diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1eb1e61d..686cbe92 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## master
 
+* improve NULL pointer handling [dloebl]
+
 ## Version 2.2.4 (2025-06-05)
 
 * fix write to target test with libvips 8.17 [jcupitt]
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 530cdd91..21bb5e15 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-2.2.4
+2.2.5
diff --git a/lib/vips/image.rb b/lib/vips/image.rb
index ea8b1af5..9ee303ac 100644
--- a/lib/vips/image.rb
+++ b/lib/vips/image.rb
@@ -471,9 +471,10 @@ def self.new_from_source source, option_string, **opts
     def self.matrix_from_array width, height, array
       ptr = FFI::MemoryPointer.new :double, array.length
       ptr.write_array_of_double array
-      image = Vips.vips_image_new_matrix_from_array width, height,
+      img_ptr = Vips.vips_image_new_matrix_from_array width, height,
         ptr, array.length
-      Vips::Image.new image
+      raise Vips::Error if img_ptr.null?
+      Vips::Image.new img_ptr
     end
 
     # Create a new Image from a 1D or 2D array. A 1D array becomes an
@@ -534,7 +535,6 @@ def self.new_from_array array, scale = 1, offset = 0
       end
 
       image = Vips::Image.matrix_from_array width, height, array
-      raise Vips::Error if image.nil?
 
       image.mutate do |mutable|
         # be careful to set them as double
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ def write_to_target target, format_string, **opts
     def write_to_memory
       len = Vips::SizeStruct.new
       ptr = Vips.vips_image_write_to_memory self, len
-      raise Vips::Error if ptr.nil?
+      raise Vips::Error if ptr.null?
 
       # wrap up as an autopointer
       ptr = FFI::AutoPointer.new(ptr, GLib::G_FREE)
diff --git a/lib/vips/interpolate.rb b/lib/vips/interpolate.rb
index e31450a1..891b1e59 100644
--- a/lib/vips/interpolate.rb
+++ b/lib/vips/interpolate.rb
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ class ManagedStruct < Vips::Object::ManagedStruct
     def initialize name
       name = name.to_s if name.is_a? Symbol
       pointer = Vips.vips_interpolate_new name
-      raise Vips::Error if pointer.nil?
+      raise Vips::Error if pointer.null?
 
       super(pointer)
     end
diff --git a/lib/vips/version.rb b/lib/vips/version.rb
index e00f5c8f..c7cc34f8 100644
--- a/lib/vips/version.rb
+++ b/lib/vips/version.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 module Vips
-  VERSION = "2.2.4"
+  VERSION = "2.2.5"
 end
diff --git a/spec/image_spec.rb b/spec/image_spec.rb
index 38fdb29a..69ff2c32 100644
--- a/spec/image_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/image_spec.rb
@@ -76,6 +76,11 @@
     expect(x.avg).to eq(128)
   end
 
+  it "will raise VipsError for invalid image files" do
+    img = Vips::Image.new_from_file simg("coffee.gif")
+    expect { img.write_to_memory }.to raise_exception(Vips::Error)
+  end
+
   it "throws an error when trying to load an image from memory with unknown size" do
     data = FFI::Pointer.new(1)
     expect { Vips::Image.new_from_memory(data, 16, 16, 1, :uchar) }.to raise_error(Vips::Error)
diff --git a/spec/samples/coffee.gif b/spec/samples/coffee.gif
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf794f61
Binary files /dev/null and b/spec/samples/coffee.gif differ
diff --git a/spec/vips_spec.rb b/spec/vips_spec.rb
index c569071b..3b8c407d 100644
--- a/spec/vips_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/vips_spec.rb
@@ -193,5 +193,9 @@
 
       expect { black.crop(10, 10, 1, 1) }.to raise_exception(Vips::Error)
     end
+
+    it "can throw errors for bad interpolations" do
+      expect { Vips::Interpolate.new "banana" }.to raise_exception(Vips::Error)
+    end
   end
 end