diff --git a/src/c3nav/mapdata/fields.py b/src/c3nav/mapdata/fields.py
index ec0548cc..b8f2718a 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mapdata/fields.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mapdata/fields.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from shapely import validation
 from shapely.geometry import LineString, MultiPolygon, Point, Polygon, mapping, shape
 from shapely.geometry.base import BaseGeometry
 
-from c3nav.mapdata.utils.geometry import clean_geometry
+from c3nav.mapdata.utils.geometry import WrappedGeometry, clean_geometry
 from c3nav.mapdata.utils.json import format_geojson
 
 logger = logging.getLogger('c3nav')
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ class GeometryField(models.TextField):
     def from_db_value(self, value, expression, connection):
         if value is None:
             return value
-        return shape(json.loads(value))
+        return WrappedGeometry(json.loads(value))
 
     def to_python(self, value):
         if value is None or value == '':
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/geometry/base.py b/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/geometry/base.py
index 1131ead3..696da40c 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/geometry/base.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mapdata/models/geometry/base.py
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@ from collections import OrderedDict
 from django.db import models
 from django.utils.functional import cached_property
 from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
-from shapely.geometry import Point, box, mapping
+from shapely.geometry import Point, box
 from shapely.ops import unary_union
 
 from c3nav.mapdata.models.base import SerializableMixin
-from c3nav.mapdata.utils.geometry import assert_multipolygon, good_representative_point
+from c3nav.mapdata.utils.geometry import assert_multipolygon, good_representative_point, smart_mapping
 from c3nav.mapdata.utils.json import format_geojson
 
 geometry_affecting_fields = ('height', 'width', 'access_restriction')
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ class GeometryMixin(SerializableMixin):
         result = OrderedDict((
             ('type', 'Feature'),
             ('properties', self.get_geojson_properties(instance=instance)),
-            ('geometry', format_geojson(mapping(self.geometry), round=False)),
+            ('geometry', format_geojson(smart_mapping(self.geometry), round=False)),
         ))
         original_geometry = getattr(self, 'original_geometry', None)
         if original_geometry:
-            result['original_geometry'] = format_geojson(mapping(original_geometry), round=False)
+            result['original_geometry'] = format_geojson(smart_mapping(original_geometry), round=False)
         return result
 
     @classmethod
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ class GeometryMixin(SerializableMixin):
     def _serialize(self, geometry=True, simple_geometry=False, **kwargs):
         result = super()._serialize(simple_geometry=simple_geometry, **kwargs)
         if geometry:
-            result['geometry'] = format_geojson(mapping(self.geometry), round=False)
+            result['geometry'] = format_geojson(smart_mapping(self.geometry), round=False)
         if simple_geometry:
             result['point'] = (self.level_id, ) + tuple(round(i, 2) for i in self.point.coords[0])
             if not isinstance(self.geometry, Point):
@@ -84,9 +84,9 @@ class GeometryMixin(SerializableMixin):
     def details_display(self, detailed_geometry=True, **kwargs):
         result = super().details_display(**kwargs)
         if detailed_geometry:
-            result['geometry'] = format_geojson(mapping(self.geometry), round=False)
+            result['geometry'] = format_geojson(smart_mapping(self.geometry), round=False)
         else:
-            result['geometry'] = format_geojson(mapping(box(*self.geometry.bounds)), round=False)
+            result['geometry'] = format_geojson(smart_mapping(box(*self.geometry.bounds)), round=False)
         return result
 
     def get_shadow_geojson(self):
diff --git a/src/c3nav/mapdata/utils/geometry.py b/src/c3nav/mapdata/utils/geometry.py
index d2c3a8d4..10d7a32f 100644
--- a/src/c3nav/mapdata/utils/geometry.py
+++ b/src/c3nav/mapdata/utils/geometry.py
@@ -6,10 +6,13 @@ from typing import List, Sequence, Union
 
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 from django.core import checks
+from django.utils.functional import cached_property
 from matplotlib.patches import PathPatch
 from matplotlib.path import Path
 from shapely import prepared, speedups
 from shapely.geometry import GeometryCollection, LinearRing, LineString, MultiLineString, MultiPolygon, Point, Polygon
+from shapely.geometry import mapping as shapely_mapping
+from shapely.geometry import shape as shapely_shape
 
 if speedups.available:
     speedups.enable()
@@ -29,6 +32,48 @@ def check_speedups(app_configs, **kwargs):
     return errors
 
 
+class WrappedGeometry():
+    picklable = False
+    wrapped_geojson = None
+
+    def __init__(self, geojson):
+        self.wrapped_geojson = geojson
+
+    @cached_property
+    def wrapped_geom(self):
+        return shapely_shape(self.wrapped_geojson)
+
+    def __getattr__(self, name):
+        if name in ('__getstate__'):
+            self.picklable = True
+            # make sure geometry is cached
+            if self.wrapped_geojson:
+                # noinspection PyStatementEffect
+                self.wrapped_geom
+            raise AttributeError
+        if name in ('__reduce__', '__getstate__', '__setstate__', '__reduce_ex__',
+                    '__getnewargs__', '__getnewargs_ex__'):
+            raise AttributeError
+        return getattr(self.wrapped_geom, name)
+
+    @property
+    def __class__(self):
+        result = WrappedGeometry if self.picklable else self.wrapped_geom.__class__
+        self.__dict__.pop('picklable', None)
+        return result
+
+
+def unwrap_geometry(geometry):
+    return getattr(geometry, 'geom', geometry)
+
+
+def smart_mapping(geometry):
+    if hasattr(geometry, 'wrapped_geojson'):
+        print('being smart!')
+        return geometry.wrapped_geojson
+    return shapely_mapping(geometry)
+
+
 def clean_geometry(geometry):
     """
     if the given geometry is a Polygon and invalid, try to make it valid if it results in a Polygon (not MultiPolygon)