diff --git a/src/output-gazetteer.cpp b/src/output-gazetteer.cpp
index b42cb30e9..a6f367ee1 100644
--- a/src/output-gazetteer.cpp
+++ b/src/output-gazetteer.cpp
@@ -15,15 +15,20 @@
 
 void output_gazetteer_t::delete_unused_classes(char osm_type, osmid_t osm_id)
 {
-    if (!m_options.append) {
-        return;
-    }
+    if (m_options.append) {
+        m_copy.prepare();
+
+        assert(m_style.has_data());
 
-    if (m_style.has_data()) {
         std::string cls = m_style.class_list();
         m_copy.delete_object(osm_type, osm_id, cls);
-    } else {
-        /* unconditional delete of all places */
+    }
+}
+
+void output_gazetteer_t::delete_unused_full(char osm_type, osmid_t osm_id)
+{
+    if (m_options.append) {
+        m_copy.prepare();
         m_copy.delete_object(osm_type, osm_id);
     }
 }
@@ -69,58 +74,101 @@ void output_gazetteer_t::start()
 
 void output_gazetteer_t::commit() { m_copy.sync(); }
 
-void output_gazetteer_t::process_node(osmium::Node const &node)
+void output_gazetteer_t::node_add(osmium::Node const &node)
+{
+    if (!process_node(node)) {
+        delete_unused_full('N', node.id());
+    }
+}
+
+void output_gazetteer_t::node_modify(osmium::Node const &node)
+{
+    if (!process_node(node)) {
+        delete_unused_full('N', node.id());
+    }
+}
+
+bool output_gazetteer_t::process_node(osmium::Node const &node)
 {
-    m_copy.prepare();
     m_style.process_tags(node);
-    delete_unused_classes('N', node.id());
 
     /* Are we interested in this item? */
-    if (m_style.has_data()) {
-        auto wkb = m_builder.get_wkb_node(node.location());
-        m_style.copy_out(node, wkb, m_copy);
+    if (!m_style.has_data()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    auto wkb = m_builder.get_wkb_node(node.location());
+    delete_unused_classes('N', node.id());
+    m_style.copy_out(node, wkb, m_copy);
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+void output_gazetteer_t::way_add(osmium::Way *way)
+{
+    if (!process_way(way)) {
+        delete_unused_full('W', way->id());
+    }
+}
+
+void output_gazetteer_t::way_modify(osmium::Way *way)
+{
+    if (!process_way(way)) {
+        delete_unused_full('W', way->id());
     }
 }
 
-void output_gazetteer_t::process_way(osmium::Way *way)
+bool output_gazetteer_t::process_way(osmium::Way *way)
 {
-    m_copy.prepare();
     m_style.process_tags(*way);
-    delete_unused_classes('W', way->id());
 
-    /* Are we interested in this item? */
-    if (m_style.has_data()) {
-        /* Fetch the node details */
-        m_mid->nodes_get_list(&(way->nodes()));
-
-        /* Get the geometry of the object */
-        geom::osmium_builder_t::wkb_t geom;
-        if (way->is_closed()) {
-            geom = m_builder.get_wkb_polygon(*way);
-        }
-        if (geom.empty()) {
-            auto wkbs = m_builder.get_wkb_line(way->nodes(), 0.0);
-            if (wkbs.empty()) {
-                delete_unused_full('W', way->id());
-                return;
-            }
-
-            geom = wkbs[0];
+    if (!m_style.has_data()) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    // Fetch the node details.
+    m_mid->nodes_get_list(&(way->nodes()));
+
+    // Get the geometry of the object.
+    geom::osmium_builder_t::wkb_t geom;
+    if (way->is_closed()) {
+        geom = m_builder.get_wkb_polygon(*way);
+    }
+    if (geom.empty()) {
+        auto wkbs = m_builder.get_wkb_line(way->nodes(), 0.0);
+        if (wkbs.empty()) {
+            return false;
         }
 
-        m_style.copy_out(*way, geom, m_copy);
+        geom = wkbs[0];
+    }
+
+    delete_unused_classes('W', way->id());
+    m_style.copy_out(*way, geom, m_copy);
+
+    return true;
+}
+
+void output_gazetteer_t::relation_add(osmium::Relation const &rel)
+{
+    if (!process_relation(rel)) {
+        delete_unused_full('R', rel.id());
     }
 }
 
-void output_gazetteer_t::process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel)
+void output_gazetteer_t::relation_modify(osmium::Relation const &rel)
 {
-    m_copy.prepare();
+    if (!process_relation(rel)) {
+        delete_unused_full('R', rel.id());
+    }
+}
 
+bool output_gazetteer_t::process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel)
+{
     auto const &tags = rel.tags();
     char const *type = tags["type"];
     if (!type) {
-        delete_unused_full('R', rel.id());
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     bool is_waterway = strcmp(type, "waterway") == 0;
@@ -128,16 +176,14 @@ void output_gazetteer_t::process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel)
     if (strcmp(type, "associatedStreet") == 0 ||
         !(strcmp(type, "boundary") == 0 || strcmp(type, "multipolygon") == 0 ||
           is_waterway)) {
-        delete_unused_full('R', rel.id());
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     m_style.process_tags(rel);
-    delete_unused_classes('R', rel.id());
 
     /* Are we interested in this item? */
     if (!m_style.has_data()) {
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     /* get the boundary path (ways) */
@@ -145,8 +191,7 @@ void output_gazetteer_t::process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel)
     auto num_ways = m_mid->rel_way_members_get(rel, nullptr, osmium_buffer);
 
     if (num_ways == 0) {
-        delete_unused_full('R', rel.id());
-        return;
+        return false;
     }
 
     for (auto &w : osmium_buffer.select<osmium::Way>()) {
@@ -158,8 +203,11 @@ void output_gazetteer_t::process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel)
                      : m_builder.get_wkb_multipolygon(rel, osmium_buffer);
 
     if (geoms.empty()) {
-        delete_unused_full('R', rel.id());
-    } else {
-        m_style.copy_out(rel, geoms[0], m_copy);
+        return false;
     }
+
+    delete_unused_classes('R', rel.id());
+    m_style.copy_out(rel, geoms[0], m_copy);
+
+    return true;
 }
diff --git a/src/output-gazetteer.hpp b/src/output-gazetteer.hpp
index 55bdbeae2..e466ed97d 100644
--- a/src/output-gazetteer.hpp
+++ b/src/output-gazetteer.hpp
@@ -54,29 +54,17 @@ class output_gazetteer_t : public output_t
     {}
     void pending_relation(osmid_t, int) override {}
 
-    void node_add(osmium::Node const &node) override { process_node(node); }
+    void node_add(osmium::Node const &node) override;
+    void way_add(osmium::Way *way) override;
+    void relation_add(osmium::Relation const &rel) override;
 
-    void way_add(osmium::Way *way) override { process_way(way); }
+    void node_modify(osmium::Node const &node) override;
+    void way_modify(osmium::Way *way) override;
+    void relation_modify(osmium::Relation const &rel) override;
 
-    void relation_add(osmium::Relation const &rel) override
-    {
-        process_relation(rel);
-    }
-
-    void node_modify(osmium::Node const &node) override { process_node(node); }
-
-    void way_modify(osmium::Way *way) override { process_way(way); }
-
-    void relation_modify(osmium::Relation const &rel) override
-    {
-        process_relation(rel);
-    }
-
-    void node_delete(osmid_t id) override { m_copy.delete_object('N', id); }
-
-    void way_delete(osmid_t id) override { m_copy.delete_object('W', id); }
-
-    void relation_delete(osmid_t id) override { m_copy.delete_object('R', id); }
+    void node_delete(osmid_t id) override { delete_unused_full('N', id); }
+    void way_delete(osmid_t id) override { delete_unused_full('W', id); }
+    void relation_delete(osmid_t id) override { delete_unused_full('R', id); }
 
 private:
     enum
@@ -86,16 +74,11 @@ class output_gazetteer_t : public output_t
 
     /// Delete all places that are not covered by the current style results.
     void delete_unused_classes(char osm_type, osmid_t osm_id);
-    void process_node(osmium::Node const &node);
-    void process_way(osmium::Way *way);
-    void process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel);
-
-    void delete_unused_full(char osm_type, osmid_t osm_id)
-    {
-        if (m_options.append) {
-            m_copy.delete_object(osm_type, osm_id);
-        }
-    }
+    /// Delete all places for the given OSM object.
+    void delete_unused_full(char osm_type, osmid_t osm_id);
+    bool process_node(osmium::Node const &node);
+    bool process_way(osmium::Way *way);
+    bool process_relation(osmium::Relation const &rel);
 
     gazetteer_copy_mgr_t m_copy;
     gazetteer_style_t m_style;
diff --git a/tests/test-output-gazetteer.cpp b/tests/test-output-gazetteer.cpp
index 35c907bbb..0a0fe845f 100644
--- a/tests/test-output-gazetteer.cpp
+++ b/tests/test-output-gazetteer.cpp
@@ -44,20 +44,24 @@ TEST_CASE("Import main tags as fallback")
 TEST_CASE("Main tag deleted")
 {
     import("n1 Tamenity=restaurant x12.3 y3\n"
-           "n2 Thighway=bus_stop,railway=stop,name=X x56.4 y-4\n");
+           "n2 Thighway=bus_stop,railway=stop,name=X x56.4 y-4\n"
+           "n3 Tamenity=prison x3 y5\n");
 
     auto conn = db.connect();
 
     CHECK(1 == node_count(conn, 1, "amenity"));
     CHECK(1 == node_count(conn, 2, "highway"));
     CHECK(1 == node_count(conn, 2, "railway"));
+    CHECK(1 == node_count(conn, 3, "amenity"));
 
-    update("n1 Tnot_a=restaurant x12.3 y3\n"
+    update("n3 v2 dD\n"
+           "n1 Tnot_a=restaurant x12.3 y3\n"
            "n2 Thighway=bus_stop,name=X x56.4 y-4\n");
 
     CHECK(0 == node_count(conn, 1, "amenity"));
     CHECK(2 == node_count(conn, 2, "highway"));
     CHECK(0 == node_count(conn, 2, "railway"));
+    CHECK(0 == node_count(conn, 3, "amenity"));
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("Main tag added")
@@ -70,13 +74,16 @@ TEST_CASE("Main tag added")
     CHECK(0 == node_count(conn, 1, "amenity"));
     CHECK(1 == node_count(conn, 2, "highway"));
     CHECK(0 == node_count(conn, 2, "railway"));
+    CHECK(0 == node_count(conn, 3, "amenity"));
 
     update("n1 Tamenity=restaurant x12.3 y3\n"
-           "n2 Thighway=bus_stop,railway=stop,name=X x56.4 y-4\n");
+           "n2 Thighway=bus_stop,railway=stop,name=X x56.4 y-4\n"
+           "n3 Tamenity=prison x3 y5\n");
 
     CHECK(1 == node_count(conn, 1, "amenity"));
     CHECK(2 == node_count(conn, 2, "highway"));
     CHECK(1 == node_count(conn, 2, "railway"));
+    CHECK(1 == node_count(conn, 3, "amenity"));
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("Main tag modified")