diff --git a/python/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.sip b/python/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.sip
index 5a6006363c1..b2577e87dcf 100644
--- a/python/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.sip
+++ b/python/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.sip
@@ -148,6 +148,11 @@ class QgsFeatureRendererV2
      */
     virtual QList<QString> usedAttributes() = 0;
 
+    /**
+     * Returns true if this renderer requires the geometry to apply the filter.
+     */
+    virtual bool filterNeedsGeometry() const;
+
     virtual ~QgsFeatureRendererV2();
 
     virtual QgsFeatureRendererV2* clone() const = 0 /Factory/;
diff --git a/python/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.sip b/python/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.sip
index fa9ba90e929..7ab1b8d6617 100644
--- a/python/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.sip
+++ b/python/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.sip
@@ -80,7 +80,12 @@ class QgsRuleBasedRendererV2 : QgsFeatureRendererV2
          * Return the attributes used to evaluate the expression of this rule
          * @return A set of attribute names
          */
-        QSet<QString> usedAttributes();
+        QSet<QString> usedAttributes() const;
+
+        /**
+         * Returns true if this rule or one of its chilren needs the geometry to be applied.
+         */
+        bool needsGeometry() const;
 
 	//! @note available in python bindings as symbol2
         QgsSymbolV2List symbols( const QgsRenderContext& context = QgsRenderContext() ) /PyName=symbols2/;
@@ -357,6 +362,8 @@ class QgsRuleBasedRendererV2 : QgsFeatureRendererV2
 
     virtual QList<QString> usedAttributes();
 
+    virtual bool filterNeedsGeometry() const;
+
     virtual QgsRuleBasedRendererV2* clone() const /Factory/;
 
     virtual void toSld( QDomDocument& doc, QDomElement &element ) const;
diff --git a/src/core/qgsvectorlayer.cpp b/src/core/qgsvectorlayer.cpp
index c6458420758..b58eb86b2a3 100644
--- a/src/core/qgsvectorlayer.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgsvectorlayer.cpp
@@ -881,7 +881,11 @@ bool QgsVectorLayer::countSymbolFeatures( bool showProgress )
   }
   int featuresCounted = 0;
 
-  QgsFeatureIterator fit = getFeatures( QgsFeatureRequest().setFlags( QgsFeatureRequest::NoGeometry ) );
+  QgsFeatureRequest request;
+  if ( !mRendererV2->filterNeedsGeometry() )
+    request.setFlags( QgsFeatureRequest::NoGeometry );
+  request.setSubsetOfAttributes( mRendererV2->usedAttributes(), mUpdatedFields );
+  QgsFeatureIterator fit = getFeatures( request );
   QgsVectorLayerInterruptionCheckerDuringCountSymbolFeatures interruptionCheck( &progressDialog );
   if ( showProgress )
   {
diff --git a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.cpp b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.cpp
index ba80dd66a21..658e633d8fa 100644
--- a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.cpp
+++ b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.cpp
@@ -153,6 +153,11 @@ void QgsFeatureRendererV2::startRender( QgsRenderContext& context, const QgsVect
   startRender( context, vlayer->fields() );
 }
 
+bool QgsFeatureRendererV2::filterNeedsGeometry() const
+{
+  return false;
+}
+
 bool QgsFeatureRendererV2::renderFeature( QgsFeature& feature, QgsRenderContext& context, int layer, bool selected, bool drawVertexMarker )
 {
   QgsSymbolV2* symbol = symbolForFeature( feature, context );
diff --git a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.h b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.h
index 1e96ee3fa95..2ce7e27bb76 100644
--- a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.h
+++ b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrendererv2.h
@@ -169,6 +169,11 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsFeatureRendererV2
      */
     virtual QList<QString> usedAttributes() = 0;
 
+    /**
+     * Returns true if this renderer requires the geometry to apply the filter.
+     */
+    virtual bool filterNeedsGeometry() const;
+
     virtual ~QgsFeatureRendererV2();
 
     virtual QgsFeatureRendererV2* clone() const = 0;
@@ -190,11 +195,11 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsFeatureRendererV2
 
     enum Capabilities
     {
-      SymbolLevels = 1,               // rendering with symbol levels (i.e. implements symbols(), symbolForFeature())
-      RotationField = 1 <<  1,        // rotate symbols by attribute value
-      MoreSymbolsPerFeature = 1 << 2, // may use more than one symbol to render a feature: symbolsForFeature() will return them
-      Filter         = 1 << 3,        // features may be filtered, i.e. some features may not be rendered (categorized, rule based ...)
-      ScaleDependent = 1 << 4         // depends on scale if feature will be rendered (rule based )
+      SymbolLevels = 1,               //!< rendering with symbol levels (i.e. implements symbols(), symbolForFeature())
+      RotationField = 1 <<  1,        //!< rotate symbols by attribute value
+      MoreSymbolsPerFeature = 1 << 2, //!< may use more than one symbol to render a feature: symbolsForFeature() will return them
+      Filter         = 1 << 3,        //!< features may be filtered, i.e. some features may not be rendered (categorized, rule based ...)
+      ScaleDependent = 1 << 4         //!< depends on scale if feature will be rendered (rule based )
     };
 
     //! returns bitwise OR-ed capabilities of the renderer
diff --git a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.cpp b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.cpp
index a8176534dc7..3d4c23f476a 100644
--- a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.cpp
+++ b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.cpp
@@ -197,6 +197,20 @@ QSet<QString> QgsRuleBasedRendererV2::Rule::usedAttributes() const
   return attrs;
 }
 
+bool QgsRuleBasedRendererV2::Rule::needsGeometry() const
+{
+  if ( mFilter && mFilter->needsGeometry() )
+    return true;
+
+  Q_FOREACH ( Rule* rule, mChildren )
+  {
+    if ( rule->needsGeometry() )
+      return true;
+  }
+
+  return false;
+}
+
 QgsSymbolV2List QgsRuleBasedRendererV2::Rule::symbols( const QgsRenderContext& context ) const
 {
   QgsSymbolV2List lst;
@@ -935,7 +949,12 @@ QString QgsRuleBasedRendererV2::filter( const QgsFields& )
 QList<QString> QgsRuleBasedRendererV2::usedAttributes()
 {
   QSet<QString> attrs = mRootRule->usedAttributes();
-  return attrs.values();
+  return attrs.toList();
+}
+
+bool QgsRuleBasedRendererV2::filterNeedsGeometry() const
+{
+  return mRootRule->needsGeometry();
 }
 
 QgsRuleBasedRendererV2* QgsRuleBasedRendererV2::clone() const
diff --git a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.h b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.h
index 63684144438..5fb43ffed4d 100644
--- a/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.h
+++ b/src/core/symbology-ng/qgsrulebasedrendererv2.h
@@ -136,6 +136,11 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsRuleBasedRendererV2 : public QgsFeatureRendererV2
          */
         QSet<QString> usedAttributes() const;
 
+        /**
+         * Returns true if this rule or one of its chilren needs the geometry to be applied.
+         */
+        bool needsGeometry() const;
+
         //! @note available in python bindings as symbol2
         QgsSymbolV2List symbols( const QgsRenderContext& context = QgsRenderContext() ) const;
 
@@ -428,6 +433,8 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsRuleBasedRendererV2 : public QgsFeatureRendererV2
 
     virtual QList<QString> usedAttributes() override;
 
+    virtual bool filterNeedsGeometry() const override;
+
     virtual QgsRuleBasedRendererV2* clone() const override;
 
     virtual void toSld( QDomDocument& doc, QDomElement &element ) const override;