diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 581d82e3..bf0e16f0 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+20/6/19 started 8.9.0
+- add vips_image_get/set_array_int()
+
 24/5/19 started 8.8.1
 - improve realpath() use on older libc
 - better magickload error messages
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/header.h b/libvips/include/vips/header.h
index 64e61708..d4b3f6dc 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/header.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/header.h
@@ -216,6 +216,10 @@ void vips_image_print_field( const VipsImage *image, const char *field );
 int vips_image_get_image( const VipsImage *image, 
 	const char *name, VipsImage **out );
 void vips_image_set_image( VipsImage *image, const char *name, VipsImage *im );
+void vips_image_set_array_int( VipsImage *image, const char *name,
+	const int *array, int n );
+int vips_image_get_array_int( VipsImage *image, const char *name, 
+	int **out, int *n );
 
 int vips_image_history_printf( VipsImage *image, const char *format, ... )
 	__attribute__((format(printf, 2, 3)));
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/header.c b/libvips/iofuncs/header.c
index 2af3752d..d0bfdc4a 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/header.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/header.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
  * 	- add vips_image_get_page_height()
  * 19/6/19
  * 	- add vips_image_get_n_pages()
+ * 20/6/19
+ * 	- add vips_image_get/set_array_int()
  */
 
 /*
@@ -1797,6 +1799,64 @@ vips_image_set_image( VipsImage *image, const char *name, VipsImage *im )
 	g_value_unset( &value );
 }
 
+/** 
+ * vips_image_get_array_int: (method)
+ * @image: image to get the metadata from
+ * @name: metadata name
+ * @out: (transfer none): return pointer to array
+ * @n: (allow-none): return the number of elements here, optionally
+ *
+ * Gets @out from @im under the name @name. 
+ * The field must be of type
+ * #VIPS_TYPE_ARRAY_INT.
+ *
+ * Do not free @out. @out is valid as long as @image is valid.
+ *
+ * Use vips_image_get_typeof() to test for the 
+ * existence of a piece of metadata.
+ *
+ * See also: vips_image_get(), vips_image_set_image()
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, -1 otherwise.
+ */
+int 
+vips_image_get_array_int( VipsImage *image, const char *name, 
+	int **out, int *n )
+{
+	GValue value = { 0 };
+
+	if( meta_get_value( image, name, VIPS_TYPE_ARRAY_INT, &value ) ) 
+		return( -1 ); 
+	*out = vips_value_get_array_int( &value, n );
+	g_value_unset( &value );
+
+	return( 0 );
+}
+
+/**
+ * vips_image_set_array_int: (method)
+ * @image: image to attach the metadata to
+ * @name: metadata name
+ * @array: (array length=n) (allow-none): array of ints
+ * @n: the number of elements 
+ *
+ * Attaches @array as a metadata item on @image as @name. 
+ * A convenience function over vips_image_set().
+ *
+ * See also: vips_image_get_image(), vips_image_set().
+ */
+void
+vips_image_set_array_int( VipsImage *image, const char *name,
+	const int *array, int n )
+{
+	GValue value = { 0 };
+
+	g_value_init( &value, VIPS_TYPE_ARRAY_INT );
+	vips_value_set_array_int( &value, array, n );
+	vips_image_set( image, name, &value );
+	g_value_unset( &value );
+}
+
 /**
  * vips_image_history_printf: (method)
  * @image: add history line to this image