diff --git a/include/mapnik/proj_transform.hpp b/include/mapnik/proj_transform.hpp
index 475faeefc..5fec3c589 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/proj_transform.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/proj_transform.hpp
@@ -38,8 +38,7 @@ template <typename T> class box2d;
 class MAPNIK_DECL proj_transform : private util::noncopyable
 {
 public:
-    proj_transform(projection const& source,
-                   projection const& dest);
+    proj_transform(projection const& source, projection const& dest);
     ~proj_transform();
     bool equal() const;
     bool is_known() const;
@@ -55,14 +54,9 @@ public:
     bool backward (box2d<double> & box) const;
     bool forward (box2d<double> & box, int points) const;
     bool backward (box2d<double> & box, int points) const;
-    mapnik::projection const& source() const;
-    mapnik::projection const& dest() const;
-
 private:
     PJ_CONTEXT* ctx_ = nullptr;
     PJ* transform_ = nullptr;
-    projection const& source_;
-    projection const& dest_;
     bool is_source_longlat_;
     bool is_dest_longlat_;
     bool is_source_equal_dest_;
diff --git a/src/proj_transform.cpp b/src/proj_transform.cpp
index a3ff8180d..2d393f03b 100644
--- a/src/proj_transform.cpp
+++ b/src/proj_transform.cpp
@@ -95,19 +95,17 @@ auto envelope_points(box2d<T> const& env, std::size_t num_points)
 
 proj_transform::proj_transform(projection const& source,
                                projection const& dest)
-    : source_(source),
-      dest_(dest),
-      is_source_longlat_(false),
+    : is_source_longlat_(false),
       is_dest_longlat_(false),
       is_source_equal_dest_(false),
       wgs84_to_merc_(false),
       merc_to_wgs84_(false)
 {
-    is_source_equal_dest_ = (source_ == dest_);
+    is_source_equal_dest_ = (source == dest);
     if (!is_source_equal_dest_)
     {
-        is_source_longlat_ = source_.is_geographic();
-        is_dest_longlat_ = dest_.is_geographic();
+        is_source_longlat_ = source.is_geographic();
+        is_dest_longlat_ = dest.is_geographic();
         boost::optional<well_known_srs_e> src_k = source.well_known();
         boost::optional<well_known_srs_e> dest_k = dest.well_known();
         bool known_trans = false;
@@ -127,22 +125,23 @@ proj_transform::proj_transform(projection const& source,
         if (!known_trans)
         {
 #ifdef MAPNIK_USE_PROJ
+            ctx_ = proj_context_create();
             transform_ = proj_create_crs_to_crs(ctx_,
-                                                source_.params().c_str(),
-                                                dest_.params().c_str(), nullptr);
+                                                source.params().c_str(),
+                                                dest.params().c_str(), nullptr);
             if (transform_ == nullptr)
             {
-                throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Cannot initialize proj_transform for given projections without proj4 support (-DMAPNIK_USE_PROJ): '") + source_.params() + "'->'" + dest_.params() + "'");
+                throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Cannot initialize proj_transform for given projections without proj4 support (-DMAPNIK_USE_PROJ): '") + source.params() + "'->'" + dest.params() + "'");
             }
             PJ* transform_gis = proj_normalize_for_visualization(ctx_, transform_);
             if (transform_gis == nullptr)
             {
-                throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Cannot initialize proj_transform for given projections without proj4 support (-DMAPNIK_USE_PROJ): '") + source_.params() + "'->'" + dest_.params() + "'");
+                throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Cannot initialize proj_transform for given projections without proj4 support (-DMAPNIK_USE_PROJ): '") + source.params() + "'->'" + dest.params() + "'");
             }
             proj_destroy(transform_);
             transform_ = transform_gis;
 #else
-            throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Cannot initialize proj_transform for given projections without proj4 support (-DMAPNIK_USE_PROJ): '") + source_.params() + "'->'" + dest_.params() + "'");
+            throw std::runtime_error(std::string("Cannot initialize proj_transform for given projections without proj4 support (-DMAPNIK_USE_PROJ): '") + source.params() + "'->'" + dest.params() + "'");
 #endif
         }
     }
@@ -452,13 +451,4 @@ bool proj_transform::forward(box2d<double>& env, int points) const
     return true;
 }
 
-mapnik::projection const& proj_transform::source() const
-{
-    return source_;
-}
-mapnik::projection const& proj_transform::dest() const
-{
-    return dest_;
-}
-
 }