diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 779d5c48..75cf5fbe 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 - try to improve vips_resize() quality a little more
 - vips_resize() can do non-square resizes
 - dzsave removes tile metadata by default, thanks Benjamin
+- added vips_image_new_from_memory_copy()
 
 7/5/15 started 8.1.1
 - oop, vips-8.0 wrapper script should be vips-8.1, thanks Danilo
diff --git a/doc/gtk-doc.make b/doc/gtk-doc.make
index e7916563..9ccd0b04 100644
--- a/doc/gtk-doc.make
+++ b/doc/gtk-doc.make
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ TARGET_DIR=$(HTML_DIR)/$(DOC_MODULE)
 
 SETUP_FILES = \
 	$(content_files)		\
+	$(expand_content_files)		\
 	$(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE)		\
 	$(DOC_MODULE)-sections.txt	\
 	$(DOC_MODULE)-overrides.txt
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ GTK_DOC_V_SETUP_0=@echo "  DOC   Preparing build";
 
 setup-build.stamp:
 	-$(GTK_DOC_V_SETUP)if test "$(abs_srcdir)" != "$(abs_builddir)" ; then \
-	    files=`echo $(SETUP_FILES) $(expand_content_files) $(DOC_MODULE).types`; \
+	    files=`echo $(SETUP_FILES) $(DOC_MODULE).types`; \
 	    if test "x$$files" != "x" ; then \
 	        for file in $$files ; do \
 	            destdir=`dirname $(abs_builddir)/$$file`; \
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ scan-build.stamp: setup-build.stamp $(HFILE_GLOB) $(CFILE_GLOB)
 	$(GTK_DOC_V_INTROSPECT)if grep -l '^..*$$' $(DOC_MODULE).types > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then \
 	    scanobj_options=""; \
 	    gtkdoc-scangobj 2>&1 --help | grep  >/dev/null "\-\-verbose"; \
-	    if test "$(?)" = "0"; then \
+	    if test "$$?" = "0"; then \
 	        if test "x$(V)" = "x1"; then \
 	            scanobj_options="--verbose"; \
 	        fi; \
@@ -162,17 +163,17 @@ GTK_DOC_V_XREF=$(GTK_DOC_V_XREF_$(V))
 GTK_DOC_V_XREF_=$(GTK_DOC_V_XREF_$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))
 GTK_DOC_V_XREF_0=@echo "  DOC   Fixing cross-references";
 
-html-build.stamp: sgml.stamp $(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE) $(content_files)
+html-build.stamp: sgml.stamp $(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE) $(content_files) $(expand_content_files)
 	$(GTK_DOC_V_HTML)rm -rf html && mkdir html && \
 	mkhtml_options=""; \
 	gtkdoc-mkhtml 2>&1 --help | grep  >/dev/null "\-\-verbose"; \
-	if test "$(?)" = "0"; then \
+	if test "$$?" = "0"; then \
 	  if test "x$(V)" = "x1"; then \
 	    mkhtml_options="$$mkhtml_options --verbose"; \
 	  fi; \
 	fi; \
 	gtkdoc-mkhtml 2>&1 --help | grep  >/dev/null "\-\-path"; \
-	if test "$(?)" = "0"; then \
+	if test "$$?" = "0"; then \
 	  mkhtml_options="$$mkhtml_options --path=\"$(abs_srcdir)\""; \
 	fi; \
 	cd html && gtkdoc-mkhtml $$mkhtml_options $(MKHTML_OPTIONS) $(DOC_MODULE) ../$(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE)
@@ -194,11 +195,11 @@ GTK_DOC_V_PDF=$(GTK_DOC_V_PDF_$(V))
 GTK_DOC_V_PDF_=$(GTK_DOC_V_PDF_$(AM_DEFAULT_VERBOSITY))
 GTK_DOC_V_PDF_0=@echo "  DOC   Building PDF";
 
-pdf-build.stamp: sgml.stamp $(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE) $(content_files)
+pdf-build.stamp: sgml.stamp $(DOC_MAIN_SGML_FILE) $(content_files) $(expand_content_files)
 	$(GTK_DOC_V_PDF)rm -f $(DOC_MODULE).pdf && \
 	mkpdf_options=""; \
 	gtkdoc-mkpdf 2>&1 --help | grep  >/dev/null "\-\-verbose"; \
-	if test "$(?)" = "0"; then \
+	if test "$$?" = "0"; then \
 	  if test "x$(V)" = "x1"; then \
 	    mkpdf_options="$$mkpdf_options --verbose"; \
 	  fi; \
@@ -223,12 +224,15 @@ clean-local:
 	@if echo $(SCAN_OPTIONS) | grep -q "\-\-rebuild-types" ; then \
 	  rm -f $(DOC_MODULE).types; \
 	fi
+	@if echo $(SCAN_OPTIONS) | grep -q "\-\-rebuild-sections" ; then \
+	  rm -f $(DOC_MODULE)-sections.txt; \
+	fi
 
 distclean-local:
 	@rm -rf xml html $(REPORT_FILES) $(DOC_MODULE).pdf \
 	    $(DOC_MODULE)-decl-list.txt $(DOC_MODULE)-decl.txt
 	@if test "$(abs_srcdir)" != "$(abs_builddir)" ; then \
-	    rm -f $(SETUP_FILES) $(expand_content_files) $(DOC_MODULE).types; \
+	    rm -f $(SETUP_FILES) $(DOC_MODULE).types; \
 	fi
 
 maintainer-clean-local:
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/image.h b/libvips/include/vips/image.h
index 48fc8068..2a362d9a 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/image.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/image.h
@@ -429,6 +429,8 @@ VipsImage *vips_image_new_from_file_raw( const char *filename,
 	int xsize, int ysize, int bands, guint64 offset );
 VipsImage *vips_image_new_from_memory( const void *data, size_t size,
 	int width, int height, int bands, VipsBandFormat format );
+VipsImage *vips_image_new_from_memory_copy( const void *data, size_t size,
+	int width, int height, int bands, VipsBandFormat format );
 VipsImage *vips_image_new_from_buffer( const void *buf, size_t len, 
 	const char *option_string, ... )
 	__attribute__((sentinel));
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/image.c b/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
index 5969857b..a68d2781 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
  * 	- vips_image_write() didn't ref non-partial sources
  * 18/4/15
  * 	- add vips_image_copy_memory()
+ * 25/11/15
+ * 	- add vips_image_new_from_memory_copy()
  */
 
 /*
@@ -1979,9 +1981,15 @@ vips_image_new_from_file_raw( const char *filename,
  * responsibility for the area of memory, it's up to you to make sure it's
  * freed when the image is closed. See for example #VipsObject::close.
  *
+ * Because VIPS is "borrowing" @data from the caller, this function is
+ * extremely dangerous. Unless you are very careful, you will get crashes or
+ * memory corruption. Use vips_image_new_from_memory_copy() instead if you are
+ * at all unsure. 
+ *
  * Use vips_copy() to set other image properties. 
  *
- * See also: vips_image_new(), vips_image_write_to_memory().
+ * See also: vips_image_new(), vips_image_write_to_memory(),
+ * vips_image_new_from_memory_copy().
  *
  * Returns: (transfer full): the new #VipsImage, or %NULL on error.
  */
@@ -2014,7 +2022,7 @@ vips_image_new_from_memory( const void *data, size_t size,
 	if( size > 0 && 
 		size < VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_IMAGE( image ) ) {
 		vips_error( "VipsImage",
-			_( "buffer too small --- "
+			_( "memory area too small --- "
 				"should be %zd bytes, you passed %zd" ),
 			VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_IMAGE( image ), size ); 
 		VIPS_UNREF( image );
@@ -2024,6 +2032,54 @@ vips_image_new_from_memory( const void *data, size_t size,
 	return( image );
 }
 
+static void
+vips_image_new_from_memory_copy_cb( VipsImage *image, void *data_copy )
+{
+	vips_tracked_free( data_copy );
+}
+
+/**
+ * vips_image_new_from_memory_copy:
+ * @data: (array length=size) (element-type guint8) (transfer none): start of memory area
+ * @size: length of memory area
+ * @width: image width
+ * @height: image height
+ * @bands: image bands (or bytes per pixel)
+ * @format: image format
+ *
+ * Like vips_image_new_from_memory(), but VIPS will make a copy of the memory 
+ * area. This
+ * means more memory use and an extra copy operation, but is much simpler and
+ * safer. 
+ *
+ * See also: vips_image_new_from_memory().
+ *
+ * Returns: (transfer full): the new #VipsImage, or %NULL on error.
+ */
+VipsImage *
+vips_image_new_from_memory_copy( const void *data, size_t size,
+	int width, int height, int bands, VipsBandFormat format )
+{
+	void *data_copy;
+	VipsImage *image;
+
+	vips_check_init();
+
+	if( !(data_copy = vips_tracked_malloc( size )) )
+		return( NULL );
+	memcpy( data_copy, data, size );
+	if( !(image = vips_image_new_from_memory( data_copy, size, 
+		width, height, bands, format )) ) {
+		vips_tracked_free( data_copy );
+		return( NULL );
+	}
+
+	g_signal_connect( image, "close", 
+		G_CALLBACK( vips_image_new_from_memory_copy_cb ), data_copy );
+
+	return( image );
+}
+
 /**
  * vips_image_new_from_buffer:
  * @buf: (array length=len) (element-type guint8) (transfer none): image data