diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 947d1abc..264daf95 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 - added @container option to dzsave 
 - support 1/2/4 bit palette tiff images with alpha
 - vips_system() now uses g_spawn_command_line_sync()
+- added im_tile_cache_random() to help nip2
 
 6/3/14 started 7.38.6
 - grey ramp minimum was wrong
diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 2c49d218..d8d4cbd5 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -3,27 +3,6 @@
 
 
 
-
-- why is cache in nip2 so slow? its awful
-
-  investigate again
-
-  is it using vips_sinkscreen()? should it use tilecache?
-
-  Cache calls cache in _stdenv.def
-
-  cache calls im_cache()
-
-  im_cache() calls vips_sink_screen()
-
-
- 
-  im_tile_cache() calls vips_tilecache() 
-
-  add im_tile_cache to vips7 op db, try using it from nip2
-
-
-
 - test draw_mask on labq images
 
   we probably need to unpack the ink back to double before blending
diff --git a/libvips/deprecated/package.c b/libvips/deprecated/package.c
index dd43802a..29332809 100644
--- a/libvips/deprecated/package.c
+++ b/libvips/deprecated/package.c
@@ -497,26 +497,24 @@ static im_function cache_desc = {
 	cache_args 			/* Arg list */
 };
 
-/* Call im_tile_cache() via arg vector.
- */
 static int
-tile_cache_vec( im_object *argv )
+tile_cache_random_vec( im_object *argv )
 {
 	int tile_width = *((int *) argv[2]);
 	int tile_height = *((int *) argv[3]);
 	int max_tiles = *((int *) argv[4]);
 
-	return( im_tile_cache( argv[0], argv[1], 
+	return( im_tile_cache_random( argv[0], argv[1], 
 		tile_width, tile_height, max_tiles ) );
 }
 
 /* Description of im_cache.
  */ 
-static im_function tile_cache_desc = {
-	"im_tile_cache", 		/* Name */
+static im_function tile_cache_random_desc = {
+	"im_tile_cache_random",		/* Name */
 	"cache results of an operation",/* Description */
 	0,				/* Flags */
-	tile_cache_vec, 		/* Dispatch function */
+	tile_cache_random_vec, 		/* Dispatch function */
 	VIPS_NUMBER( cache_args ), 	/* Size of arg list */
 	cache_args 			/* Arg list */
 };
@@ -570,7 +568,7 @@ static im_function binfile_desc = {
 static im_function *iofuncs_list[] = {
 	&binfile_desc,
 	&cache_desc,
-	&tile_cache_desc,
+	&tile_cache_random_desc,
 	&concurrency_get_desc,
 	&getext_desc,
 	&guess_prefix_desc,
diff --git a/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c b/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
index 0ccb452a..48d322ed 100644
--- a/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
+++ b/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
@@ -4450,6 +4450,34 @@ im_tile_cache( IMAGE *in, IMAGE *out,
 	return( 0 );
 }
 
+/* This is the one used by nip2's menu for caching images. Random access and
+ * persistent. 
+ */
+int
+im_tile_cache_random( IMAGE *in, IMAGE *out,
+	int tile_width, int tile_height, int max_tiles )
+{
+	VipsImage *x;
+
+	if( vips_tilecache( in, &x, 
+		"tile_width", tile_width, 
+		"tile_height", tile_height, 
+		"max_tiles", max_tiles, 
+		"access", VIPS_ACCESS_RANDOM,
+		"persistent", TRUE,
+		"threaded", TRUE, 
+		NULL ) )
+		return( -1 );
+
+	if( im_copy( x, out ) ) {
+		g_object_unref( x );
+		return( -1 );
+	}
+	g_object_unref( x );
+
+	return( 0 );
+}
+
 static int 
 im__affinei( VipsImage *in, VipsImage *out, 
 	VipsInterpolate *interpolate, VipsTransformation *trn )
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
index 515f3f0a..d21b8096 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
@@ -777,6 +777,9 @@ int im_argb2rgba( VipsImage *in, VipsImage *out );
 int im_falsecolour( VipsImage *in, VipsImage *out );
 int im_gammacorrect( VipsImage *in, VipsImage *out, double exponent );
 
+int im_tile_cache_random( IMAGE *in, IMAGE *out,
+	int tile_width, int tile_height, int max_tiles );
+
 int im_shrink( VipsImage *in, VipsImage *out, double xshrink, double yshrink );
 int im_affinei( VipsImage *in, VipsImage *out, 
 	VipsInterpolate *interpolate,