diff --git a/src/mapnik_envelope.cpp b/src/mapnik_envelope.cpp
index 91e242d0a..4490c645e 100644
--- a/src/mapnik_envelope.cpp
+++ b/src/mapnik_envelope.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/geometry/box2d.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/value/error.hpp>
 
 using mapnik::coord;
 using mapnik::box2d;
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ box2d<double> from_string(std::string const& s)
     {
         std::stringstream ss;
         ss << "Could not parse bbox from string: '" << s << "'";
-        throw mapnik::value_error(ss.str());
+        throw std::invalid_argument(ss.str());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/mapnik_python.cpp b/src/mapnik_python.cpp
index 14523b034..c50b500d7 100644
--- a/src/mapnik_python.cpp
+++ b/src/mapnik_python.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,6 @@ void export_logger();
 #include <mapnik/image_util.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/image_any.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/load_map.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/value/error.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/value.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/save_map.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/scale_denominator.hpp>
@@ -567,27 +566,6 @@ double scale_denominator(mapnik::Map const& map, bool geographic)
     return mapnik::scale_denominator(map.scale(), geographic);
 }
 
-// http://docs.python.org/c-api/exceptions.html#standard-exceptions
-void value_error_translator(mapnik::value_error const & ex)
-{
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ValueError, ex.what());
-}
-
-void runtime_error_translator(std::runtime_error const & ex)
-{
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, ex.what());
-}
-
-void out_of_range_error_translator(std::out_of_range const & ex)
-{
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_IndexError, ex.what());
-}
-
-void standard_error_translator(std::exception const & ex)
-{
-    PyErr_SetString(PyExc_RuntimeError, ex.what());
-}
-
 unsigned mapnik_version()
 {
     return MAPNIK_VERSION;
@@ -716,10 +694,6 @@ BOOST_PYTHON_MODULE(_mapnik)
     using mapnik::save_map;
     using mapnik::save_map_to_string;
 
-    register_exception_translator<std::exception>(&standard_error_translator);
-    register_exception_translator<std::out_of_range>(&out_of_range_error_translator);
-    register_exception_translator<mapnik::value_error>(&value_error_translator);
-    register_exception_translator<std::runtime_error>(&runtime_error_translator);
 #if defined(HAVE_CAIRO) && defined(HAVE_PYCAIRO)
     register_cairo();
 #endif
diff --git a/src/mapnik_style.cpp b/src/mapnik_style.cpp
index 182943669..cd8871bb2 100644
--- a/src/mapnik_style.cpp
+++ b/src/mapnik_style.cpp
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 #pragma GCC diagnostic pop
 
 // mapnik
-#include <mapnik/value/error.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/rule.hpp>
 #include "mapnik_enumeration.hpp"
 #include <mapnik/feature_type_style.hpp>
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ void set_image_filters(feature_type_style & style, std::string const& filters)
     bool result = parse_image_filters(filters, new_filters);
     if (!result)
     {
-        throw mapnik::value_error("failed to parse image-filters: '" + filters + "'");
+        throw std::invalid_argument("failed to parse image-filters: '" + filters + "'");
     }
 #ifdef _WINDOWS
     style.image_filters() = new_filters;
diff --git a/src/mapnik_svg.hpp b/src/mapnik_svg.hpp
index 36763f7c0..ee0f1eaad 100644
--- a/src/mapnik_svg.hpp
+++ b/src/mapnik_svg.hpp
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@
 // mapnik
 #include <mapnik/transform/parse_transform.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/symbolizer.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/value/error.hpp>
 
 #pragma GCC diagnostic push
 #include <mapnik/warning_ignore.hpp>
@@ -51,7 +50,7 @@ void set_svg_transform(T& symbolizer, std::string const& transform_wkt)
         ss << "Could not parse transform from '"
            << transform_wkt
            << "', expected SVG transform attribute";
-        throw mapnik::value_error(ss.str());
+        throw std::invalid_argument(ss.str());
     }
     symbolizer.set_image_transform(trans_expr);
 }
diff --git a/src/mapnik_symbolizer.cpp b/src/mapnik_symbolizer.cpp
index d2d1bf102..29693a67a 100644
--- a/src/mapnik_symbolizer.cpp
+++ b/src/mapnik_symbolizer.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@
 #include "mapnik_enumeration.hpp"
 #include "mapnik_svg.hpp"
 #include <mapnik/expression_node.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/value/error.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/marker_cache.hpp> // for known_svg_prefix_
 #include <mapnik/group/group_layout.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/group/group_rule.hpp>
diff --git a/src/python_grid_utils.cpp b/src/python_grid_utils.cpp
index c2585732d..11abca1c3 100644
--- a/src/python_grid_utils.cpp
+++ b/src/python_grid_utils.cpp
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@
 #include <mapnik/grid/grid_renderer.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/grid/grid.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/grid/grid_view.hpp>
-#include <mapnik/value/error.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/feature.hpp>
 #include <mapnik/feature_kv_iterator.hpp>
 #include "python_grid_utils.hpp"
@@ -271,7 +270,7 @@ boost::python::dict grid_encode( T const& grid, std::string const& format, bool
     {
         std::stringstream s;
         s << "'utf' is currently the only supported encoding format.";
-        throw mapnik::value_error(s.str());
+        throw std::invalid_argument(s.str());
     }
 }
 
@@ -307,7 +306,7 @@ void render_layer_for_grid(mapnik::Map const& map,
         {
             std::stringstream s;
             s << "list of field names must be strings";
-            throw mapnik::value_error(s.str());
+            throw std::invalid_argument(s.str());
         }
     }