diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 0f46d97d..11a90b48 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 12/9/11 started 7.26.4
 - fallback vips_init() 
+- im_openout() compat stub was wrong, breaking ruby-vips
 
 10/8/11 started 7.26.3
 - don't use G_VALUE_COLLECT_INIT(), many platforms do not have a glib this
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
index 46f5d33f..b24413bc 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/vips7compat.h
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define im_invalidate vips_image_invalidate_all
 #define im_isfile vips_image_isfile
 #define im_printdesc( I ) vips_object_print( VIPS_OBJECT( I ) )
-#define im_openout( F ) vips_image_new_from_file( F, "w" )
+#define im_openout( F ) vips_image_new_mode( F, "w" )
 #define im_setbuf( F ) vips_image_new( "t" )
 
 #define im_initdesc( image, \