diff --git a/sanitiser/_layers.js b/sanitiser/_layers.js
index c4f5d6eb..20e83f78 100644
--- a/sanitiser/_layers.js
+++ b/sanitiser/_layers.js
@@ -13,17 +13,38 @@ function sanitize( req ){
 
   // which layers to query
   if('string' === typeof params.layers && params.layers.length){
+    
+    var alias_layers  = ['poi', 'admin'];
+    var alias_indeces = indeces.concat(alias_layers);
+
     var layers = params.layers.split(',').map( function( layer ){
       return layer.toLowerCase(); // lowercase inputs
     });
     for( var x=0; x<layers.length; x++ ){
-      if( -1 === indeces.indexOf( layers[x] ) ){
+      if( -1 === alias_indeces.indexOf( layers[x] ) ){
         return {
           'error': true,
-          'message': 'invalid param \'layer\': must be one or more of ' + indeces.join(',') 
+          'message': 'invalid param \'layer\': must be one or more of ' + alias_indeces.join(',') 
         }
       }
     }
+    var expand_aliases = function(alias, layers, layer_indeces) {
+      var alias_index  = layers.indexOf(alias);
+      if (alias_index !== -1 ) {
+        layers.splice(alias_index, 1);
+        layers = layers.concat(layer_indeces);
+      }
+      return layers;
+    }
+
+    layers = expand_aliases('poi',   layers, ['geoname','osmnode','osmway']);
+    layers = expand_aliases('admin', layers, ['admin0','admin1','admin2','neighborhood']);
+    
+    // de-dup
+    layers = layers.filter(function(item, pos) {
+      return layers.indexOf(item) == pos;
+    });
+
     clean.layers = layers;
   }
   else {
diff --git a/test/unit/sanitiser/sanitise.js b/test/unit/sanitiser/sanitise.js
index b183d2f9..cae2d8b1 100644
--- a/test/unit/sanitiser/sanitise.js
+++ b/test/unit/sanitiser/sanitise.js
@@ -153,11 +153,55 @@ module.exports.tests.sanitize_layers = function(test, common) {
   });
   test('invalid layer', function(t) {
     sanitize({ layers: 'test_layer', input: 'test', lat: 0, lon: 0 }, function( err, clean ){
-      var msg = 'invalid param \'layer\': must be one or more of geoname,osmnode,osmway,admin0,admin1,admin2,neighborhood';
+      var msg = 'invalid param \'layer\': must be one or more of geoname,osmnode,osmway,admin0,admin1,admin2,neighborhood,poi,admin';
       t.equal(err, msg, 'invalid layer requested');
       t.end();
     });
   });
+  test('poi (alias) layer', function(t) {
+    var poi_layers = ['geoname','osmnode','osmway'];
+    sanitize({ layers: 'poi', input: 'test', lat: 0, lon: 0 }, function( err, clean ){
+      t.deepEqual(clean.layers, poi_layers, 'poi layers set');
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+  test('admin (alias) layer', function(t) {
+    var admin_layers = ['admin0','admin1','admin2','neighborhood'];
+    sanitize({ layers: 'admin', input: 'test', lat: 0, lon: 0 }, function( err, clean ){
+      t.deepEqual(clean.layers, admin_layers, 'admin layers set');
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+  test('poi alias layer plus regular layers', function(t) {
+    var poi_layers = ['geoname','osmnode','osmway'];
+    var reg_layers = ['admin0', 'admin1'];
+    sanitize({ layers: 'poi,admin0,admin1', input: 'test', lat: 0, lon: 0 }, function( err, clean ){
+      t.deepEqual(clean.layers, reg_layers.concat(poi_layers), 'poi + regular layers');
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+  test('admin alias layer plus regular layers', function(t) {
+    var admin_layers = ['admin0','admin1','admin2','neighborhood'];
+    var reg_layers   = ['geoname', 'osmway'];
+    sanitize({ layers: 'admin,geoname,osmway', input: 'test', lat: 0, lon: 0 }, function( err, clean ){
+      t.deepEqual(clean.layers, reg_layers.concat(admin_layers), 'admin + regular layers set');
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+  test('alias layer plus regular layers (no duplicates)', function(t) {
+    var poi_layers = ['geoname','osmnode','osmway'];
+    sanitize({ layers: 'poi,geoname,osmnode', input: 'test', lat: 0, lon: 0 }, function( err, clean ){
+      t.deepEqual(clean.layers, poi_layers, 'poi layers found (no duplicates)');
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
+  test('multiple alias layers (no duplicates)', function(t) {
+    var alias_layers = ['geoname','osmnode','osmway','admin0','admin1','admin2','neighborhood'];
+    sanitize({ layers: 'poi,admin', input: 'test', lat: 0, lon: 0 }, function( err, clean ){
+      t.deepEqual(clean.layers, alias_layers, 'all layers found (no duplicates)');
+      t.end();
+    });
+  });
 };
 
 module.exports.tests.invalid_params = function(test, common) {