diff --git a/cplusplus/VImage.cpp b/cplusplus/VImage.cpp
index e2a060e99..b1961722a 100644
--- a/cplusplus/VImage.cpp
+++ b/cplusplus/VImage.cpp
@@ -647,7 +647,7 @@ VImage::new_from_memory_steal(const void *data, size_t size,
 		throw(VError());
 
 	g_signal_connect(image, "postclose",
-		G_CALLBACK(vips_image_free_buffer), (void *) data);
+		G_CALLBACK(vips_image_free_buffer), const_cast<void *>(data));
 
 	return VImage(image);
 }
@@ -1594,6 +1594,14 @@ operator>>=(VImage &a, const std::vector<double> b)
 
 // Compat operations
 
+VImage
+VImage::new_from_memory_steal(void *data, size_t size,
+	int width, int height, int bands, VipsBandFormat format)
+{
+	return new_from_memory_steal(static_cast<const void *>(data), size,
+		width, height, bands, format);
+}
+
 void
 VImage::rawsave_fd(int fd, VOption *options) const
 {
diff --git a/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h b/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
index f58f9278c..4d61d9b16 100644
--- a/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
+++ b/cplusplus/include/vips/VImage8.h
@@ -2050,6 +2050,10 @@ class VImage : public VObject {
 
 	// Compat operations
 
+	static VImage
+	new_from_memory_steal(void *data, size_t size,
+		int width, int height, int bands, VipsBandFormat format);
+
 	/**
 	 * Write raw image to file descriptor.
 	 *