diff --git a/src/modules/evas/engines/software_generic/evas_engine.c b/src/modules/evas/engines/software_generic/evas_engine.c
index 6b8fa8b7a6..b4d1bfc8ce 100644
--- a/src/modules/evas/engines/software_generic/evas_engine.c
+++ b/src/modules/evas/engines/software_generic/evas_engine.c
@@ -873,7 +873,7 @@ eng_image_colorspace_set(void *data EINA_UNUSED, void *image, int cspace)
 }
 
 static void *
-eng_image_native_set(void *data EINA_UNUSED, void *image, void *native EINA_UNUSED)
+eng_image_native_set(void *data EINA_UNUSED, void *image, void *native)
 {
    //return image;
    Evas_Native_Surface *ns = native;
@@ -881,17 +881,16 @@ eng_image_native_set(void *data EINA_UNUSED, void *image, void *native EINA_UNUS
 
    if (!im || !ns) return im;
 
-   if (!ns) return im;
-
    im2 = evas_cache_image_data(evas_common_image_cache_get(), 
                                im->w, im->h, 
                                ns->data.x11.visual, 1,
                                EVAS_COLORSPACE_ARGB8888);
+   if (im->references > 1)
+     ERR("Setting native with more than one references for im=%p", im);
+
    evas_cache_image_drop(im);
-   im = im2;
-
-   return im;
 
+   return im2;
 }
 
 static void *