diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3893c230..1093c54a 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 scan
+compile
 po/*.pot
 test-driver
 vips-*.tar.gz
diff --git a/libvips/arithmetic/max.c b/libvips/arithmetic/max.c
index 1ed2ca3b..199817d6 100644
--- a/libvips/arithmetic/max.c
+++ b/libvips/arithmetic/max.c
@@ -106,14 +106,14 @@ typedef struct _VipsMax {
 	/* The single max. Can be unset if, for example, the whole image is
 	 * NaN.
 	 */
-	double max;
+	double out;
 	int x;
 	int y;
 
 	/* And the positions and values we found as VipsArrays for returning 
 	 * to our caller.
 	 */
-	VipsArrayDouble *max_array;
+	VipsArrayDouble *out_array;
 	VipsArrayInt *x_array;
 	VipsArrayInt *y_array;
 
@@ -425,7 +425,7 @@ vips_max_class_init( VipsMaxClass *class )
 		_( "Output" ), 
 		_( "Output value" ),
 		VIPS_ARGUMENT_REQUIRED_OUTPUT,
-		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsMax, max ),
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsMax, out ),
 		-INFINITY, INFINITY, 0.0 );
 
 	VIPS_ARG_INT( class, "x", 2, 
@@ -453,7 +453,7 @@ vips_max_class_init( VipsMaxClass *class )
 		_( "Output array" ), 
 		_( "Array of output values" ),
 		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_OUTPUT,
-		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsMax, max_array ),
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsMax, out_array ),
 		VIPS_TYPE_ARRAY_DOUBLE );
 
 	VIPS_ARG_BOXED( class, "x_array", 7, 
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/type.c b/libvips/iofuncs/type.c
index 7295778f..4c3d0b93 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/type.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/type.c
@@ -601,17 +601,18 @@ static void
 transform_array_int_g_string( const GValue *src_value, GValue *dest_value )
 {
 	int n;
-	int *array = vips_value_get_array_int( src_value, &n );
+	int *array;
 
 	char txt[1024];
 	VipsBuf buf = VIPS_BUF_STATIC( txt );
 	int i;
 
-	for( i = 0; i < n; i++ ) 
-		/* Use space as a separator since ',' may be a decimal point
-		 * in this locale.
-		 */
-		vips_buf_appendf( &buf, "%d ", array[i] );
+	if( (array = vips_value_get_array_int( src_value, &n )) ) 
+		for( i = 0; i < n; i++ ) 
+			/* Use space as a separator since ',' may be a 
+			 * decimal point in this locale.
+			 */
+			vips_buf_appendf( &buf, "%d ", array[i] );
 
 	g_value_set_string( dest_value, vips_buf_all( &buf ) );
 }
@@ -689,17 +690,18 @@ static void
 transform_array_double_g_string( const GValue *src_value, GValue *dest_value )
 {
 	int n;
-	double *array = vips_value_get_array_double( src_value, &n );
+	double *array;
 
 	char txt[1024];
 	VipsBuf buf = VIPS_BUF_STATIC( txt );
 	int i;
 
-	for( i = 0; i < n; i++ ) 
-		/* Use space as a separator since ',' may be a decimal point
-		 * in this locale.
-		 */
-		vips_buf_appendf( &buf, "%g ", array[i] );
+	if( (array = vips_value_get_array_double( src_value, &n )) ) 
+		for( i = 0; i < n; i++ ) 
+			/* Use space as a separator since ',' may be a decimal 
+			 * point in this locale.
+			 */
+			vips_buf_appendf( &buf, "%g ", array[i] );
 
 	g_value_set_string( dest_value, vips_buf_all( &buf ) );
 }
@@ -1063,7 +1065,8 @@ vips_value_get_array( const GValue *value,
 	 * vips_*_get_type().
 	 */
 
-	area = g_value_get_boxed( value );
+	if( !(area = g_value_get_boxed( value )) )
+		return( NULL ); 
 	if( n )
 		*n = area->n;
 	if( type )