diff --git a/lib/Image.js b/lib/Image.js
index 7f2560ac..947bf42d 100644
--- a/lib/Image.js
+++ b/lib/Image.js
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 
     var lwip_image = require('../build/Release/lwip_image');
 
-    function Image(pixelsBuf, width, height, trans, metadata, channels) {
-        if (!channels) { channels = 4; } //4 assumed if none provided
-        this.__lwip = new lwip_image.LwipImage(pixelsBuf, width, height, channels);
+    function Image(pixelsBuf, width, height, trans, metadata) {
+        this.__lwip = new lwip_image.LwipImage(pixelsBuf, width, height);
         this.__locked = false;
         this.__trans = trans;
         this.__metadata = metadata;
diff --git a/lib/obtain.js b/lib/obtain.js
index eed2e178..6d85f13c 100644
--- a/lib/obtain.js
+++ b/lib/obtain.js
@@ -40,12 +40,12 @@
                     if (numChannels !== parseInt(numChannels) || numChannels < 1 || numChannels > 4)
                         throw Error("Buffer size does not match width and height");
                     if (numChannels !== 4) source = util.makeRgbaBuffer(source, numChannels);
-                    callback(null, new Image(source, type.width, type.height, (numChannels % 2 === 0), null, numChannels));
+                    callback(null, new Image(source, type.width, type.height, (numChannels % 2 === 0)));
                 } else if (typeof type === 'string') {
                     // it's an encoded image
                     opener = getOpener(type);
                     opener(source, function(err, pixelsBuf, width, height, channels, trans, metadata) {
-                        callback(err, err ? null : new Image(pixelsBuf, width, height, trans, metadata, channels));
+                        callback(err, err ? null : new Image(pixelsBuf, width, height, trans, metadata));
                     });
                 } else throw Error('Invalid type');
             } else throw Error("Invalid source");
diff --git a/src/image/crop_worker.cpp b/src/image/crop_worker.cpp
index 6f9f7c46..809740ff 100644
--- a/src/image/crop_worker.cpp
+++ b/src/image/crop_worker.cpp
@@ -14,8 +14,7 @@ CropWorker::~CropWorker() {}
 
 void CropWorker::Execute () {
     try {
-        int channels = _cimg->spectrum();
-        _cimg->crop(_left, _top, 0, 0, _right, _bottom, 0, channels - 1);
+        _cimg->crop(_left, _top, 0, 0, _right, _bottom, 0, N_CHANNELS - 1);
     } catch (CImgException e) {
         SetErrorMessage("Unable to crop image");
         return;
diff --git a/src/image/image.cpp b/src/image/image.cpp
index e3fe18d6..70f758bc 100644
--- a/src/image/image.cpp
+++ b/src/image/image.cpp
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@ void LwipImage::Init(Handle<Object> exports) {
     );
 }
 
-LwipImage::LwipImage(unsigned char * data, size_t width, size_t height, int channels) {
+LwipImage::LwipImage(unsigned char * data, size_t width, size_t height) {
     // TODO: CImg constructor may throw an exception. handle it in LwipImage::New.
-    _cimg = new CImg<unsigned char>(data, width, height, 1, channels, false);
+    _cimg = new CImg<unsigned char>(data, width, height, 1, N_CHANNELS, false);
 }
 
 LwipImage::~LwipImage() {
@@ -50,24 +50,11 @@ NAN_METHOD(LwipImage::New) {
     // info[0] - pixels buffer
     // info[1,2] - width and height
     Local<Object> pixBuff = info[0].As<Object>();
-    size_t width = Nan::To<uint32_t>(info[1]).FromJust();
-	size_t height = Nan::To<uint32_t>(info[2]).FromJust();
-    uint32_t channels = Nan::To<uint32_t>(info[3]).FromJust();
-
-	unsigned char * pixels = (unsigned char *)Buffer::Data(pixBuff);
-	size_t len = Buffer::Length(pixBuff);
-	
-	//CImg expects the size of the buffer to match width*height as it will memcpy this much from buffer.
-    //If it doesnt' match buffer length then throw so that CImg does not read past our buffer.
-	int expectedSize = sizeof(unsigned char) * width * height * 1 * channels;
-	if (expectedSize != len)
-	{
-		Nan::ThrowError(Nan::New<String>("Invalid image size, channels or buffer provided.").ToLocalChecked());
-		return;
-	}
-    
+    size_t width = info[1]->NumberValue();
+    size_t height = info[2]->NumberValue();
+    unsigned char * pixels = (unsigned char *)Buffer::Data(pixBuff);
     // TODO: handle CImg exception
-    LwipImage * obj = new LwipImage(pixels, width, height, channels);
+    LwipImage * obj = new LwipImage(pixels, width, height);
     obj->Wrap(info.This());
     info.GetReturnValue().Set(info.This());
 }
diff --git a/src/image/image.h b/src/image/image.h
index 68437b47..c47cd798 100644
--- a/src/image/image.h
+++ b/src/image/image.h
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 #define cimg_display 0
 #define cimg_verbosity 0
 
+#define N_CHANNELS 4
+
 #include <string>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <node.h>
@@ -40,11 +42,10 @@ class LwipImage : public node::ObjectWrap {
     static NAN_METHOD(paste);
     static NAN_METHOD(width);
     static NAN_METHOD(height);
-    static NAN_METHOD(channels);
     static NAN_METHOD(getPixel);
     static NAN_METHOD(buffer);
     static NAN_METHOD(setPixel);
-    LwipImage(unsigned char * data, size_t width, size_t height, int channels);
+    LwipImage(unsigned char * data, size_t width, size_t height);
     ~LwipImage();
 private:
     static Nan::Persistent<v8::FunctionTemplate> constructor;
diff --git a/src/image/init.cpp b/src/image/init.cpp
index 76200f0f..090b912a 100644
--- a/src/image/init.cpp
+++ b/src/image/init.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 // create an init function for our node module
 void InitAll(Handle<Object> exports) {
-    Nan::HandleScope scope;
     LwipImage::Init(exports);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/image/pad_worker.cpp b/src/image/pad_worker.cpp
index 5f8b0b39..99637ca1 100644
--- a/src/image/pad_worker.cpp
+++ b/src/image/pad_worker.cpp
@@ -18,14 +18,13 @@ PadWorker::~PadWorker() {}
 
 void PadWorker::Execute () {
     CImg<unsigned char> * res;
-    int channels = _cimg->spectrum();
     size_t oldwidth = _cimg->width(),
            oldheight = _cimg->height(),
            newwidth = oldwidth + _left + _right,
            newheight = oldheight + _top + _bottom;
     if (oldwidth != newwidth || oldheight != newheight) {
         try {
-            res = new CImg<unsigned char>(newwidth, newheight, 1, channels);
+            res = new CImg<unsigned char>(newwidth, newheight, 1, N_CHANNELS);
         } catch (CImgException e) {
             SetErrorMessage("Out of memory");
             return;