diff --git a/libvips/draw/flood.c b/libvips/draw/flood.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ecc0e98a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libvips/draw/flood.c
@@ -0,0 +1,612 @@
+/* flood-fill
+ *
+ * JC 30/8/97
+ *	- VIPSified, cleaned up, from "John Robinson's prog to fill 
+ *	  enclosed areas"
+ *	- something Kirk gave me, so thanks John 
+ * JC 1/10/97
+ *	- swapped inner memcmp/cpy for a loop ... faster for small pixels
+ * 13/7/02 JC
+ *	- im_flood_blob() added
+ * 5/12/06
+ * 	- im_invalidate() after paint
+ * 24/3/09
+ * 	- added IM_CODING_RAD support
+ * 28/9/09
+ * 	- ooops, tiny memleak
+ * 17/12/09
+ * 	- use inline rather than defines, so we can add scanline fills more
+ * 	  easily
+ * 	- gtk-doc comments
+ * 21/12/09
+ * 	- rewrite for a scanline based fill, about 4x faster!
+ * 	- allow separate test and mark images
+ * 22/1/10
+ * 	- flood_blob could loop if start point == ink
+ * 6/3/10
+ * 	- don't im_invalidate() after paint, this now needs to be at a higher
+ * 	  level
+ * 27/9/10
+ * 	- use Draw base class
+ * 21/1/14
+ * 	- redo as a class
+ */
+
+/*
+
+    This file is part of VIPS.
+    
+    VIPS is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+    Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA
+    02110-1301  USA
+
+ */
+
+/*
+
+    These files are distributed with VIPS - http://www.vips.ecs.soton.ac.uk
+
+ */
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include <config.h>
+#endif /*HAVE_CONFIG_H*/
+#include <vips/intl.h>
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
+
+#include <vips/vips.h>
+
+#include "pdraw.h"
+
+/* Size of a scanline buffer. We allocate a list of these to hold scanlines 
+ * we need to visit.
+ */
+#define PBUFSIZE (1000)
+
+/* A scanline we know could contain pixels connected to us.
+ *
+ * Dir is the direction of connection: +1 means y is increasing, ie. the line 
+ * above this one is filled. -1 if y is decreasing.
+ */
+typedef struct {
+	int x1, x2;
+	int y;
+	int dir;
+} Scan;
+
+/* A buffer of scanlines, and how many of them have been used. If ->next is
+ * non-NULL, the next block could contain more of them.
+ *
+ * We keep a pair of these, then loop over one and write to the other.
+ */
+typedef struct _Buffer {
+	struct _Buffer *next;
+	int n;
+	Scan scan[PBUFSIZE];
+} Buffer;
+
+/* Base class.
+ */
+typedef struct _VipsFlood {
+	VipsDraw draw;
+
+	/* Parameters.
+	 */
+	int x;
+	int y;
+	VipsImage *test;	/* Test this image */
+	gboolean equal;		/* Fill to == edge, or != edge */
+
+	int left;		/* Record bounding box of modified pixels */
+	int right;	
+	int top;
+	int bottom;
+	int width;
+	int height;
+
+	/* Derived stuff.
+	 */
+	VipsPel *edge;		/* Boundary colour */
+	int tsize;		/* sizeof( one pel in test ) */
+
+	/* Read from in, add new possibilities to out.
+	 */
+	Buffer *in;
+	Buffer *out;
+} VipsFlood;
+
+typedef VipsDrawClass VipsFloodClass;
+
+G_DEFINE_TYPE( VipsFlood, vips_flood, VIPS_TYPE_DRAW );
+
+/* Alloc a new buffer.
+ */
+static Buffer *
+buffer_build( void )
+{
+	Buffer *buf;
+
+	buf = g_new( Buffer, 1 );
+	buf->next = NULL;
+	buf->n = 0;
+
+	return( buf );
+}
+
+/* Free a chain of buffers.
+ */
+static void
+buffer_free( Buffer *buf )
+{
+	while( buf ) {
+		Buffer *p;
+
+		p = buf->next;
+		g_free( buf );
+		buf = p;
+	}
+}
+
+/* Add a scanline to a buffer, prepending a new buffer if necessary. Return
+ * the new head buffer.
+ */
+static inline Buffer * 
+buffer_add( Buffer *buf, VipsFlood *flood, int x1, int x2, int y, int dir )
+{
+	/* Clip against image size.
+	 */
+	if( y < 0 || 
+		y >= flood->test->Ysize )
+		return( buf );
+	x1 = VIPS_CLIP( 0, x1, flood->test->Xsize - 1 );
+	x2 = VIPS_CLIP( 0, x2, flood->test->Xsize - 1 );
+	if( x2 - x1 < 0 )
+		return( buf );
+
+	buf->scan[buf->n].x1 = x1;
+	buf->scan[buf->n].x2 = x2;
+	buf->scan[buf->n].y = y;
+	buf->scan[buf->n].dir = dir;
+	buf->n += 1; 
+
+	if( buf->n == PBUFSIZE ) { 
+		Buffer *new;
+
+		new = buffer_build();
+		new->next = buf;
+		buf = new;
+	} 
+
+	return( buf );
+}
+
+/* Is p "connected"? ie. is equal to or not equal to flood->edge, depending on
+ * whether we are flooding to the edge boundary or flooding edge-coloured
+ * pixels.
+ */
+static inline gboolean
+vips_flood_connected( VipsFlood *flood, VipsPel *tp )
+{
+ 	int j;
+
+	for( j = 0; j < flood->tsize; j++ ) 
+		if( tp[j] != flood->edge[j] ) 
+			break;
+
+	/* If flood->equal, true if point == edge.
+	 */
+	return( flood->equal ^ (j < flood->tsize) );
+}
+
+/* Fill left and right, return the endpoints. The start point (x, y) must be 
+ * connected and unpainted.
+ */
+static void 
+vips_flood_scanline( VipsFlood *flood, int x, int y, int *x1, int *x2 )
+{
+	VipsDraw *draw = VIPS_DRAW( flood );
+	const int width = flood->test->Xsize;
+
+	VipsPel *tp;
+	int i;
+
+	g_assert( vips_flood_connected( flood, 
+		VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( flood->test, x, y ) ) );
+	g_assert( !vips__draw_painted( draw, 
+		VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( draw->image, x, y ) ) );
+
+	/* Search to the right for the first non-connected pixel. If the start
+	 * pixel is unpainted, we know all the intervening pixels must be
+	 * unpainted too.
+	 */
+	tp = VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( flood->test, x + 1, y );
+	for( i = x + 1; i < width; i++ ) {
+		if( !vips_flood_connected( flood, tp ) )
+			break;
+		tp += flood->tsize;
+	}
+	*x2 = i - 1;
+
+	/* Search left.
+	 */
+	tp = VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( flood->test, x - 1, y );
+	for( i = x - 1; i >= 0; i-- ) {
+		if( !vips_flood_connected( flood, tp ) )
+			break;
+		tp -= flood->tsize;
+	}
+	*x1 = i + 1;
+
+	/* Paint the range we discovered.
+	 */
+	vips__draw_scanline( draw, y, *x1, *x2 );
+
+	flood->left = VIPS_MIN( flood->left, *x1 );
+	flood->right = VIPS_MAX( flood->right, *x2 );
+	flood->top = VIPS_MIN( flood->top, y );
+	flood->bottom = VIPS_MAX( flood->bottom, y );
+}
+
+/* We know the line below or above us is filled between x1 and x2. Search our 
+ * line in this range looking for an edge pixel we can flood from.
+ */
+static void
+vips_flood_around( VipsFlood *flood, Scan *scan )
+{
+	VipsDraw *draw = VIPS_DRAW( flood );
+
+	VipsPel *tp;
+	int x;
+
+	g_assert( scan->dir == 1 || 
+		scan->dir == -1 );
+
+	for( tp = VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( flood->test, scan->x1, scan->y ), 
+		x = scan->x1; 
+		x <= scan->x2; 
+		tp += flood->tsize, x++ ) {
+		if( vips_flood_connected( flood, tp ) ) {
+			int x1a;
+			int x2a;
+
+			/* If mark and test are different images, we also need
+			 * to check for painted. Otherwise we can get stuck in
+			 * connected loops.
+			 */
+			if( draw->image != flood->test ) {
+				VipsPel *mp = VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( 
+					draw->image, x, scan->y );
+
+				if( vips__draw_painted( draw, mp ) )
+					continue;
+			}
+
+			vips_flood_scanline( flood, x, scan->y, &x1a, &x2a );
+
+			/* Our new scanline can have up to three more
+			 * scanlines connected to it: above, below left, below
+			 * right.
+			 */
+			if( x1a < scan->x1 - 1 )
+				flood->out = buffer_add( flood->out, flood,
+					x1a, scan->x1 - 2, 
+					scan->y - scan->dir, -scan->dir );
+			if( x2a > scan->x2 + 1 )
+				flood->out = buffer_add( flood->out, flood,
+					scan->x2 + 2, x2a, 
+					scan->y - scan->dir, -scan->dir );
+			flood->out = buffer_add( flood->out, flood,
+				x1a, x2a, scan->y + scan->dir, 
+				scan->dir );
+
+			x = x2a + 1;
+			tp = VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( flood->test, x, scan->y );
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+static void
+vips_flood_all( VipsFlood *flood )
+{
+	int x1, x2;
+
+	/* Test start pixel ... nothing to do?
+	 */
+	if( !vips_flood_connected( flood, 
+		VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( flood->test, flood->x, flood->y ) ) ) 
+		return;
+
+	vips_flood_scanline( flood, flood->x, flood->y, &x1, &x2 );
+	flood->in = buffer_add( flood->in, flood, x1, x2, flood->y + 1, 1 );
+	flood->in = buffer_add( flood->in, flood, x1, x2, flood->y - 1, -1 );
+
+	while( flood->in->n ) {
+		Buffer *p;
+
+		for( p = flood->in; p; p = p->next ) {
+			int i;
+
+			for( i = 0; i < p->n; i++ )
+				vips_flood_around( flood, &p->scan[i] );
+
+			p->n = 0;
+		}
+
+		VIPS_SWAP( Buffer *, flood->in, flood->out );
+	}
+}
+
+static void
+vips_flood_dispose( GObject *gobject )
+{
+	VipsFlood *flood = (VipsFlood *) gobject;
+
+	VIPS_FREE( flood->edge );
+	VIPS_FREEF( buffer_free, flood->in );
+	VIPS_FREEF( buffer_free, flood->out );
+
+	G_OBJECT_CLASS( vips_flood_parent_class )->dispose( gobject );
+}
+
+static int
+vips_flood_build( VipsObject *object )
+{
+	VipsObjectClass *class = VIPS_OBJECT_CLASS( object ); 
+	VipsDraw *draw = VIPS_DRAW( object );
+	VipsFlood *flood = (VipsFlood *) object;
+
+	int j; 
+
+	if( VIPS_OBJECT_CLASS( vips_flood_parent_class )->build( object ) )
+		return( -1 );
+
+	flood->tsize = VIPS_IMAGE_SIZEOF_PEL( flood->test );
+	flood->left = flood->x;
+	flood->top = flood->y;
+	flood->right = flood->x;
+	flood->bottom = flood->y;
+	flood->in = buffer_build();
+	flood->out = buffer_build();
+
+	if( !(flood->edge = (VipsPel *) im_malloc( NULL, flood->tsize )) ) 
+		return( -1 );
+
+	/* @test defaults to @image.
+	 */
+	if( !vips_object_argument_isset( object, "test" ) )
+		flood->test = draw->image; 
+
+	if( vips_image_wio_input( flood->test ) ||
+		vips_check_coding_known( class->nickname, flood->test ) ||
+		vips_check_uncoded( class->nickname, flood->test ) ||
+		vips_check_mono( class->nickname, flood->test ) ||
+		vips_check_format( class->nickname, flood->test, 
+			VIPS_FORMAT_INT ) ||
+		vips_check_size_same( class->nickname, 
+			flood->test, draw->image ) )
+		return( -1 );
+
+	/* Flood to ink.
+	 */
+	if( flood->equal ) {
+		/* Edge is set by colour of start pixel.
+		 */
+		memcpy( flood->edge, 
+			VIPS_IMAGE_ADDR( flood->test, flood->x, flood->y ), 
+			flood->tsize );
+
+		/* If edge == ink, we'll never stop :-( or rather, 
+		 * there's nothing to do.
+		 */
+		for( j = 0; j < flood->tsize; j++ ) 
+			if( flood->edge[j] != 
+				VIPS_DRAW( flood )->pixel_ink[j] ) 
+				break;
+
+		if( j != flood->tsize )
+			vips_flood_all( flood );
+	}
+	else {
+		memcpy( flood->edge, VIPS_DRAW( flood )->pixel_ink, 
+			flood->tsize );
+		vips_flood_all( flood );
+	}
+
+	flood->width = flood->right - flood->left + 1;
+	flood->height = flood->bottom - flood->top + 1;
+
+	return( 0 );
+}
+
+static void
+vips_flood_class_init( VipsFloodClass *class )
+{
+	GObjectClass *gobject_class = G_OBJECT_CLASS( class );
+	VipsObjectClass *vobject_class = VIPS_OBJECT_CLASS( class );
+
+	gobject_class->dispose = vips_flood_dispose;
+	gobject_class->set_property = vips_object_set_property;
+	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
+
+	vobject_class->nickname = "flood";
+	vobject_class->description = _( "flood-fill an area" );
+	vobject_class->build = vips_flood_build;
+
+	VIPS_ARG_INT( class, "x", 3, 
+		_( "x" ), 
+		_( "Flood start point" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_REQUIRED_INPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsFlood, x ),
+		0, 1000000000, 0 );
+
+	VIPS_ARG_INT( class, "y", 4, 
+		_( "y" ), 
+		_( "Flood start point" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_REQUIRED_INPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsFlood, y ),
+		0, 1000000000, 0 );
+
+	VIPS_ARG_IMAGE( class, "test", 5, 
+		_( "Test" ), 
+		_( "Test pixels in this image" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_INPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsFlood, test ) ); 
+
+	VIPS_ARG_BOOL( class, "equal", 6, 
+		_( "Equal" ), 
+		_( "Flood while equal to edge" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_INPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsFlood, equal ),
+		FALSE ); 
+
+	VIPS_ARG_INT( class, "left", 7, 
+		_( "Left" ), 
+		_( "Left edge of modified area" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_OUTPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsFlood, left ),
+		0, 1000000000, 0 );
+
+	VIPS_ARG_INT( class, "top", 8, 
+		_( "Top" ), 
+		_( "top edge of modified area" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_OUTPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsFlood, top ),
+		0, 1000000000, 0 );
+
+	VIPS_ARG_INT( class, "width", 9, 
+		_( "Width" ), 
+		_( "width of modified area" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_OUTPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsFlood, width ),
+		0, 1000000000, 0 );
+
+	VIPS_ARG_INT( class, "height", 10, 
+		_( "Height" ), 
+		_( "height of modified area" ),
+		VIPS_ARGUMENT_OPTIONAL_OUTPUT,
+		G_STRUCT_OFFSET( VipsFlood, height ),
+		0, 1000000000, 0 );
+
+}
+
+static void
+vips_flood_init( VipsFlood *flood )
+{
+}
+
+static int
+vips_floodv( VipsImage *image, 
+	double *ink, int n, int x, int y, va_list ap )
+{
+	VipsArea *area_ink;
+	int result;
+
+	area_ink = (VipsArea *) vips_array_double_new( ink, n );
+	result = vips_call_split( "flood", ap, image, area_ink, x, y );
+	vips_area_unref( area_ink );
+
+	return( result );
+}
+
+/**
+ * vips_flood:
+ * @image: image to draw on
+ * @ink: (array length=n): value to draw
+ * @n length of ink array
+ * @x: centre of circle
+ * @y: centre of circle
+ *
+ * Optional arguments:
+ *
+ * @test: test this image
+ * @equal: fill while equal to edge
+ * @left: output left edge of bounding box of modified area
+ * @top: output top edge of bounding box of modified area
+ * @width: output width of bounding box of modified area
+ * @height: output height of bounding box of modified area
+ *
+ * Flood-fill @image with @ink, starting at position @x, @y. The filled area is
+ * bounded by pixels that are equal to the ink colour, in other words, it
+ * searches for pixels enclosed by a line of @ink.
+ *
+ * If @equal is set, it instead searches for pixels which are equal to the
+ * start point and fills them with @ink.
+ *
+ * Normally it will test and set pixels in @image. If @test is set, it will 
+ * test pixels in @test and set pixels in @image. This lets you search for
+ * continuous areas of pixels without changing an image. 
+ *
+ * @left, @top, @width, @height output the bounding box of the modified
+ * pixels. 
+ *
+ * @ink is an array of double containing values to draw. 
+ *
+ * See also: vips_flood1().
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, or -1 on error.
+ */
+int
+vips_flood( VipsImage *image, 
+	double *ink, int n, int x, int y, ... )
+{
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+
+	va_start( ap, y );
+	result = vips_floodv( image, ink, n, x, y, ap );
+	va_end( ap );
+
+	return( result );
+}
+
+/**
+ * vips_flood1:
+ * @image: image to draw on
+ * @ink: value to draw
+ * @x: centre of circle
+ * @y: centre of circle
+ *
+ * Optional arguments:
+ *
+ * @test: test this image
+ * @equal: fill while equal to edge
+ * @left: output left edge of bounding box of modified area
+ * @top: output top edge of bounding box of modified area
+ * @width: output width of bounding box of modified area
+ * @height: output height of bounding box of modified area
+ *
+ * As vips_flood(), but just takes a single double for @ink. 
+ *
+ * See also: vips_flood().
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, or -1 on error.
+ */
+int
+vips_flood1( VipsImage *image, double ink, int x, int y, ... )
+{
+	double array_ink[1];
+	va_list ap;
+	int result;
+
+	array_ink[0] = ink; 
+
+	va_start( ap, y );
+	result = vips_floodv( image, array_ink, 1, x, y, ap );
+	va_end( ap );
+
+	return( result );
+}