diff --git a/src/cairo-surface.c b/src/cairo-surface.c
index fe03b8c5a..e68880a88 100644
--- a/src/cairo-surface.c
+++ b/src/cairo-surface.c
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ _cairo_surface_has_device_transform (cairo_surface_t *surface)
  * @surface as a source. _cairo_surface_release_source_image() must be called
  * when finished.
  *
- * Return value: %CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS if a an image was stored in @image_out.
+ * Return value: %CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS if an image was stored in @image_out.
  * %CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED if an image cannot be retrieved for the specified
  * surface. Or %CAIRO_STATUS_NO_MEMORY.
  **/
@@ -942,6 +942,9 @@ _cairo_surface_acquire_source_image (cairo_surface_t         *surface,
 {
     assert (!surface->finished);
 
+    if (surface->backend->acquire_source_image == NULL)
+	return CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
+
     return _cairo_surface_set_error (surface,
 	    surface->backend->acquire_source_image (surface,
 						    image_out, image_extra));
@@ -1005,6 +1008,9 @@ _cairo_surface_acquire_dest_image (cairo_surface_t         *surface,
 {
     assert (!surface->finished);
 
+    if (surface->backend->acquire_dest_image == NULL)
+	return CAIRO_INT_STATUS_UNSUPPORTED;
+
     return _cairo_surface_set_error (surface,
 	    surface->backend->acquire_dest_image (surface,
 						  interest_rect,