diff --git a/mapnik_c_api.cpp b/mapnik_c_api.cpp
index 9dc3db2..732d399 100644
--- a/mapnik_c_api.cpp
+++ b/mapnik_c_api.cpp
@@ -9,23 +9,37 @@
 #include <mapnik/font_engine_freetype.hpp>
 
 #if MAPNIK_VERSION >= 300000
-#include <mapnik/image.hpp>
-#define mapnik_image_type mapnik::image_rgba8
+	#include <mapnik/image.hpp>
+	#define mapnik_image_type mapnik::image_rgba8
+    #include <mapnik/image_view_any.hpp>
 #else
-#include <mapnik/graphics.hpp>
-#define mapnik_image_type mapnik::image_32
+	#include <mapnik/graphics.hpp>
+	#define mapnik_image_type mapnik::image_32
 #endif
 
-
 #include "mapnik_c_api.h"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 
+#define META_MAGIC "META"
+#define MIN(x,y) ((x)<(y)?(x):(y))
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"
 {
 #endif
 
+struct entry {
+    unsigned int offset;
+    unsigned int size;
+};
+
+struct meta_layout {
+    char magic[4];
+    unsigned int count; // METATILE ^ 2
+    unsigned int x, y, z; // lowest x,y of this metatile, plus z
+};
+
 int mapnik_register_datasources(const char* path, char** err) {
     try {
 #if MAPNIK_VERSION >= 200200
@@ -136,7 +150,6 @@ int mapnik_map_render_to_file(mapnik_map_t * m, const char* filepath) {
     return -1;
 }
 
-
 void mapnik_map_resize(mapnik_map_t *m, unsigned int width, unsigned int height) {
     if (m&& m->m) {
         m->m->resize(width, height);
@@ -255,6 +268,93 @@ mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_to_png_blob(mapnik_image_t * i) {
     return blob;
 }
 
+mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_view_to_png_blob(mapnik_image_t * i, unsigned int xx, unsigned int yy, unsigned int xsize, unsigned int ysize) {
+    mapnik_image_blob_t * blob = new mapnik_image_blob_t;
+    blob->ptr = NULL;
+    blob->len = 0;
+    if (i && i->i) {
+#if MAPNIK_VERSION >= 300000
+		mapnik::image_view_any vw(mapnik::image_view<mapnik::image<mapnik::rgba8_t>>(xx, yy, xsize, ysize, *(i->i)));
+#else
+        mapnik::image_view<mapnik::image_data_32> vw(xx, yy, xsize, ysize, i->i->data());
+#endif
+        std::string s = save_to_string(vw, "png256");
+        blob->len = s.length();
+        blob->ptr = new char[blob->len];
+        memcpy(blob->ptr, s.c_str(), blob->len);
+    }
+    return blob;
+}
+
+int xyz_to_meta_offset(unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int z) {
+    unsigned char mask = 7;
+    return (x & mask) * 8 + (y & mask);
+}
+
+mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_to_metatile(mapnik_map_t *map, mapnik_image_t * i, unsigned int z_, unsigned int x_, unsigned int y_, unsigned int ms) {
+    int ox, oy, limit;
+    ssize_t offset;
+    struct meta_layout m;
+    struct entry *offsets = new entry[ms*ms];
+    mapnik_image_blob_t **tile = (mapnik_image_blob_t**)malloc((ms*ms)*sizeof(mapnik_image_blob_t*));
+    mapnik_image_blob_t * blob = new mapnik_image_blob_t;
+    blob->ptr = NULL;
+    blob->len = 0;
+
+    mapnik_map_reset_last_error(map);
+
+    memset(&m, 0, sizeof(m));
+
+    // Create and write header
+    m.count = ms * ms;
+    memcpy(m.magic, META_MAGIC, strlen(META_MAGIC));
+    m.x = x_;
+    m.y = y_;
+    m.z = z_;
+
+    offset = sizeof(meta_layout) + ms*ms*sizeof(entry);
+    limit = ms;
+    memset(offsets, 0, ms*ms*sizeof(entry));
+
+    // Generate offset table
+    for (ox=0; ox < limit; ox++) {
+        for (oy=0; oy < limit; oy++) {
+            int mt = xyz_to_meta_offset(x_ + ox, y_ + oy, z_);
+            offsets[mt].offset = offset;
+            tile[mt] = mapnik_image_view_to_png_blob(i, ox*256, oy*256, 256, 256);
+            if(tile[mt]->ptr == NULL){
+                map->err = new std::string("Cannot get image view from image");
+                return NULL;
+            }
+            offsets[mt].size = tile[mt]->len;
+            printf("offsets[%d].offset=%ld, offsets[%d].size=%u\n", mt, offset, mt, offsets[mt].size);
+            offset += offsets[mt].size;
+        }
+    }
+
+    blob->ptr = new char[offset];
+    if (blob->ptr == 0) {
+        map->err = new std::string("Failed to write metatile. Out of memory");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+    memset(blob->ptr, 0, offset);
+    memcpy(blob->ptr,&m,sizeof(m));
+    memcpy(blob->ptr + sizeof(m), offsets, ms*ms*sizeof(entry));
+
+    // Write tiles
+    for (ox=0; ox < limit; ox++) {
+        for (oy=0; oy < limit; oy++) {
+            int mt = xyz_to_meta_offset(x_ + ox, y_ + oy, z_);
+            memcpy(blob->ptr + offsets[mt].offset, tile[mt]->ptr, tile[mt]->len);
+            mapnik_image_blob_free(tile[mt]);
+        }
+    }
+    delete [] offsets;
+    free(tile);
+    blob->len = offset;
+
+    return blob;
+}
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
diff --git a/mapnik_c_api.h b/mapnik_c_api.h
index 8a60a5e..f8451a6 100644
--- a/mapnik_c_api.h
+++ b/mapnik_c_api.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ MAPNIKCAPICALL void mapnik_image_blob_free(mapnik_image_blob_t * b);
 
 MAPNIKCAPICALL mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_to_png_blob(mapnik_image_t * i);
 
-
+MAPNIKCAPICALL mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_view_to_png_blob(mapnik_image_t * i, unsigned int xx, unsigned int yy, unsigned int xlen, unsigned int ylen);
 
 //  Map
 typedef struct _mapnik_map_t mapnik_map_t;
@@ -83,6 +83,8 @@ MAPNIKCAPICALL mapnik_projection_t * mapnik_map_projection(mapnik_map_t *m);
 
 MAPNIKCAPICALL mapnik_image_t * mapnik_map_render_to_image(mapnik_map_t * m);
 
+MAPNIKCAPICALL mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_to_metatile(mapnik_map_t *map, mapnik_image_t * i, unsigned int z, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int ms);
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif
diff --git a/test/c-api-c99-test-metatile.c b/test/c-api-c99-test-metatile.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a1ebee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/c-api-c99-test-metatile.c
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include "mapnik_c_api.h"
+#include "test/c-api-test-cfg.h"
+
+int main() {
+    mapnik_map_t * map;
+    mapnik_image_t * image;
+    mapnik_image_blob_t * metatile;
+    FILE * mf;
+    map = mapnik_map(8*256,8*256);
+    mapnik_register_datasources(MAPNIK_PLUGINDIR, NULL);
+    mapnik_map_load(map,"../sample/stylesheet.xml");
+    mapnik_map_zoom_all(map);
+
+    image = mapnik_map_render_to_image(map);
+    metatile = mapnik_image_to_metatile(map, image, 3, 2, 1, 8);
+    if( metatile == NULL || metatile->ptr == NULL) {
+        printf("error: %s\n", mapnik_map_last_error(map));
+        return -1;
+    }
+    mf = fopen("./mapnik-c-api-c99-test-metatile.meta", "wb");
+    fwrite(metatile->ptr, sizeof(char), metatile->len, mf);
+    fclose(mf);
+    printf("\x1b[1;32m ✓ (%s)\x1b[0m\n", "./mapnik-c-api-c99-test-metatile.meta");
+    mapnik_image_free(image);
+    mapnik_image_blob_free(metatile);
+    mapnik_map_free(map);
+    printf("c99 test works\n");
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/test/lua-api-test-metatile.lua b/test/lua-api-test-metatile.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..50feb28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/lua-api-test-metatile.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+local ffi = require("ffi")
+
+ffi.cdef[[
+int mapnik_register_datasources(const char* path);
+
+//  Opaque class structure
+typedef struct _mapnik_map_t mapnik_map_t;
+
+mapnik_map_t * mapnik_map( unsigned int width, unsigned int height );
+
+void mapnik_map_free(mapnik_map_t * m);
+
+const char * mapnik_map_get_srs(mapnik_map_t * m);
+
+int mapnik_map_set_srs(mapnik_map_t * m, const char* srs);
+
+int mapnik_map_load(mapnik_map_t * m, const char* stylesheet);
+
+int mapnik_map_zoom_all(mapnik_map_t * m);
+
+int mapnik_map_render_to_file(mapnik_map_t * m, const char* filepath);
+
+typedef struct _mapnik_image_t mapnik_image_t;
+
+void mapnik_image_free(mapnik_image_t * i);
+
+typedef struct _mapnik_image_blob_t {
+    char *ptr;
+    unsigned int len;
+} mapnik_image_blob_t;
+
+void mapnik_image_blob_free(mapnik_image_blob_t * b);
+
+mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_to_png_blob(mapnik_image_t * i);
+
+mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_view_to_png_blob(mapnik_image_t * i, unsigned int xx, unsigned int yy, unsigned int xlen, unsigned int ylen);
+
+mapnik_image_t * mapnik_map_render_to_image(mapnik_map_t * m);
+
+mapnik_image_blob_t * mapnik_image_to_metatile(mapnik_map_t * m, mapnik_image_t * i, unsigned int z, unsigned int x, unsigned int y, unsigned int ms);
+
+]]
+
+local m = ffi.load("../libmapnik_c.so")
+
+if m.mapnik_register_datasources("/usr/local/lib/mapnik/input") ~= 0 then
+    print("mapnik_image_to_metatile error:"..ffi.string(m.mapnik_map_last_error(map)))
+else
+    local map = m.mapnik_map(256*8,256*8)
+    m.mapnik_map_load(map,"../sample/stylesheet.xml")
+    m.mapnik_map_zoom_all(map)
+    local image = m.mapnik_map_render_to_image(map)
+    local metatile = m.mapnik_image_to_metatile(map, image, 3, 0, 0, 8)
+    if metatile and metatile.ptr then
+        local metatile_file = io.open("lua-test-metatile.meta", "w")
+        metatile_file:write(ffi.string(metatile.ptr, metatile.len))
+        metatile_file:close()
+        m.mapnik_image_blob_free(metatile)
+    else
+        print("mapnik_image_to_metatile error:"..ffi.string(m.mapnik_map_last_error(map)))
+    end
+    m.mapnik_image_free(image)
+    m.mapnik_map_free(map)
+end