diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/reorder.c b/libvips/iofuncs/reorder.c
index 2333359a..bf3f1050 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/reorder.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/reorder.c
@@ -114,11 +114,6 @@ vips_reorder_print( VipsReorder *reorder )
 static void
 vips_reorder_destroy( VipsReorder *reorder )
 {
-	VIPS_FREE( reorder->input );
-	VIPS_FREE( reorder->score );
-	VIPS_FREE( reorder->recomp_order );
-	VIPS_FREE( reorder->source );
-	VIPS_FREE( reorder->cumulative_margin );
 	VIPS_FREE( reorder );
 }
 
@@ -196,9 +191,9 @@ vips__reorder_set_input( VipsImage *image, VipsImage **in )
 	for( i = 0; in[i]; i++ )
 		;
 	reorder->n_inputs = i;
-	reorder->input = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, reorder->n_inputs + 1, VipsImage * );
-	reorder->score = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, reorder->n_inputs, int );
-	reorder->recomp_order = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, reorder->n_inputs, int );
+	reorder->input = VIPS_ARRAY( image, reorder->n_inputs + 1, VipsImage * );
+	reorder->score = VIPS_ARRAY( image, reorder->n_inputs, int );
+	reorder->recomp_order = VIPS_ARRAY( image, reorder->n_inputs, int );
 	if( !reorder->input )
 		return( -1 );
 	if( reorder->n_inputs && 
@@ -225,8 +220,8 @@ vips__reorder_set_input( VipsImage *image, VipsImage **in )
 	 */
 	total = VIPS_MAX( 1, total );
 
-	reorder->source = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, total + 1, VipsImage * );
-	reorder->cumulative_margin = VIPS_ARRAY( NULL, total, int );
+	reorder->source = VIPS_ARRAY( image, total + 1, VipsImage * );
+	reorder->cumulative_margin = VIPS_ARRAY( image, total, int );
 	if( !reorder->source ||
 		!reorder->cumulative_margin )
 		return( -1 );