diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/common.py b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/common.py
index 6abee362d..c013f000b 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/common.py
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/common.py
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class BaseServiceHandler:
         finalparams = {}
         for paramname, paramdef in self.SERVICE_PARAMS[requestname].items():
             if paramname not in params.keys() and paramdef.mandatory:
-                raise OGCException("Mandatory parameter '%s' missing from request." % paramname)
+                raise OGCException('Mandatory parameter "%s" missing from request.' % paramname)
             elif paramname in params.keys():
                 try:
                     params[paramname] = paramdef.cast(params[paramname])
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ class BaseServiceHandler:
                     raise OGCException('Invalid value "%s" for parameter "%s".' % (params[paramname], paramname))
                 if paramdef.allowedvalues and params[paramname] not in paramdef.allowedvalues:
                     if not paramdef.fallback:
-                        raise OGCException("Parameter '%s' has an illegal value." % paramname)
+                        raise OGCException('Parameter "%s" has an illegal value.' % paramname)
                     else:
                         finalparams[paramname] = paramdef.default
                 else:
@@ -262,11 +262,26 @@ class BaseExceptionHandler:
         return Response(self.xmlmimetype, ElementTree.tostring(ogcexcetree))
 
     def inimagehandler(self, code, message, params):
-        im = new('L', (int(params['width']), int(params['height'])))
+        im = new('RGBA', (int(params['width']), int(params['height'])))
+        im.putalpha(new('1', (int(params['width']), int(params['height']))))
         draw = Draw(im)
         for count, line in enumerate(message.strip().split('\n')):
-            draw.text((12,15*(count+1)), line, fill='#FFFFFF')
+            draw.text((12,15*(count+1)), line, fill='#000000')
         fh = StringIO()
         im.save(fh, PIL_TYPE_MAPPING[params['format']])
         fh.seek(0)
-        return Response(params['format'], fh.read())
\ No newline at end of file
+        return Response(params['format'], fh.read())
+    
+    def blankhandler(self, code, message, params):
+        bgcolor = params.get('bgcolor', '#FFFFFF')
+        bgcolor.replace('0x', '#')
+        transparent = params.get('transparent', 'FALSE')
+        if transparent == 'TRUE':
+            im = new('RGBA', (int(params['width']), int(params['height'])))
+            im.putalpha(new('1', (int(params['width']), int(params['height']))))
+        else:
+            im = new('RGBA', (int(params['width']), int(params['height'])), bgcolor)
+        fh = StringIO()
+        im.save(fh, PIL_TYPE_MAPPING[params['format']])
+        fh.seek(0)
+        return Response(params['format'], fh.read())
diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms111.py b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms111.py
index f310effd6..0370468c5 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms111.py
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms111.py
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
         <Exception>
           <Format>application/vnd.ogc.se_xml</Format>
           <Format>application/vnd.ogc.se_inimage</Format>
+          <Format>application/vnd.ogc.se_blank</Format>
         </Exception>
         <Layer>
           <Title>A Mapnik WMS Server</Title>
@@ -193,6 +194,7 @@ class ExceptionHandler(BaseExceptionHandler):
     xpath = 'ServiceException'
 
     handlers = {'application/vnd.ogc.se_xml': BaseExceptionHandler.xmlhandler,
-                'application/vnd.ogc.se_inimage': BaseExceptionHandler.inimagehandler}
+                'application/vnd.ogc.se_inimage': BaseExceptionHandler.inimagehandler,
+                'application/vnd.ogc.se_blank': BaseExceptionHandler.blankhandler}
     
     defaulthandler = 'application/vnd.ogc.se_xml'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms130.py b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms130.py
index eb10395bf..553a49c17 100644
--- a/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms130.py
+++ b/bindings/python/mapnik/ogcserver/wms130.py
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ class ServiceHandler(WMSBaseServiceHandler):
         <Exception>
           <Format>XML</Format>
           <Format>INIMAGE</Format>
+          <Format>BLANK</Format>
         </Exception>
         <Layer>
           <Title>A Mapnik WMS Server</Title>
@@ -212,6 +213,7 @@ class ExceptionHandler(BaseExceptionHandler):
     xpath = '{http://www.opengis.net/ogc}ServiceException'
     
     handlers = {'XML': BaseExceptionHandler.xmlhandler,
-                'INIMAGE': BaseExceptionHandler.inimagehandler}
+                'INIMAGE': BaseExceptionHandler.inimagehandler,
+                'BLANK': BaseExceptionHandler.blankhandler}
     
     defaulthandler = 'XML'
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/ogcserver/readme.txt b/docs/ogcserver/readme.txt
index 483d116ca..b874bd07a 100644
--- a/docs/ogcserver/readme.txt
+++ b/docs/ogcserver/readme.txt
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ Features/Caveats
 
 - WMS 1.1.1 and 1.3.0
 - CGI/FastCGI
-- GetCapabilities and GetMap support only
+- GetCapabilities and GetMap support only (NO GetFeatureInfo)
 - GIF/JPEG/PNG output
-- XML error handling only
+- XML/INIMAGE/BLANK error handling
 - No real layer metadata support yet
 - No re-projection support