                 }
                 else if (parsed_x || parsed_y)
diff --git a/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.hpp b/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.hpp
index 0d9e28b34..b5b695b29 100644
--- a/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.hpp
+++ b/plugins/input/csv/csv_datasource.hpp
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ private:
     bool strict_;
     double filesize_max_;
     mapnik::context_ptr ctx_;
+    bool extent_initialized_;
 };
 
 #endif // MAPNIK_CSV_DATASOURCE_HPP
diff --git a/tests/python_tests/csv_test.py b/tests/python_tests/csv_test.py
index 75cce7df8..644b9ef5e 100644
--- a/tests/python_tests/csv_test.py
+++ b/tests/python_tests/csv_test.py
@@ -570,6 +570,17 @@ if 'csv' in mapnik.DatasourceCache.plugin_names():
         eq_(desc['geometry_type'],mapnik.DataGeometryType.Point)
         eq_(len(ds.all_features()),8)
 
+    def test_manually_supplied_extent(**kwargs):
+        csv_string = '''
+           wkt,Name
+          '''
+        ds = mapnik.Datasource(**{"type":"csv","extent":"-180,-90,180,90","inline":csv_string})
+        b = ds.envelope()
+        eq_(b.minx,-180)
+        eq_(b.miny,-90)
+        eq_(b.maxx,180)
+        eq_(b.maxy,90)
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     setup()
     [eval(run)(visual=True) for run in dir() if 'test_' in run]