diff --git a/src/svg/process_building_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_building_symbolizer.cpp
index f0f604f2d..7a8b1cb9f 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_building_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_building_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(building_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(building_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_glyph_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_glyph_symbolizer.cpp
index 75264dda2..105d78bb2 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_glyph_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_glyph_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(glyph_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(glyph_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_line_pattern_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_line_pattern_symbolizer.cpp
index a68040ab5..3711509e7 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_line_pattern_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_line_pattern_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(line_pattern_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(line_pattern_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_line_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_line_symbolizer.cpp
index 7b5d6ba44..67bbcee4a 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_line_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_line_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(line_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(line_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_markers_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_markers_symbolizer.cpp
index 949e35001..299f517ce 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_markers_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_markers_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(markers_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(markers_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_point_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_point_symbolizer.cpp
index 907f2ab11..0e65721eb 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_point_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_point_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(point_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(point_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_polygon_pattern_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_polygon_pattern_symbolizer.cpp
index 8eac6b4cd..2d9134dae 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_polygon_pattern_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_polygon_pattern_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(polygon_pattern_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(polygon_pattern_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_polygon_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_polygon_symbolizer.cpp
index f1a5b37e6..243bbe9f9 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_polygon_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_polygon_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(polygon_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(polygon_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_raster_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_raster_symbolizer.cpp
index 5035f416a..701bf9b96 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_raster_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_raster_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(raster_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(raster_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_shield_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_shield_symbolizer.cpp
index 389a0bb73..04db836e5 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_shield_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_shield_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(shield_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(shield_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/src/svg/process_text_symbolizer.cpp b/src/svg/process_text_symbolizer.cpp
index 3e866fa6e..a8ea27f2e 100644
--- a/src/svg/process_text_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/process_text_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -37,4 +37,8 @@ namespace mapnik
     template void svg_renderer<std::ostringstream>::process(text_symbolizer const& sym,
 							    Feature const& feature,
 							    proj_transform const& prj_trans);
+
+    template void svg_renderer<std::ofstream>::process(text_symbolizer const& sym,
+						       Feature const& feature,
+						       proj_transform const& prj_trans);
 }
diff --git a/tests/cpp_tests/svg_renderer_tests/file_output_test.cpp b/tests/cpp_tests/svg_renderer_tests/file_output_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bd1f92239
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/cpp_tests/svg_renderer_tests/file_output_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#define BOOST_TEST_MODULE file_output_test
+
+/*
+ * This test module contains test cases that
+ * verify the correct generation of SVG output
+ * using file streams as destinations.
+ */
+
+// boost.test
+#include <boost/test/included/unit_test.hpp>
+
+// boost.filesystem
+#include <boost/filesystem.hpp>
+
+// mapnik
+#include <mapnik/map.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/svg_renderer.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/color_factory.hpp>
+
+// stl
+#include <fstream>
+
+namespace filesystem = boost::filesystem;
+
+/*
+ * This test case tests the generation of an SVG document
+ * using a file stream. It uses svg_renderer parameterized
+ * with an std::ofstream as a target for output.
+ *
+ * It's important to notice that svg_renderer doesn't create
+ * or close the file stream, but leaves that task to the client.
+ *
+ * The test fails if the file can't be created and succeeds
+ * otherwise.
+ *
+ * Note: the file is created in the directory in which the
+ * test is run.
+ */
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(file_output_test_case)
+{
+    using namespace mapnik;
+    typedef svg_renderer<std::ofstream> svg_ren;
+
+    Map map(800, 600);
+    map.set_background(color_factory::from_string("blue"));
+
+    std::string output_filename = "file_output_test_case.svg";
+    std::ofstream output_stream(output_filename.c_str());
+
+    if(output_stream)
+    {
+	svg_ren renderer(map, output_stream);
+	renderer.apply();
+
+	output_stream.close();
+
+	filesystem::path output_filename_path = 
+	    filesystem::system_complete(filesystem::path(".")) / filesystem::path(output_filename);
+
+	BOOST_CHECK_MESSAGE(filesystem::exists(output_filename_path), "File '"+output_filename_path.string()+"' was created.");
+    }
+    else
+    {
+	BOOST_FAIL("Could not create create/open file 'file_output_test_case.svg'.");
+    }
+}