diff --git a/src/view-map.js b/src/view-map.js
index f0a75ae8..79b19492 100644
--- a/src/view-map.js
+++ b/src/view-map.js
@@ -347,13 +347,19 @@ my.Map = Backbone.View.extend({
         if (typeof(value) === 'string'){
           // We *may* have a GeoJSON string representation
           try {
-            return $.parseJSON(value);
+            value = $.parseJSON(value);
           } catch(e) {
           }
-        } else {
-          // We assume that the contents of the field are a valid GeoJSON object
-          return value;
         }
+        if (value && value.lat) {
+          // not yet geojson so convert
+          value = {
+            "type": "Point",
+            "coordinates": [value.lon || value.lng, value.lat]
+          };
+        }
+        // We now assume that contents of the field are a valid GeoJSON object
+        return value;
       } else if (this.state.get('lonField') && this.state.get('latField')){
         // We'll create a GeoJSON like point object from the two lat/lon fields
         var lon = doc.get(this.state.get('lonField'));
diff --git a/test/view-map.test.js b/test/view-map.test.js
index 3ad5a4d2..61e4d5a3 100644
--- a/test/view-map.test.js
+++ b/test/view-map.test.js
@@ -90,6 +90,23 @@ test('GeoJSON geom field', function () {
   view.remove();
 });
 
+test('geom field non-GeoJSON', function () {
+  var data = [{
+    location: { lon: 47, lat: 53},
+    title: 'abc'
+  }];
+  var dataset = recline.Backend.Memory.createDataset(data);
+  var view = new recline.View.Map({
+    model: dataset
+  });
+
+  //Fire query, otherwise the map won't be initialized
+  dataset.query();
+
+  // Check that all features were created
+  equal(_getFeaturesCount(view.features), 1);
+});
+
 test('Popup', function () {
   var dataset = GeoJSONFixture.getDataset();
   var view = new recline.View.Map({