diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 6cb2f3aa..c413b735 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 
 
 
+- vips_object_get_argument_to_string(),
+  vips_object_get_argument_needs_string(), 
+  vips_object_set_argument_from_string()
+
+  	should all be vfuncs on object
 
 
 
diff --git a/libvips/deprecated/dispatch_types.c b/libvips/deprecated/dispatch_types.c
index 5f56e28a..af42eaee 100644
--- a/libvips/deprecated/dispatch_types.c
+++ b/libvips/deprecated/dispatch_types.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ input_image_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 {
 	IMAGE **im = (IMAGE **) obj;
 
-	return( !(*im = vips_image_new_from_file( str, "rd" )) );
+	return( !(*im = im_open( str, "rd" )) );
 }
 
 /* Input image type.
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ im_type_desc im__input_image = {
 	0, 				/* No storage needed */
 	IM_TYPE_ARG,			/* It requires a command-line arg */
 	(im_init_obj_fn) input_image_init,/* Init function */
-	(im_dest_obj_fn) vips_object_unref/* Destroy function */
+	(im_dest_obj_fn) im_close	/* Destroy function */
 };
 
 /* Init function for output images.
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ output_image_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 {
 	IMAGE **im = (IMAGE **) obj;
 
-	return( !(*im = vips_image_new_from_file( str, "w" )) );
+	return( !(*im = im_open( str, "w" )) );
 }
 
 /* Output image type.
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ im_type_desc im__output_image = {
 	0,				/* No storage to be allocated */
 	IM_TYPE_OUTPUT | IM_TYPE_ARG,	/* Flags! */
 	(im_init_obj_fn) output_image_init,/* Init function */
-	(im_dest_obj_fn) vips_object_unref/* Destroy function */
+	(im_dest_obj_fn) im_close	/* Destroy function */
 };
 
 /* Init function for RW images.
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ rw_image_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 {
 	IMAGE **im = (IMAGE **) obj;
 
-	return( !(*im = vips_image_new_from_file( str, "rw" )) );
+	return( !(*im = im_open( str, "rw" )) );
 }
 
 /* RW image type.
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ im_type_desc im__rw_image = {
 	0,				/* No storage to be allocated */
 	IM_TYPE_ARG | IM_TYPE_RW,	/* Read-write object, needs an arg */
 	(im_init_obj_fn) rw_image_init,	/* Init function */
-	(im_dest_obj_fn) vips_object_unref/* Destroy function */
+	(im_dest_obj_fn) im_close	/* Destroy function */
 };
 
 /* im_imagevec_object destroy function.
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ imagevec_dest( im_object obj )
 
 		for( i = 0; i < iv->n; i++ )
 			if( iv->vec[i] ) {
-				g_object_unref( iv->vec[i] );
+				im_close( iv->vec[i] );
 				iv->vec[i] = NULL;
 			}
 
@@ -215,8 +215,7 @@ input_imagevec_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 		iv->vec[i] = NULL;
 
 	for( i = 0; i < nargs; i++ ) 
-		if( !(iv->vec[i] = 
-			vips_image_new_from_file( strv[i], "rd" )) ) {
+		if( !(iv->vec[i] = im_open( strv[i], "rd" )) ) {
 			g_strfreev( strv );
 			return( -1 );
 		}
diff --git a/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c b/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
index a2ac4575..b1b00ab4 100644
--- a/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
+++ b/libvips/deprecated/vips7compat.c
@@ -52,6 +52,22 @@
 #include <dmalloc.h>
 #endif /*WITH_DMALLOC*/
 
+VipsImage *
+im_open( const char *filename, const char *mode )
+{
+	VipsImage *image;
+
+	if( !(image = vips_image_new_from_file( filename, mode )) )
+		return( NULL );
+
+	/* We have to refsink since the im_open() result is used like a hard
+	 * reference.
+	 */
+	g_object_ref_sink( image );
+
+	return( image );
+}
+
 /* Just for compatibility. New code should use vips_object_local() directly.
  */
 VipsImage *
@@ -60,7 +76,7 @@ im_open_local( VipsImage *parent,
 {
 	VipsImage *image;
 
-	if( !(image = vips_image_new_from_file( filename, mode )) )
+	if( !(image = im_open( filename, mode )) )
 		return( NULL );
 	vips_object_local( parent, image );
 
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
index aa9052ab..46f5d33f 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
@@ -153,7 +153,6 @@ extern "C" {
 #define im_cp_desc vips_image_copy_fields
 #define im_cp_descv vips_image_copy_fieldsv
 #define im_cp_desc_array vips_image_copy_fields_array
-#define im_open vips_image_new_from_file
 #define im_image vips_image_new_from_memory
 #define im_binfile vips_image_new_from_file_raw
 #define im__open_temp vips_image_new_disc_temp
@@ -198,6 +197,8 @@ extern "C" {
 /* Compat functions.
  */
 
+VipsImage *im_open( const char *filename, const char *mode );
+
 VipsImage *im_open_local( VipsImage *parent, 
 	const char *filename, const char *mode );
 int im_open_local_array( VipsImage *parent, 
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/image.c b/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
index 0b5be189..45e3c6e7 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
  */
 
 /*
- */
 #define VIPS_DEBUG
+ */
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #include <config.h>
@@ -2029,7 +2029,7 @@ vips_image_wio_input( VipsImage *image )
 		/* Change to VIPS_IMAGE_SETBUF. First, make a memory 
 		 * buffer and copy into that.
 		 */
-		if( !(t1 = vips_image_new_from_file( "vips_image_wio_input", "t" )) ) 
+		if( !(t1 = vips_image_new_from_file( "wio_input", "t" )) ) 
 			return( -1 );
 		if( im_copy( image, t1 ) ) {
 			g_object_unref( t1 );
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/object.c b/libvips/iofuncs/object.c
index a1a6177e..462b131c 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/object.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/object.c
@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@
  */
 
 /*
- */
 #define DEBUG
 #define VIPS_DEBUG
 #define DEBUG_REF
+ */
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #include <config.h>
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/operation.c b/libvips/iofuncs/operation.c
index ca5e2b50..7f198ee0 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/operation.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/operation.c
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
  */
 
 /*
- */
 #define VIPS_DEBUG
+ */
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #include <config.h>