diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/threadpool.c b/libvips/iofuncs/threadpool.c
index 3d5b84c1..3793018f 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/threadpool.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/threadpool.c
@@ -579,6 +579,9 @@ vips_thread_free( VipsThread *thr )
 
 	VIPS_FREEF( g_object_unref, thr->state );
 	thr->pool = NULL;
+	/* Free the thread memory
+	*/
+	g_free(thr);
 }
 
 static int
@@ -703,7 +706,7 @@ vips_thread_new( VipsThreadpool *pool )
 {
 	VipsThread *thr;
 
-	if( !(thr = VIPS_NEW( pool->im, VipsThread )) )
+	if( !(thr = VIPS_NEW( NULL, VipsThread )) )
 		return( NULL );
 	thr->pool = pool;
 	thr->state = NULL;
@@ -738,7 +741,9 @@ vips_threadpool_kill_threads( VipsThreadpool *pool )
 				vips_thread_free( pool->thr[i] );
 				pool->thr[i] = NULL;
 			}
-
+		/* Free the thread array
+		*/
+		g_free(pool->thr);
 		pool->thr = NULL;
 
 		VIPS_DEBUG_MSG( "vips_threadpool_kill_threads: "
@@ -758,7 +763,9 @@ vips_threadpool_free( VipsThreadpool *pool )
 	VIPS_FREEF( vips_g_mutex_free, pool->allocate_lock );
 	vips_semaphore_destroy( &pool->finish );
 	vips_semaphore_destroy( &pool->tick );
-
+	/* Free pool memory
+	*/
+	g_free(pool);
 	return( 0 );
 }
 
@@ -779,7 +786,7 @@ vips_threadpool_new( VipsImage *im )
 
 	/* Allocate and init new thread block.
 	 */
-	if( !(pool = VIPS_NEW( im, VipsThreadpool )) )
+	if( !(pool = VIPS_NEW( NULL, VipsThreadpool )) )
 		return( NULL );
 	pool->im = im;
 	pool->allocate = NULL;
@@ -802,11 +809,6 @@ vips_threadpool_new( VipsImage *im )
 	n_tiles = VIPS_CLIP( 0, n_tiles, MAX_THREADS ); 
 	pool->nthr = VIPS_MIN( pool->nthr, n_tiles ); 
 
-	/* Attach tidy-up callback.
-	 */
-	g_signal_connect( im, "close", 
-		G_CALLBACK( vips_threadpool_new_cb ), pool ); 
-
 	VIPS_DEBUG_MSG( "vips_threadpool_new: \"%s\" (%p), with %d threads\n", 
 		im->filename, pool, pool->nthr );
 
@@ -824,7 +826,7 @@ vips_threadpool_create_threads( VipsThreadpool *pool )
 
 	/* Make thread array.
 	 */
-	if( !(pool->thr = VIPS_ARRAY( pool->im, pool->nthr, VipsThread * )) )
+	if( !(pool->thr = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, pool->nthr, VipsThread * )) )
 		return( -1 );
 	for( i = 0; i < pool->nthr; i++ )
 		pool->thr[i] = NULL;