diff --git a/src/lib/evas/cache/evas_cache.h b/src/lib/evas/cache/evas_cache.h
index 474f64e6e1..8b851c33e3 100644
--- a/src/lib/evas/cache/evas_cache.h
+++ b/src/lib/evas/cache/evas_cache.h
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ extern "C" {
 EAPI Evas_Cache_Image*        evas_cache_image_init(const Evas_Cache_Image_Func *cb);
 EAPI void                     evas_cache_image_shutdown(Evas_Cache_Image *cache);
 EAPI Image_Entry*             evas_cache_image_request(Evas_Cache_Image *cache, const char *file, const char *key, RGBA_Image_Loadopts *lo, int *error);
+EAPI void                     evas_cache_image_ref(Image_Entry *im);
 EAPI void                     evas_cache_image_drop(Image_Entry *im);
 EAPI void                     evas_cache_image_data_not_needed(Image_Entry *im);
 EAPI int                      evas_cache_image_flush(Evas_Cache_Image *cache);
diff --git a/src/lib/evas/cache/evas_cache_image.c b/src/lib/evas/cache/evas_cache_image.c
index f7d92d9ac1..b399f1a009 100644
--- a/src/lib/evas/cache/evas_cache_image.c
+++ b/src/lib/evas/cache/evas_cache_image.c
@@ -740,6 +740,12 @@ on_stat_error:
    return NULL;
 }
 
+EAPI void
+evas_cache_image_ref(Image_Entry *im)
+{
+   im->references++;
+}
+
 EAPI void
 evas_cache_image_drop(Image_Entry *im)
 {