diff --git a/unix/image.c b/unix/image.c
index eecdec18..cf21900d 100644
--- a/unix/image.c
+++ b/unix/image.c
@@ -10,11 +10,8 @@ struct uiImage {
 static void freeImageRep(gpointer item)
 {
 	cairo_surface_t *cs = (cairo_surface_t *) item;
-	unsigned char *buf;
 
-	buf = cairo_image_surface_get_data(cs);
 	cairo_surface_destroy(cs);
-	uiprivFree(buf);
 }
 
 uiImage *uiNewImage(double width, double height)
@@ -37,26 +34,41 @@ void uiFreeImage(uiImage *i)
 void uiImageAppend(uiImage *i, void *pixels, int pixelWidth, int pixelHeight, int byteStride)
 {
 	cairo_surface_t *cs;
-	unsigned char *buf, *p;
-	uint8_t *src = (uint8_t *) pixels;
-	int cByteStride;
-	int n;
+	uint8_t *data, *pix;
+	int realStride;
+	int x, y;
 
-	// unfortunately for optimal performance cairo expects its own stride values and we will have to reconcile them if they differ
-	cByteStride = cairo_format_stride_for_width(CAIRO_FORMAT_ARGB32, pixelWidth);
-	buf = (unsigned char *) uiprivAlloc((cByteStride * pixelHeight) * sizeof (unsigned char), "unsigned char[]");
-	p = buf;
-	for (n = 0; n < byteStride * pixelHeight; n += byteStride) {
-		memmove(p, src + n, cByteStride);
-		p += cByteStride;
-	}
-	// also note that stride here is also in bytes
-	cs = cairo_image_surface_create_for_data(buf, CAIRO_FORMAT_ARGB32,
-		pixelWidth, pixelHeight,
-		cByteStride);
+	// note that this is native-endian
+	cs = cairo_image_surface_create(CAIRO_FORMAT_ARGB32,
+		pixelWidth, pixelHeight);
 	if (cairo_surface_status(cs) != CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS)
 		/* TODO */;
 	cairo_surface_flush(cs);
+
+	pix = (uint8_t *) pixels;
+	data = (uint8_t *) cairo_image_surface_get_data(cs);
+	realStride = cairo_image_surface_get_stride(cs);
+	for (y = 0; y < pixelHeight; y++) {
+		for (x = 0; x < pixelWidth * 4; x += 4) {
+			union {
+				uint32_t v32;
+				uint8_t v8[4];
+			} v;
+
+			v.v32 = ((uint32_t) (pix[x + 3])) << 24;
+			v.v32 |= ((uint32_t) (pix[x])) << 16;
+			v.v32 |= ((uint32_t) (pix[x + 1])) << 8;
+			v.v32 |= ((uint32_t) (pix[x + 2]));
+			data[x] = v.v8[0];
+			data[x + 1] = v.v8[1];
+			data[x + 2] = v.v8[2];
+			data[x + 3] = v.v8[3];
+		}
+		pix += byteStride;
+		data += realStride;
+	}
+
+	cairo_surface_mark_dirty(cs);
 	g_ptr_array_add(i->images, cs);
 }