diff --git a/examples/edd.c b/examples/edd.c
index b783a03..7e54958 100644
--- a/examples/edd.c
+++ b/examples/edd.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 
     /* Load image, convert it to grayscale, dither it with Floyd-Steinberg */
     img = pipi_load(argv[1]);
-    pipi_get_pixels(img, PIPI_PIXELS_Y_F);
+    pipi_set_colorspace(img, PIPI_PIXELS_Y_F);
     gauss = pipi_gaussian_blur(img, sigma);
     kernel = pipi_load("ediff:fs");
     dither = pipi_dither_ediff(img, kernel, PIPI_SCAN_RASTER);
diff --git a/examples/img2rubik.c b/examples/img2rubik.c
index afd8249..db45f67 100644
--- a/examples/img2rubik.c
+++ b/examples/img2rubik.c
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
         }
 
     pipi_save(dst, argv[2]);
+    pipi_release_pixels(dst, p);
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/pipi-sharp/Picture.cs b/pipi-sharp/Picture.cs
index fa2afaa..9b108b9 100644
--- a/pipi-sharp/Picture.cs
+++ b/pipi-sharp/Picture.cs
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ namespace Pipi
         [DllImport("libpipi-0.dll", CallingConvention=CallingConvention.Cdecl),
          SuppressUnmanagedCodeSecurity]
         private static extern IntPtr pipi_get_pixels(IntPtr img, int type);
+        [DllImport("libpipi-0.dll", CallingConvention=CallingConvention.Cdecl),
+         SuppressUnmanagedCodeSecurity]
+        private static extern void pipi_release_pixels(IntPtr img, IntPtr p);
         public byte[] GetPixels(int w, int h, int x, int y)
         {
             byte[] array = new byte[w * h * 4];
@@ -116,6 +119,8 @@ namespace Pipi
                 }
             }
 
+            pipi_release_pixels(_picture, pixels);
+
             return array;
         }
     }
diff --git a/pipi/analysis/histogram.c b/pipi/analysis/histogram.c
index 30dc356..ce61735 100644
--- a/pipi/analysis/histogram.c
+++ b/pipi/analysis/histogram.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ pipi_histogram_t* pipi_new_histogram(void)
 
 int pipi_get_image_histogram(pipi_image_t *img, pipi_histogram_t*h, int flags)
 {
+    pipi_pixels_t *p;
     uint8_t  *data;
     float n;
     unsigned int max;
@@ -42,7 +43,8 @@ int pipi_get_image_histogram(pipi_image_t *img, pipi_histogram_t*h, int flags)
 
     if(!h) return -1;
 
-    data = (uint8_t *)pipi_get_pixels(img, PIPI_PIXELS_RGBA_C)->pixels;
+    p = pipi_get_pixels(img, PIPI_PIXELS_RGBA_C);
+    data = (uint8_t *)p->pixels;
     memset(h->a, 0, 256*(sizeof(unsigned int)));
     memset(h->r, 0, 256*(sizeof(unsigned int)));
     memset(h->g, 0, 256*(sizeof(unsigned int)));
@@ -118,6 +120,8 @@ int pipi_get_image_histogram(pipi_image_t *img, pipi_histogram_t*h, int flags)
             h->y[i]*=n;
     }
 
+    pipi_release_pixels(img, p);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/pipi/analysis/measure.c b/pipi/analysis/measure.c
index a226d3e..7658dc7 100644
--- a/pipi/analysis/measure.c
+++ b/pipi/analysis/measure.c
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ double pipi_measure_msd(pipi_image_t *i1, pipi_image_t *i2)
     f1 = i1->last_modified;
     f2 = i2->last_modified;
 
+    /* FIXME: this is not right */
     pipi_get_pixels(i1, PIPI_PIXELS_Y_F);
     pipi_get_pixels(i2, PIPI_PIXELS_Y_F);
 
diff --git a/pipi/codec/gdi.c b/pipi/codec/gdi.c
index 262bffe..de42e63 100644
--- a/pipi/codec/gdi.c
+++ b/pipi/codec/gdi.c
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ pipi_image_t *pipi_load_gdi(const char *name)
     /* FIXME: do we need to swap bytes? Apparently Vista doesn't need it,
      * but we'd need a more thorough test. */
 
+    pipi_release_pixels(img, p);
+
     img->codec_priv = NULL;
 
     img->wrap = 0;
@@ -135,6 +137,8 @@ int pipi_save_gdi(pipi_image_t *img, const char *name)
     }
     CloseHandle(hfile);
 
+    pipi_release_pixels(img, p);
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/pipi/codec/imlib.c b/pipi/codec/imlib.c
index 0e33a05..bac691c 100644
--- a/pipi/codec/imlib.c
+++ b/pipi/codec/imlib.c
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ int pipi_save_imlib2(pipi_image_t *img, const char *name)
         img->u8 = 1;
     }
 
-    pipi_get_pixels(img, img->codec_format);
+    pipi_set_colorspace(img, img->codec_format);
     imlib_context_set_image(img->codec_priv);
     imlib_save_image(name);
 
diff --git a/pipi/codec/modular/jpeg.c b/pipi/codec/modular/jpeg.c
index 33136d4..b319766 100644
--- a/pipi/codec/modular/jpeg.c
+++ b/pipi/codec/modular/jpeg.c
@@ -205,6 +205,8 @@ end:
     free(line);
     fclose(fp);
 
+    pipi_release_pixels(img, pixels);
+
     return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/pipi/codec/opencv.c b/pipi/codec/opencv.c
index a9ea884..01da834 100644
--- a/pipi/codec/opencv.c
+++ b/pipi/codec/opencv.c
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ int pipi_save_opencv(pipi_image_t *img, const char *name)
         img->u8 = 1;
     }
 
-    pipi_get_pixels(img, img->codec_format);
+    pipi_set_colorspace(img, img->codec_format);
     cvSaveImage(name, img->codec_priv);
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/pipi/codec/oric.c b/pipi/codec/oric.c
index b63da16..79e9857 100644
--- a/pipi/codec/oric.c
+++ b/pipi/codec/oric.c
@@ -110,6 +110,8 @@ pipi_image_t *pipi_load_oric(char const *name)
     img->wrap = 0;
     img->u8 = 1;
 
+    pipi_release_pixels(img, p);
+
     return img;
 }
 
@@ -139,16 +141,15 @@ int pipi_save_oric(pipi_image_t *img, char const *name)
     fwrite("\x00", 1, 1, fp);
 
     if(img->w != WIDTH || img->h != HEIGHT)
-    {
         tmp = pipi_resize(img, WIDTH, HEIGHT);
-        p = pipi_get_pixels(tmp, PIPI_PIXELS_RGBA_F);
-    }
     else
-        p = pipi_get_pixels(img, PIPI_PIXELS_RGBA_F);
+        tmp = img;
+    p = pipi_get_pixels(tmp, PIPI_PIXELS_RGBA_F);
     data = p->pixels;
     screen = malloc(WIDTH * HEIGHT / 6);
     write_screen(data, screen);
-    if(tmp)
+    pipi_release_pixels(tmp, p);
+    if(tmp != img)
         pipi_free(tmp);
 
     fwrite(screen, 1, WIDTH * HEIGHT / 6, fp);
diff --git a/pipi/codec/sdl.c b/pipi/codec/sdl.c
index 1b265d1..7879189 100644
--- a/pipi/codec/sdl.c
+++ b/pipi/codec/sdl.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ int pipi_save_sdl(pipi_image_t *img, const char *name)
         img->u8 = 1;
     }
 
-    pipi_get_pixels(img, img->codec_format);
+    pipi_set_colorspace(img, img->codec_format);
     SDL_SaveBMP(img->codec_priv, name);
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/pipi/pipi.h b/pipi/pipi.h
index cbd6f3a..0ffe521 100644
--- a/pipi/pipi.h
+++ b/pipi/pipi.h
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ __extern int pipi_save(pipi_image_t *, const char *);
 
 __extern void pipi_set_gamma(double);
 __extern pipi_pixels_t *pipi_get_pixels(pipi_image_t *, pipi_format_t);
+__extern void pipi_release_pixels(pipi_image_t *, pipi_pixels_t *);
+__extern void pipi_set_colorspace(pipi_image_t *, pipi_format_t);
 __extern int pipi_get_image_width(pipi_image_t *img);
 __extern int pipi_get_image_height(pipi_image_t *img);
 __extern int pipi_get_image_pitch(pipi_image_t *img);
diff --git a/pipi/pixels.c b/pipi/pixels.c
index 69f5444..3a978dc 100644
--- a/pipi/pixels.c
+++ b/pipi/pixels.c
@@ -250,6 +250,17 @@ pipi_pixels_t *pipi_get_pixels(pipi_image_t *img, pipi_format_t type)
     return &img->p[type];
 }
 
+void pipi_release_pixels(pipi_image_t *img, pipi_pixels_t *p)
+{
+    return;
+}
+
+void pipi_set_colorspace(pipi_image_t *img, pipi_format_t fmt)
+{
+    pipi_pixels_t *p = pipi_get_pixels(img, fmt);
+    pipi_release_pixels(img, p);
+}
+
 void pipi_set_gamma(double g)
 {
     if(g > 0.)
diff --git a/pipi/tiles.c b/pipi/tiles.c
index 315add7..443428d 100644
--- a/pipi/tiles.c
+++ b/pipi/tiles.c
@@ -107,6 +107,5 @@ pipi_tile_t *pipi_create_tile(pipi_format_t fmt, int plane)
 
     return ret;
 }
-
 #endif /* USE_TILES */