diff --git a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_cp_desc.c b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_cp_desc.c
index addd7320..94e42ec9 100644
--- a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_cp_desc.c
+++ b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_cp_desc.c
@@ -108,8 +108,7 @@ im_cp_desc_array( IMAGE *out, IMAGE *in[] )
 	 */
 	im__meta_destroy( out );
 	for( i = ni - 1; i >= 0; i-- ) 
-		if( im_image_sanity( in[i] ) ||
-			im__meta_cp( out, in[i] ) )
+		if( im__meta_cp( out, in[i] ) )
 			return( -1 );
 
 	/* Merge hists first to last.
diff --git a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_generate.c b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_generate.c
index 57e4fb7d..021f016f 100644
--- a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_generate.c
+++ b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_generate.c
@@ -375,8 +375,8 @@ im_generate( IMAGE *im,
 	REGION *or;
 	im_threadgroup_t *tg;
 
-	if( im_image_sanity( im ) )
-		return( -1 );
+	im_image_sanity( im );
+
 	if( im->Xsize <= 0 || im->Ysize <= 0 || im->Bands <= 0 ) {
 		im_error( "im_generate", _( "bad dimensions" ) );
 		return( -1 );
@@ -474,8 +474,7 @@ im_prepare_thread( im_threadgroup_t *tg, REGION *or, Rect *r )
 {
 	IMAGE *im = or->im;
 
-	if( im_image_sanity( im ) )
-		return( -1 );
+	im_image_sanity( im );
 
 	switch( im->dtype ) {
 	case IM_PARTIAL:
diff --git a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_iocheck.c b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_iocheck.c
index 3fac63fc..3dc31f5b 100644
--- a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_iocheck.c
+++ b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_iocheck.c
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ convert_otom( IMAGE *im )
 int
 im_incheck( IMAGE *im )
 {	
-	if( im_image_sanity( im ) ) 
-		return( -1 );
+	im_image_sanity( im );
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_IO
 	printf( "im_incheck: old-style input for %s\n", im->filename );
@@ -174,7 +173,7 @@ im_incheck( IMAGE *im )
 
 	case IM_PARTIAL:
 #ifdef DEBUG_IO
-		printf( "im_incheck: converting partial image for old-style input\n" );
+		printf( "im_incheck: converting partial image to WIO\n" );
 #endif/*DEBUG_IO*/
 
 		/* Change to a setbuf, so our caller can use it.
diff --git a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_iterate.c b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_iterate.c
index 968f2912..e5f7c3bc 100644
--- a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_iterate.c
+++ b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_iterate.c
@@ -203,8 +203,7 @@ im_iterate( IMAGE *im,
 	im_threadgroup_t *tg;
 	int result;
 
-	if( im_image_sanity( im ) )
-		return( -1 );
+	im_image_sanity( im );
 
 	if( !(t = im_open( "iterate", "p" )) )
 		return( -1 );
diff --git a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_open.c b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_open.c
index fb712565..911fffcd 100644
--- a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_open.c
+++ b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_open.c
@@ -671,6 +671,8 @@ im_image_sanity( IMAGE *im )
 			im ? (im->filename ? im->filename : "") : "", 
 			im, msg );
 		im_printdesc( im );
+
+		return( -1 );
 	}
 
 	return( 0 );
diff --git a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_piocheck.c b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_piocheck.c
index 6e94c35d..e200297b 100644
--- a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_piocheck.c
+++ b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_piocheck.c
@@ -77,8 +77,7 @@
 int
 im_pincheck( IMAGE *im )
 {	
-	if( im_image_sanity( im ) ) 
-		return( -1 );
+	im_image_sanity( im );
 
 #ifdef DEBUG_IO
 	printf( "im_pincheck: enabling partial input for %s\n", im->filename );
diff --git a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_setupout.c b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_setupout.c
index 02c5737b..3f8b996c 100644
--- a/libsrc/iofuncs/im_setupout.c
+++ b/libsrc/iofuncs/im_setupout.c
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@
 int
 im_setupout( IMAGE *im )
 {	
-	if( im_image_sanity( im ) )
-		return( -1 );
+	im_image_sanity( im );
+
 	if( im->Xsize <= 0 || im->Ysize <= 0 || im->Bands <= 0 ) {
 		im_error( "im_setupout", _( "bad dimensions" ) );
 		return( -1 );
diff --git a/man/im_image_sanity.3 b/man/im_image_sanity.3
index f29d2047..a7e29bb7 100644
--- a/man/im_image_sanity.3
+++ b/man/im_image_sanity.3
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ int im_image_sanity( IMAGE *im )
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 .B im_image_sanity(3)
 performs a few simple checks on the IMAGE for bad fields. If it finds a
-problem, it returns -1, serts im_errorstring, and prints a warning message.
+problem it prints a warning message and returns -1.
 
 It is called from various places within VIPS to try to catch errors early.