diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 70efef29..607175e2 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@
 
   foreign/vipsload.c uses vips_image_new_from_file() ... instead it should use
   the _mode thing
-  
 
 - likewise, vips_image_write_to_file() should take options. Implement in terms
   of vips_foreign_save()?
@@ -13,6 +12,9 @@
 
   see vips_foreign_load_buffer() for API
 
+- do we still need all the vips_image_build() machinery? can't we just use
+  the foreign system?
+
 
 
 
diff --git a/libvips/foreign/vipsload.c b/libvips/foreign/vipsload.c
index 2b1c4ea9..4a73d5f3 100644
--- a/libvips/foreign/vipsload.c
+++ b/libvips/foreign/vipsload.c
@@ -91,9 +91,7 @@ vips_foreign_load_vips_header( VipsForeignLoad *load )
 	VipsImage *out;
 	VipsImage *out2;
 
-	vips_image_new_mode( filename, "r" ) ); 
-
-	if( !(out2 = vips_image_new_from_file( vips->filename )) )
+	if( !(out2 = vips_image_new_mode( vips->filename, "r" ) )
 		return( -1 );
 
 	/* Remove the @out that's there now. 
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/image.h b/libvips/include/vips/image.h
index 507db029..d80f2881 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/image.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/image.h
@@ -417,7 +417,8 @@ void vips_image_set_kill( VipsImage *image, gboolean kill );
 VipsImage *vips_image_new( void );
 VipsImage *vips_image_new_mode( const char *filename, const char *mode );
 VipsImage *vips_image_new_buffer( void );
-VipsImage *vips_image_new_from_file( const char *filename );
+VipsImage *vips_image_new_from_file( const char *filename, ... )
+	__attribute__((sentinel));
 VipsImage *vips_image_new_from_file_raw( const char *filename, 
 	int xsize, int ysize, int bands, guint64 offset );
 VipsImage *vips_image_new_from_memory( void *buffer, 
@@ -428,7 +429,8 @@ void vips_image_set_delete_on_close( VipsImage *image,
 	gboolean delete_on_close );
 VipsImage *vips_image_new_temp_file( const char *format );
 int vips_image_write( VipsImage *image, VipsImage *out );
-int vips_image_write_to_file( VipsImage *image, const char *filename );
+int vips_image_write_to_file( VipsImage *image, const char *filename, ... )
+	__attribute__((sentinel));
 
 int vips_image_decode_predict( VipsImage *im, 
 	int *bands, VipsBandFormat *format );
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/error.c b/libvips/iofuncs/error.c
index 6ce54362..6092b507 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/error.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/error.c
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
  * |[
  * IMAGE *im;
  *
- * if( !(im = vips_image_new_from_file( filename )) )
+ * if( !(im = vips_image_new_from_file( filename, NULL )) )
  *   // vips_image_new_from_file() will set a message, we don't need to
  *   return( -1 );
  *
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/image.c b/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
index fac3bcc5..9fd7e998 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/image.c
@@ -1016,7 +1016,7 @@ vips_image_class_init( VipsImageClass *class )
 	gobject_class->get_property = vips_object_get_property;
 
 	vobject_class->new_from_string = vips_image_new_from_file_object;
-	vobject_class->to_string = vips_image_to_string;;
+	vobject_class->to_string = vips_image_to_string;
 	vobject_class->output_needs_arg = TRUE;
 	vobject_class->output_to_arg = vips_image_write_object;
 
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/system.c b/libvips/iofuncs/system.c
index ec3df1ce..f37d1fb0 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/system.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/system.c
@@ -221,7 +221,8 @@ vips_system_build( VipsObject *object )
 	if( system->out_name ) {
 		VipsImage *out; 
 
-		if( !(out = vips_image_new_from_file( system->out_name )) )
+		if( !(out = vips_image_new_from_file( system->out_name, 
+			NULL )) )
 			return( -1 );
 		vips_image_set_delete_on_close( out, TRUE );
 		g_object_set( system, "out", out, NULL ); 
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/type.c b/libvips/iofuncs/type.c
index d8073f3e..390cbb77 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/type.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/type.c
@@ -799,7 +799,8 @@ transform_g_string_array_image( const GValue *src_value, GValue *dest_value )
 	str = g_value_dup_string( src_value );
 
 	for( i = 0, p = str; (q = vips_break_token( p, " " )); i++, p = q )
-		if( !(array[i] = G_OBJECT( vips_image_new_from_file( p ) )) ) {
+		if( !(array[i] = G_OBJECT( vips_image_new_from_file( p, 
+			NULL ) )) ) {
 			/* Set the dest to length zero to indicate error.
 			 */
 			vips_value_set_array_object( dest_value, 0 );