diff --git a/libvips/arithmetic/getpoint.c b/libvips/arithmetic/getpoint.c
index 1bbd7fce..a012f001 100644
--- a/libvips/arithmetic/getpoint.c
+++ b/libvips/arithmetic/getpoint.c
@@ -88,28 +88,35 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE( VipsGetpoint, vips_getpoint, VIPS_TYPE_OPERATION );
 static int
 vips_getpoint_build( VipsObject *object )
 {
-	VipsObjectClass *class = VIPS_OBJECT_GET_CLASS( object );
 	VipsGetpoint *getpoint = (VipsGetpoint *) object;
-	VipsImage **t = (VipsImage **) vips_object_local_array( object, 2 );
+	VipsImage **t = (VipsImage **) vips_object_local_array( object, 4 );
 
 	double *vector;
-	int n;
 	VipsArrayDouble *out_array;
 
 	if( VIPS_OBJECT_CLASS( vips_getpoint_parent_class )->build( object ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
-	t[1] = vips_image_new_memory();
+	/* Crop, decode and unpack to double.
+	 */
 	if( vips_crop( getpoint->in, &t[0], 
 		getpoint->x, getpoint->y, 1, 1, NULL ) ||
-		vips_image_write( t[0], t[1] ) )
-		return( -1 ); 
-
-	if( !(vector = vips__ink_to_vector( class->nickname, 
-		getpoint->in, VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( t[1], 0, 0 ), &n )) ) 
+		vips_image_decode( t[0], &t[1] ) ||
+		vips_cast( t[1], &t[2], VIPS_FORMAT_DOUBLE, NULL ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
-	out_array = vips_array_double_new( vector, n );
+	/* To a mem buffer, then copy to out. 
+	 */
+	vips_image_set_int( t[2], "hide-progress", 1 );
+	if( !(t[3] = vips_image_new_memory()) ||
+		vips_image_write( t[2], t[3] ) )
+		return( -1 );
+
+	if( !(vector = VIPS_ARRAY( getpoint->in, t[3]->Bands, double )) )
+		return( -1 );
+	memcpy( vector, t[3]->data, VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_PEL( t[3] ) );
+
+	out_array = vips_array_double_new( vector, t[3]->Bands );
 	g_object_set( object, 
 		"out_array", out_array,
 		NULL );
diff --git a/libvips/conversion/insert.c b/libvips/conversion/insert.c
index 68172a22..5e25c79d 100644
--- a/libvips/conversion/insert.c
+++ b/libvips/conversion/insert.c
@@ -343,70 +343,6 @@ vips__vector_to_ink( const char *domain,
 	return( result ); 
 }
 
-/* The inverse: take ink to a vec of double. Used in the vips7 compat
- * wrappers. Result valid while im is valid. 
- */
-double *
-vips__ink_to_vector( const char *domain, VipsImage *im, VipsPel *ink, int *n )
-{
-	VipsImage **t = (VipsImage **) 
-		vips_object_local_array( VIPS_OBJECT( im ), 6 );
-
-	double *result;
-
-#ifdef VIPS_DEBUG
-	printf( "vips__ink_to_vector: starting\n" );
-#endif /*VIPS_DEBUG*/
-
-	/* Wrap a VipsImage around ink.
-	 */
-	t[0] = vips_image_new_from_memory( ink, VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_PEL( im ),
-		1, 1, VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_PEL( im ), VIPS_FORMAT_UCHAR );
-	if( vips_copy( t[0], &t[1], 
-		"bands", im->Bands, 
-		"format", im->BandFmt, 
-		"coding", im->Coding, 
-		"interpretation", im->Type, 
-		NULL ) )
-		return( NULL ); 
-
-	/* The image may be coded .. unpack to double.
-	 */
-	if( vips_image_decode( t[1], &t[2] ) ||
-		vips_cast( t[2], &t[3], VIPS_FORMAT_DOUBLE, NULL ) )
-		return( NULL );
-
-	/* To a mem buffer, then copy to out. 
-	 */
-	if( !(t[4] = vips_image_new_memory()) ||
-		vips_image_write( t[3], t[4] ) )
-		return( NULL ); 
-
-	if( !(result = VIPS_ARRAY( im, t[4]->Bands, double )) )
-		return( NULL ); 
-	memcpy( result, t[4]->data, VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_PEL( t[4] ) ); 
-	*n = t[4]->Bands; 
-
-#ifdef VIPS_DEBUG
-{
-	int i;
-
-	printf( "vips__ink_to_vector:\n" );
-	printf( "\tink = " ); 
-	for( i = 0; i < n; i++ )
-		printf( "%d ", ink[i] );
-	printf( "\n" ); 
-
-	printf( "\tvec = " ); 
-	for( i = 0; i < *n; i++ )
-		printf( "%g ", result[i] );
-	printf( "\n" ); 
-}
-#endif /*VIPS_DEBUG*/
-
-	return( result ); 
-}
-
 static int
 vips_insert_build( VipsObject *object )
 {
diff --git a/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c b/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
index b83edc42..202de963 100644
--- a/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
+++ b/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
@@ -5703,3 +5703,67 @@ vips_popenf( const char *fmt, const char *mode, ... )
         return( NULL );
 }
 
+/* We used to use this for getpoint(), but since it was the only caller in
+ * vips8 it's now deprecated.
+ */
+double *
+vips__ink_to_vector( const char *domain, VipsImage *im, VipsPel *ink, int *n )
+{
+	VipsImage **t = (VipsImage **) 
+		vips_object_local_array( VIPS_OBJECT( im ), 6 );
+
+	double *result;
+
+#ifdef VIPS_DEBUG
+	printf( "vips__ink_to_vector: starting\n" );
+#endif /*VIPS_DEBUG*/
+
+	/* Wrap a VipsImage around ink.
+	 */
+	t[0] = vips_image_new_from_memory( ink, VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_PEL( im ),
+		1, 1, VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_PEL( im ), VIPS_FORMAT_UCHAR );
+	if( vips_copy( t[0], &t[1], 
+		"bands", im->Bands, 
+		"format", im->BandFmt, 
+		"coding", im->Coding, 
+		"interpretation", im->Type, 
+		NULL ) )
+		return( NULL ); 
+
+	/* The image may be coded .. unpack to double.
+	 */
+	if( vips_image_decode( t[1], &t[2] ) ||
+		vips_cast( t[2], &t[3], VIPS_FORMAT_DOUBLE, NULL ) )
+		return( NULL );
+
+	/* To a mem buffer, then copy to out. 
+	 */
+	if( !(t[4] = vips_image_new_memory()) ||
+		vips_image_write( t[3], t[4] ) )
+		return( NULL ); 
+
+	if( !(result = VIPS_ARRAY( im, t[4]->Bands, double )) )
+		return( NULL ); 
+	memcpy( result, t[4]->data, VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_PEL( t[4] ) ); 
+	*n = t[4]->Bands; 
+
+#ifdef VIPS_DEBUG
+{
+	int i;
+
+	printf( "vips__ink_to_vector:\n" );
+	printf( "\tink = " ); 
+	for( i = 0; i < n; i++ )
+		printf( "%d ", ink[i] );
+	printf( "\n" ); 
+
+	printf( "\tvec = " ); 
+	for( i = 0; i < *n; i++ )
+		printf( "%g ", result[i] );
+	printf( "\n" ); 
+}
+#endif /*VIPS_DEBUG*/
+
+	return( result ); 
+}
+
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/internal.h b/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
index d228d536..f9a18f3e 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
@@ -183,11 +183,6 @@ VipsPel *vips__vector_to_pels( const char *domain,
 	double *real, double *imag, int n );
 VipsPel *vips__vector_to_ink( const char *domain, 
 	VipsImage *im, double *real, double *imag, int n );
-double *vips__ink_to_vector( const char *domain, 
-	VipsImage *im, VipsPel *ink, int *n ); 
-
-VipsPel *im__vector_to_ink( const char *domain, 
-	VipsImage *im, int n, double *vec );
 
 int vips__draw_flood_direct( VipsImage *image, VipsImage *test, 
 	int serial, int x, int y );
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
index ac34a710..99bcc10f 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
@@ -1224,6 +1224,12 @@ VipsWindow *vips_window_ref( VipsImage *im, int top, int height );
 FILE *vips_popenf( const char *fmt, const char *mode, ... )
 	__attribute__((format(printf, 1, 3)));
 
+double *vips__ink_to_vector( const char *domain, 
+	VipsImage *im, VipsPel *ink, int *n ); 
+
+VipsPel *im__vector_to_ink( const char *domain, 
+	VipsImage *im, int n, double *vec );
+
 /* This stuff is very, very old and should not be used by anyone now.
  */
 #ifdef VIPS_ENABLE_ANCIENT