diff --git a/include/mapnik/util/conversions.hpp b/include/mapnik/util/conversions.hpp
index 48f2daa3d..a0c573869 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/util/conversions.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/util/conversions.hpp
@@ -70,12 +70,80 @@ template <typename T>
 struct double_policy : boost::spirit::karma::real_policies<T>
 {
     typedef boost::spirit::karma::real_policies<T> base_type;
-    static int floatfield(T n) { return base_type::fmtflags::fixed; }
-    static unsigned precision(T n) { return static_cast<unsigned>(15 - boost::math::trunc(log10(n))); }
+
+    static int floatfield(T n) {
+      using namespace boost::spirit; // for traits
+
+      if (traits::test_zero(n))
+          return base_type::fmtflags::fixed;
+
+      T abs_n = traits::get_absolute_value(n);
+      return (abs_n >= 1e16 || abs_n < 1e-4)
+        ? base_type::fmtflags::scientific : base_type::fmtflags::fixed;
+    }
+
+    static unsigned precision(T n) {
+      if ( n == 0.0 ) return 0;
+      using namespace boost::spirit; // for traits
+      return static_cast<unsigned>(15 - boost::math::trunc(log10(traits::get_absolute_value(n))));
+    }
+
     template <typename OutputIterator>
     static bool dot(OutputIterator& sink, T n, unsigned precision) {
-      return n ? *sink = '.', true : false;
+      if (n == 0.0) return true; // avoid trailing zeroes
+      return base_type::dot(sink, n, precision);
     }
+
+    template <typename OutputIterator>
+    static bool fraction_part (OutputIterator& sink, T n
+      , unsigned precision_, unsigned precision)
+    {
+        // NOTE: copied from karma only to avoid trailing zeroes
+        //       (maybe a bug ?)
+
+        // allow for ADL to find the correct overload for floor and log10
+        using namespace std;
+
+        using namespace boost::spirit; // for traits
+        using namespace boost::spirit::karma; // for char_inserter
+        using namespace boost; // for remove_const
+
+        if ( traits::test_zero(n) ) return true; // this part added to karma
+
+        // The following is equivalent to:
+        //    generate(sink, right_align(precision, '0')[ulong], n);
+        // but it's spelled out to avoid inter-modular dependencies.
+
+        typename remove_const<T>::type digits =
+            (traits::test_zero(n) ? 0 : floor(log10(n))) + 1;
+        bool r = true;
+        for (/**/; r && digits < precision_; digits = digits + 1)
+            r = char_inserter<>::call(sink, '0');
+        if (precision && r)
+            r = int_inserter<10>::call(sink, n);
+        return r;
+    }
+
+    template <typename CharEncoding, typename Tag, typename OutputIterator>
+    static bool exponent (OutputIterator& sink, long n)
+    {
+        // NOTE: copied from karma to force sign in exponent
+        const bool force_sign = true;
+
+        using namespace boost::spirit; // for traits
+        using namespace boost::spirit::karma; // for char_inserter, sign_inserter
+
+        long abs_n = traits::get_absolute_value(n);
+        bool r = char_inserter<CharEncoding, Tag>::call(sink, 'e') &&
+                 sign_inserter::call(sink, traits::test_zero(n)
+                    , traits::test_negative(n), force_sign);
+
+        // the C99 Standard requires at least two digits in the exponent
+        if (r && abs_n < 10)
+            r = char_inserter<CharEncoding, Tag>::call(sink, '0');
+        return r && int_inserter<10>::call(sink, abs_n);
+    }
+
 };
 
 
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/conversions_test.cpp b/tests/cpp_tests/conversions_test.cpp
index a24c807b7..362e09067 100644
--- a/tests/cpp_tests/conversions_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/cpp_tests/conversions_test.cpp
@@ -49,11 +49,11 @@ int main( int, char*[] )
         out.clear();
     
         to_string(out, double(1e-05));
-        BOOST_TEST_EQ( out,  "0.00001" );
+        BOOST_TEST_EQ( out,  "1e-05" );
         out.clear();
     
         to_string(out, double(-1e-05));
-        BOOST_TEST_EQ( out,  "-0.00001" );
+        BOOST_TEST_EQ( out,  "-1e-05" );
         out.clear();
     
         to_string(out, double(0.0001));