diff --git a/cplusplus/VError.cpp b/cplusplus/VError.cpp
index 67e67348..a3d82188 100644
--- a/cplusplus/VError.cpp
+++ b/cplusplus/VError.cpp
@@ -32,8 +32,6 @@
 #endif /*HAVE_CONFIG_H*/
 #include <vips/intl.h>
 
-#include <iostream>
-
 #include <vips/vips8>
 
 VIPS_NAMESPACE_START
diff --git a/cplusplus/VImage.cpp b/cplusplus/VImage.cpp
index 3c1acd98..205b46cb 100644
--- a/cplusplus/VImage.cpp
+++ b/cplusplus/VImage.cpp
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ VImage::new_from_file( const char *name, VOption *options )
 }
 
 VImage 
-VImage::new_from_buffer( void *buf, size_t len, const char *option_string, 
+VImage::new_from_buffer( const void *buf, size_t len, const char *option_string, 
 	VOption *options )
 {
 	const char *operation_name;
@@ -588,6 +588,13 @@ VImage::new_from_buffer( void *buf, size_t len, const char *option_string,
 	return( out );
 }
 
+VImage 
+VImage::new_from_buffer( const std::string &buf, const char *option_string, 
+	VOption *options )
+{
+	return( new_from_buffer( buf.c_str(), buf.size(), option_string, options ) );
+}
+
 VImage 
 VImage::new_matrix( int width, int height ) 
 {
diff --git a/cplusplus/include/vips/VError8.h b/cplusplus/include/vips/VError8.h
index 627222c1..29f3e9fb 100644
--- a/cplusplus/include/vips/VError8.h
+++ b/cplusplus/include/vips/VError8.h
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@
 #ifndef VIPS_VERROR_H
 #define VIPS_VERROR_H
 
-#include <string>
-#include <iosfwd>
+#include <cstring>
+#include <ostream>
 #include <exception>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class VIPS_CPLUSPLUS_API VError : public std::exception {
 	std::string _what;
 
 public:
-	VError( std::string what ) : _what( what ) {}
+	VError( const std::string &what ) : _what( what ) {}
 	VError() : _what( vips_error_buffer() ) {}
 	virtual ~VError() throw() {}
 
diff --git a/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h b/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
index c9e3471f..2416ae18 100644
--- a/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
+++ b/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #include <complex>
 #include <vector>
 
-#include <string.h>
+#include <cstring>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>
 
@@ -470,7 +470,10 @@ public:
 		return( VImage( image ) ); 
 	}
 
-	static VImage new_from_buffer( void *buf, size_t len,
+	static VImage new_from_buffer( const void *buf, size_t len,
+		const char *option_string, VOption *options = 0 );
+
+	static VImage new_from_buffer( const std::string &buf,
 		const char *option_string, VOption *options = 0 );
 
 	static VImage new_matrix( int width, int height );
diff --git a/cplusplus/include/vips/VInterpolate8.h b/cplusplus/include/vips/VInterpolate8.h
index 606a696a..8ef6f99e 100644
--- a/cplusplus/include/vips/VInterpolate8.h
+++ b/cplusplus/include/vips/VInterpolate8.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 #include <complex>
 #include <vector>
 
-#include <string.h>
+#include <cstring>
 
 #include <vips/vips.h>