diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/ChangeLog b/gdk-pixbuf/ChangeLog
index 9386fa3c57..a7c48604c6 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/ChangeLog
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
 1999-09-17  Federico Mena Quintero  <federico@redhat.com>
 
+	* src/io-bmp.c (image_load): Set the initial ref_count to 1.
+
+	* src/io-gif.c (image_load): Likewise.
+
+	* src/io-jpeg.c (image_load): Likewise.
+
+	* src/io-png.c (image_load): Likewise.
+
+	* src/io-tiff.c (image_load): Likewise.
+
+	* src/io-xpm.c (_pixbuf_create_from_xpm): Likewise.
+
+	* src/gdk-pixbuf-io.c (gdk_pixbuf_load_image): Added an assertion
+	for the ref_count to be != 0.
+
 	* src/gdk-pixbuf.c (gdk_pixbuf_ref): Be more paranoid with sanity
 	checking.
 	(gdk_pixbuf_unref): Fix incorrect sanity check and comparison.
diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-io.c b/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-io.c
index 7b644000eb..72d611dbdd 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-io.c
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/gdk-pixbuf-io.c
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ gdk_pixbuf_load_image (const char *file)
 			fseek(f, 0, SEEK_SET);
 			pixbuf = (*file_formats [i].load)(f);
 			fclose (f);
+			g_assert (pixbuf->ref_count != 0);
 			return pixbuf;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/io-bmp.c b/gdk-pixbuf/io-bmp.c
index 6195599548..503747bcb1 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/io-bmp.c
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/io-bmp.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ GdkPixBuf *image_load(FILE * f)
     /* Ok, I'm anal...shoot me */
     if (!(pixbuf->art_pixbuf))
 	return NULL;
-    pixbuf->ref_count = 0;
+    pixbuf->ref_count = 1;
     pixbuf->unref_func = NULL;
 
     return pixbuf;
diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/io-gif.c b/gdk-pixbuf/io-gif.c
index 926964f39d..2fb964b66a 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/io-gif.c
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/io-gif.c
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ GdkPixBuf *image_load(FILE * f)
 	return NULL;
     }
 
-    pixbuf->ref_count = 0;
+    pixbuf->ref_count = 1;
     pixbuf->unref_func = NULL;
 
     return pixbuf;
diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/io-jpeg.c b/gdk-pixbuf/io-jpeg.c
index 8e2a830bdd..afe5baee82 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/io-jpeg.c
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/io-jpeg.c
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ GdkPixBuf *image_load(FILE *f)
 		g_free(pixbuf);
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	pixbuf->ref_count = 0;
+	pixbuf->ref_count = 1;
 	pixbuf->unref_func = NULL;
 
 	return pixbuf;
diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/io-png.c b/gdk-pixbuf/io-png.c
index 9746ed21c7..1f86600f54 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/io-png.c
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/io-png.c
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ GdkPixBuf *image_load(FILE * f)
 	return NULL;
     }
 
-    pixbuf->ref_count = 0;
+    pixbuf->ref_count = 1;
     pixbuf->unref_func = NULL;
 
     return pixbuf;
diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/io-tiff.c b/gdk-pixbuf/io-tiff.c
index 771a052674..dffe9ef257 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/io-tiff.c
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/io-tiff.c
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ GdkPixBuf *image_load(FILE * f)
     /* Ok, I'm anal...shoot me */
     if (!(pixbuf->art_pixbuf))
 	return NULL;
-    pixbuf->ref_count = 0;
+    pixbuf->ref_count = 1;
     pixbuf->unref_func = NULL;
 
     return pixbuf;
diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/io-xpm.c b/gdk-pixbuf/io-xpm.c
index b97fca2f11..db78f1d931 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/io-xpm.c
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/io-xpm.c
@@ -417,7 +417,7 @@ static GdkPixBuf *
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    pixbuf->ref_count = 0;
+    pixbuf->ref_count = 1;
     pixbuf->unref_func = NULL;
 
     return pixbuf;