diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index dc97ee57..309be31d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ a.out
 *.trs
 tmp
 test/variables.sh
+libvips/introspect
 scan
 compile
 po/*.pot
diff --git a/libvips/Makefile.am b/libvips/Makefile.am
index 80058c41..4fe34b05 100644
--- a/libvips/Makefile.am
+++ b/libvips/Makefile.am
@@ -79,6 +79,25 @@ INTROSPECTION_SCANNER_ARGS = --add-include-path=$(srcdir)
 INTROSPECTION_COMPILER_ARGS = --includedir=$(srcdir)
 
 if HAVE_INTROSPECTION
+
+AM_CPPFLAGS = \
+	     `pkg-config gobject-introspection-1.0 --cflags` \
+	      -I${top_srcdir}/libvips/include \
+	      @VIPS_CFLAGS@ \
+	      @VIPS_INCLUDES@
+AM_LDFLAGS = \
+	     `pkg-config gobject-introspection-1.0 --libs` \
+	     @LDFLAGS@ 
+LDADD = @VIPS_CFLAGS@ libvips.la @VIPS_LIBS@ 
+if ENABLE_CXX
+LDADD += @VIPS_CXX_LIBS@
+endif
+
+noinst_PROGRAMS = \
+	introspect
+introspect_SOURCES = \
+	introspect.c
+
 # we can't get the _SOURCES lists from the subdirs directly, we get passed it
 # by configure instead
 introspection_sources = @vips_introspection_sources@
@@ -95,6 +114,7 @@ INTROSPECTION_GIRS += Vips-8.0.gir
 # we have an unusual markup with optional args and we don't want to see all
 # those warnings
 Vips_8_0_gir_SCANNERFLAGS = \
+			    --program=./introspect \
 			    --identifier-prefix=Vips \
 			    --identifier-prefix=vips \
 			    --symbol-prefix=vips 
diff --git a/libvips/introspect.c b/libvips/introspect.c
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0b7b8334
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libvips/introspect.c
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+/* Entry point for g-ir-scanner ... this program is used during build time
+ * only. 
+ *
+ * 19/12/14
+ * 	- quick hack
+ */
+
+/*
+
+    This file is part of VIPS.
+    
+    VIPS is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+    it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+    the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
+    (at your option) any later version.
+
+    This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+    but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+    MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+    GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+
+    You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+    along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+    Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA
+    02110-1301  USA
+
+ */
+
+/*
+
+    These files are distributed with VIPS - http://www.vips.ecs.soton.ac.uk
+
+ */
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include <config.h>
+#endif /*HAVE_CONFIG_H*/
+#include <vips/intl.h>
+
+#include <locale.h>
+
+#include <vips/vips.h>
+#include <girepository.h>
+
+static char *main_option_introspect_dump = NULL;
+
+static GOptionEntry main_option[] = {
+	{ "introspect-dump", 'i', 0, 
+		G_OPTION_ARG_NONE, &main_option_introspect_dump, 
+		N_( "dump introspection data" ), NULL },
+	{ NULL }
+};
+
+int
+main( int argc, char *argv[] )
+{
+	GOptionContext *context;
+	GOptionGroup *main_group;
+	GError *error = NULL;
+
+	if( VIPS_INIT( argv[0] ) )
+	        vips_error_exit( "unable to start VIPS" );
+	textdomain( GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	setlocale( LC_ALL, "" );
+
+        context = g_option_context_new( _( "- introspect" ) );
+	main_group = g_option_group_new( NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL );
+	g_option_group_add_entries( main_group, main_option );
+	vips_add_option_entries( main_group ); 
+	g_option_group_set_translation_domain( main_group, GETTEXT_PACKAGE );
+	g_option_context_set_main_group( context, main_group );
+
+	if( !g_option_context_parse( context, &argc, &argv, &error ) ) {
+		if( error ) {
+			fprintf( stderr, "%s\n", error->message );
+			g_error_free( error );
+		}
+
+		vips_error_exit( "try \"%s --help\"", g_get_prgname() );
+	}
+
+	g_option_context_free( context );
+
+	if( main_option_introspect_dump &&
+		!g_irepository_dump( main_option_introspect_dump, &error ) ) {
+		if( error ) {
+			fprintf( stderr, "%s\n", error->message );
+			g_error_free( error );
+		}
+
+		vips_error_exit( "unable to dump introspection" ); 
+	}
+
+	vips_shutdown();
+
+	return( 0 );
+}