diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 9752d897..ca2331a7 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 5/1/18 started 8.6.2
 - vips_sink_screen() keeps a ref to the input image ... stops a rare race
+- fix a minor accidental ABI break in 8.6.0 -> 8.6.1 [remicollet]
 
 10/12/17 started 8.6.1
 - fix mmap window new/free cycling 
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/internal.h b/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
index 1b9ae9de..679c6a02 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
@@ -257,6 +257,11 @@ void vips__reorder_init( void );
 int vips__reorder_set_input( VipsImage *image, VipsImage **in );
 void vips__reorder_clear( VipsImage *image );
 
+/* Window manager API.
+ */
+VipsWindow *vips_window_take( VipsWindow *window, 
+	VipsImage *im, int top, int height );
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif /*__cplusplus*/
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/private.h b/libvips/include/vips/private.h
index 2a06b0ba..a1be3c42 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/private.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/private.h
@@ -71,10 +71,6 @@ typedef struct {
 	size_t length;		/* Size of window */
 } VipsWindow;
 
-/* window manager.
- */
-VipsWindow *vips_window_ref( VipsWindow *window, 
-	struct _VipsImage *im, int top, int height );
 int vips_window_unref( VipsWindow *window );
 void vips_window_print( VipsWindow *window );
 
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
index 95c94b72..e18a4213 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
@@ -1227,6 +1227,10 @@ int vips_check_dmask_1d( const char *domain, DOUBLEMASK *mask );
 
 GOptionGroup *vips_get_option_group( void );
 
+/* old window manager API
+ */
+VipsWindow *vips_window_ref( VipsImage *im, int top, int height );
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif /*__cplusplus*/
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/region.c b/libvips/iofuncs/region.c
index 98211ff4..48337d44 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/region.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/region.c
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ vips_region_image( VipsRegion *reg, const VipsRect *r )
 		/* No complete image data ... but we can use a rolling window.
 		 */
 		reg->type = VIPS_REGION_WINDOW;
-		if( !(reg->window = vips_window_ref( reg->window, image, 
+		if( !(reg->window = vips_window_take( reg->window, image, 
 			clipped.top, clipped.height )) )
 			return( -1 );
 
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/window.c b/libvips/iofuncs/window.c
index 3721c5d2..e276074b 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/window.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/window.c
@@ -342,10 +342,18 @@ vips_window_find( VipsImage *im, int top, int height )
 	return( window );
 }
 
-/* Update a ref to a window to make it enclose top/height.
+/* Old API. Just a compat stub now.
  */
 VipsWindow *
-vips_window_ref( VipsWindow *window, VipsImage *im, int top, int height )
+vips_window_ref( VipsImage *im, int top, int height )
+{
+	return( NULL );
+}
+
+/* Update a window to make it enclose top/height. 
+ */
+VipsWindow *
+vips_window_take( VipsWindow *window, VipsImage *im, int top, int height )
 {
 	int margin;