diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/object.h b/libvips/include/vips/object.h
index 6db0b470..6180e03f 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/object.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/object.h
@@ -275,7 +275,8 @@ void *vips_class_map_concrete_all( GType base, VipsClassMap fn, void *a );
 VipsObjectClass *vips_class_find( const char *basename, const char *nickname );
 GType vips_type_find( const char *basename, const char *nickname );
 
-// void vips_object_local( VipsObject *vobject, GObject *gobject );
+int vips_object_unref( VipsObject *obj );
+
 void vips_object_local_cb( VipsObject *vobject, GObject *gobject );
 #define vips_object_local( V, G ) \
 	g_signal_connect( V, "close", \
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/dispatch_types.c b/libvips/iofuncs/dispatch_types.c
index 7c3784ef..b841297c 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/dispatch_types.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/dispatch_types.c
@@ -70,12 +70,12 @@ input_display_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
         if( !scr ) {
 		int i;
 
-		im_error( "input_display", 
+		vips_error( "input_display", 
 			_( "unknown display type \"%s\"" ), str );
-		im_error( "input_display", 
-			"%s", _( "display should be one of:\n" ) );
+		vips_error( "input_display", "%s", 
+			_( "display should be one of:\n" ) );
                 for( i = 0; (scr = im_col_displays( i )); i++ )
-			im_error( "input_display", 
+			vips_error( "input_display", 
 				"  '%s'\n", scr->d_name );
 
 		return( -1 );
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ input_image_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 {
 	IMAGE **im = (IMAGE **) obj;
 
-	return( !(*im = im_open( str, "rd" )) );
+	return( !(*im = vips_open( str, "rd" )) );
 }
 
 /* Input image type.
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ im_type_desc im__input_image = {
 	0, 				/* No storage needed */
 	IM_TYPE_ARG,			/* It requires a command-line arg */
 	(im_init_obj_fn) input_image_init,/* Init function */
-	(im_dest_obj_fn) im_close	/* Destroy function */
+	(im_dest_obj_fn) vips_object_unref/* Destroy function */
 };
 
 /* Init function for output images.
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ output_image_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 {
 	IMAGE **im = (IMAGE **) obj;
 
-	return( !(*im = im_open( str, "w" )) );
+	return( !(*im = vips_open( str, "w" )) );
 }
 
 /* Output image type.
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ im_type_desc im__output_image = {
 	0,				/* No storage to be allocated */
 	IM_TYPE_OUTPUT | IM_TYPE_ARG,	/* Flags! */
 	(im_init_obj_fn) output_image_init,/* Init function */
-	(im_dest_obj_fn) im_close	/* Destroy function */
+	(im_dest_obj_fn) vips_object_unref/* Destroy function */
 };
 
 /* Init function for RW images.
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ rw_image_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 {
 	IMAGE **im = (IMAGE **) obj;
 
-	return( !(*im = im_open( str, "rw" )) );
+	return( !(*im = vips_open( str, "rw" )) );
 }
 
 /* RW image type.
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ im_type_desc im__rw_image = {
 	0,				/* No storage to be allocated */
 	IM_TYPE_ARG | IM_TYPE_RW,	/* Read-write object, needs an arg */
 	(im_init_obj_fn) rw_image_init,	/* Init function */
-	(im_dest_obj_fn) im_close	/* Destroy function */
+	(im_dest_obj_fn) vips_object_unref/* Destroy function */
 };
 
 /* im_imagevec_object destroy function.
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ imagevec_dest( im_object obj )
 
 		for( i = 0; i < iv->n; i++ )
 			if( iv->vec[i] ) {
-				im_close( iv->vec[i] );
+				g_object_unref( iv->vec[i] );
 				iv->vec[i] = NULL;
 			}
 
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ input_imagevec_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 	strv = g_strsplit( str, VEC_SEPS, -1 );
 	nargs = g_strv_length( strv );
 
-	if( !(iv->vec = IM_ARRAY( NULL, nargs, IMAGE * )) ) {
+	if( !(iv->vec = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, nargs, IMAGE * )) ) {
 		g_strfreev( strv );
 		return( -1 );
 	}
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ input_imagevec_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 		iv->vec[i] = NULL;
 
 	for( i = 0; i < nargs; i++ ) 
-		if( !(iv->vec[i] = im_open( strv[i], "rd" )) ) {
+		if( !(iv->vec[i] = vips_open( strv[i], "rd" )) ) {
 			g_strfreev( strv );
 			return( -1 );
 		}
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ input_doublevec_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 	strv = g_strsplit( str, VEC_SEPS, -1 );
 	nargs = g_strv_length( strv );
 
-	if( !(dv->vec = IM_ARRAY( NULL, nargs, double )) ) {
+	if( !(dv->vec = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, nargs, double )) ) {
 		g_strfreev( strv );
 		return( -1 );
 	}
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ input_doublevec_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 	for( i = 0; i < nargs; i++ ) {
 		dv->vec[i] = g_ascii_strtod( strv[i], NULL );
 		if( errno ) {
-			im_error_system( errno, "input_doublevec_init", 
+			vips_error_system( errno, "input_doublevec_init", 
 				_( "bad double \"%s\"" ), strv[i] );
 			g_strfreev( strv );
 			return( -1 );
@@ -530,7 +530,7 @@ input_intvec_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 	strv = g_strsplit( str, VEC_SEPS, -1 );
 	nargs = g_strv_length( strv );
 
-	if( !(iv->vec = IM_ARRAY( NULL, nargs, int )) ) {
+	if( !(iv->vec = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, nargs, int )) ) {
 		g_strfreev( strv );
 		return( -1 );
 	}
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ input_intvec_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 			return( -1 );
 		}
                 if( INT_MAX < val || INT_MIN > val ) {
-                        im_error( "input_intvec_init", 
+                        vips_error( "input_intvec_init", 
                                 "%ld overflows integer type", val );
                 }
 		iv->vec[i] = (int) val;
@@ -600,8 +600,7 @@ input_int_init( im_object *obj, char *str )
 	int *i = (int *) *obj;
 
 	if( sscanf( str, "%d", i ) != 1 ) {
-		im_error( "input_int", 
-			"%s", _( "bad format" ) );
+		vips_error( "input_int", "%s", _( "bad format" ) );
 		return( -1 );
 	}
 
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/object.c b/libvips/iofuncs/object.c
index f74c6dcf..51324aed 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/object.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/object.c
@@ -1179,3 +1179,11 @@ vips_object_local_cb( VipsObject *vobject, GObject *gobject )
 {
 	g_object_unref( gobject );
 }
+
+int
+vips_object_unref( VipsObject *obj )
+{
+	g_object_unref( obj );
+
+	return( 0 );
+}