diff --git a/api.c b/api.c
index 78b6fd8..6e7abc9 100644
--- a/api.c
+++ b/api.c
@@ -324,6 +324,17 @@ imlib_blend_image_onto_image(Imlib_Image source_image,
 			   source_width, source_height);
 }
 
+Imlib_Image 
+imlib_create_image(int width, int height)
+{
+   DATA32 *data;
+   
+   data = malloc(width *height * sizeof(DATA32));
+   if (data)
+      return (Imlib_Image)__imlib_CreateImage(width, height, data);
+   return NULL;
+}
+
 Imlib_Image 
 imlib_create_image_using_data(int width, int height,
 			      DATA32 *data)
@@ -338,9 +349,15 @@ imlib_create_image_using_copied_data(int width, int height,
    ImlibImage *im;
    
    im = __imlib_CreateImage(width, height, NULL);
+   if (!im)
+      return;
    im->data = malloc(width * height *sizeof(DATA32));
-   memcpy(im->data, data, width * height *sizeof(DATA32));
-   return (Imlib_Image)im;
+   if (data)
+     {
+	memcpy(im->data, data, width * height *sizeof(DATA32));
+	return (Imlib_Image)im;
+     }
+   return NULL;
 }
 
 Imlib_Image 
diff --git a/api.h b/api.h
index a63ba5b..61bcaaf 100644
--- a/api.h
+++ b/api.h
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ void imlib_blend_image_onto_image(Imlib_Image source_image,
 /* apply alpha of one image to another */
 
 /* image creation and grabbing */
+Imlib_Image imlib_create_image(int width, int height);
 Imlib_Image imlib_create_image_using_data(int width, int height, 
 					  DATA32 *data);
 Imlib_Image imlib_create_image_using_copied_data(int width, int height,