diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-pdf.c b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-pdf.c
index d45e6ca80..8459f5824 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-pdf.c
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-pdf.c
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ _cairo_boilerplate_pdf_finish_surface (cairo_surface_t		*surface)
 	if (status)
 	    return status;
 
+	cairo_surface_finish (surface);
 	status = cairo_surface_status (surface);
 	if (status)
 	    return status;
@@ -204,8 +205,10 @@ static void
 _cairo_boilerplate_pdf_cleanup (void *closure)
 {
     pdf_target_closure_t *ptc = closure;
-    if (ptc->target)
+    if (ptc->target) {
+	cairo_surface_finish (ptc->target);
 	cairo_surface_destroy (ptc->target);
+    }
     free (ptc->filename);
     free (ptc);
 }
diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-ps.c b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-ps.c
index a0a5447f0..20452d820 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-ps.c
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-ps.c
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ _cairo_boilerplate_ps_finish_surface (cairo_surface_t		*surface)
 	if (status)
 	    return status;
 
+	cairo_surface_finish (surface);
 	status = cairo_surface_status (surface);
 	if (status)
 	    return status;
@@ -269,8 +270,10 @@ static void
 _cairo_boilerplate_ps_cleanup (void *closure)
 {
     ps_target_closure_t *ptc = closure;
-    if (ptc->target)
+    if (ptc->target) {
+	cairo_surface_finish (ptc->target);
 	cairo_surface_destroy (ptc->target);
+    }
     free (ptc->filename);
     free (ptc);
 }
diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-svg.c b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-svg.c
index 43305da87..583f9a16e 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-svg.c
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate-svg.c
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ _cairo_boilerplate_svg_finish_surface (cairo_surface_t		*surface)
 	if (status)
 	    return status;
 
+	cairo_surface_finish (surface);
 	status = cairo_surface_status (surface);
 	if (status)
 	    return status;
@@ -241,8 +242,10 @@ static void
 _cairo_boilerplate_svg_cleanup (void *closure)
 {
     svg_target_closure_t *ptc = closure;
-    if (ptc->target)
+    if (ptc->target) {
+	cairo_surface_finish (ptc->target);
 	cairo_surface_destroy (ptc->target);
+    }
     free (ptc->filename);
     free (ptc);
 }
diff --git a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.c b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.c
index e0bf51a4b..062c99e92 100644
--- a/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.c
+++ b/boilerplate/cairo-boilerplate.c
@@ -180,13 +180,11 @@ _cairo_boilerplate_recording_create_surface (const char		     *name,
 {
     cairo_rectangle_t extents;
 
-    *closure = NULL;
-
     extents.x = 0;
     extents.y = 0;
     extents.width = width;
     extents.height = height;
-    return cairo_recording_surface_create (content, &extents);
+    return *closure = cairo_recording_surface_create (content, &extents);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -353,7 +351,8 @@ static const cairo_boilerplate_target_t builtin_targets[] = {
 	NULL, NULL,
 	_cairo_boilerplate_get_image_surface,
 	cairo_surface_write_to_png,
-	NULL, NULL,
+	(cairo_boilerplate_cleanup_t) cairo_surface_finish,
+	NULL,
 	FALSE, FALSE, TRUE
     },
     {
@@ -364,7 +363,8 @@ static const cairo_boilerplate_target_t builtin_targets[] = {
 	NULL, NULL,
 	_cairo_boilerplate_get_image_surface,
 	cairo_surface_write_to_png,
-	NULL, NULL,
+	(cairo_boilerplate_cleanup_t) cairo_surface_finish,
+	NULL,
 	FALSE, FALSE, TRUE
     },
 #endif