diff --git a/include/mapnik/svg/output/svg_generator.hpp b/include/mapnik/svg/output/svg_generator.hpp
index bd5b3fffd..30f077a42 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/svg/output/svg_generator.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/svg/output/svg_generator.hpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <mapnik/svg/output/svg_output_grammars.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/svg/output/svg_output_attributes.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/noncopyable.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/value_types.hpp>
 
 
 namespace mapnik { namespace svg {
@@ -57,6 +58,9 @@ namespace mapnik { namespace svg {
         void generate_opening_root(root_output_attributes const& root_attributes);
         void generate_closing_root();
         void generate_rect(rect_output_attributes const& rect_attributes);
+        void generate_opening_group(mapnik::value_integer val);
+        void generate_opening_group(std::string const& val);
+        void generate_closing_group();
         template <typename PathType>
         void generate_path(PathType const& path, path_output_attributes const& path_attributes)
         {
diff --git a/include/mapnik/svg/output/svg_output_grammars.hpp b/include/mapnik/svg/output/svg_output_grammars.hpp
index 0bafa6599..c512e0582 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/svg/output/svg_output_grammars.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/svg/output/svg_output_grammars.hpp
@@ -172,7 +172,8 @@ struct svg_root_attributes_grammar : karma::grammar<OutputIterator, mapnik::svg:
             lit("width=") << confix('"', '"')[int_ << lit("px")]
                           << lit(" height=") << confix('"', '"')[int_ << lit("px")]
                           << " version=" << confix('"', '"')[double_]
-                          << " xmlns=" << confix('"', '"')[string];
+                          << " xmlns=" << confix('"', '"')[string]
+                          << lit(" xmlns:inkscape=\"http://www.inkscape.org/namespaces/inkscape\"");
     }
 
     karma::rule<OutputIterator, mapnik::svg::root_output_attributes()> svg_root_attributes;
diff --git a/src/svg/output/svg_generator.cpp b/src/svg/output/svg_generator.cpp
index f5d955e07..e5e2f7a84 100644
--- a/src/svg/output/svg_generator.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/output/svg_generator.cpp
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/svg/output/svg_generator.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/geometry.hpp>
+#include <mapnik/util/conversions.hpp>
 
 // boost
 #include <boost/spirit/include/karma.hpp>
@@ -65,5 +66,39 @@ namespace mapnik { namespace svg {
         karma::generate(output_iterator_, lit("<rect ") << attributes_grammar << lit("/>\n"), rect_attributes);
     }
 
+    template <typename OutputIterator>
+    void svg_generator<OutputIterator>::generate_opening_group(mapnik::value_integer val)
+    {
+        std::string string_val;
+        mapnik::util::to_string(string_val,val);
+        karma::generate(output_iterator_, lit("<g id=\"")
+                                            << lit(string_val)
+                                            << lit("\"")
+                                            << lit(" inkscape:groupmode=\"layer\"")
+                                            << lit(" inkscape:label=\"")
+                                            << lit(string_val)
+                                            << lit("\"")
+                                            << lit("\n"));
+    }
+
+    template <typename OutputIterator>
+    void svg_generator<OutputIterator>::generate_opening_group(std::string const& val)
+    {
+        karma::generate(output_iterator_, lit("<g id=\"")
+                                            << lit(val)
+                                            << lit("\"")
+                                            << lit(" inkscape:groupmode=\"layer\"")
+                                            << lit(" inkscape:label=\"")
+                                            << lit(val)
+                                            << lit("\"")
+                                            << lit(">\n"));
+    }
+
+    template <typename OutputIterator>
+    void svg_generator<OutputIterator>::generate_closing_group()
+    {
+        karma::generate(output_iterator_, lit("</g>\n"));
+    }
+
     template class svg_generator<std::ostream_iterator<char> >;
     }}
diff --git a/src/svg/output/svg_renderer.cpp b/src/svg/output/svg_renderer.cpp
index 59d8b060e..49ce2b4db 100644
--- a/src/svg/output/svg_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/svg/output/svg_renderer.cpp
@@ -104,12 +104,14 @@ void svg_renderer<T>::end_map_processing(Map const& map)
 template <typename T>
 void svg_renderer<T>::start_layer_processing(layer const& lay, box2d<double> const& query_extent)
 {
+    generator_.generate_opening_group(lay.name());
     MAPNIK_LOG_DEBUG(svg_renderer) << "svg_renderer: Start layer processing=" << lay.name();
 }
 
 template <typename T>
 void svg_renderer<T>::end_layer_processing(layer const& lay)
 {
+    generator_.generate_closing_group();
     MAPNIK_LOG_DEBUG(svg_renderer) << "svg_renderer: End layer processing=" << lay.name();
 }