diff --git a/PIL/SgiImagePlugin.py b/PIL/SgiImagePlugin.py
index 42372da75..a6bd1d93d 100644
--- a/PIL/SgiImagePlugin.py
+++ b/PIL/SgiImagePlugin.py
@@ -151,6 +151,11 @@ def _save(im, fp, filename):
         dim = 2
     # Z Dimension: Number of channels
     z = len(im.mode)
+
+    # assert we've got the right number of bands.
+    if len(im.getbands()) != z:
+        raise ValueError("incorrect number of bands in SGI write: %s vs %s" %
+                         (z, len(im.getbands())))
     if dim == 1 or dim == 2:
         z = 1
     # assert we've got the right number of bands.
@@ -177,12 +182,10 @@ def _save(im, fp, filename):
     fp.write(struct.pack('>H', z))
     fp.write(struct.pack('>l', pinmin))
     fp.write(struct.pack('>l', pinmax))
-
     fp.write(struct.pack('4s', b''))  # dummy
     fp.write(struct.pack('79s', imgName))  # truncates to 79 chars
     fp.write(struct.pack('s', b''))  # force null byte after imgname
     fp.write(struct.pack('>l', colormap))
-
     fp.write(struct.pack('404s', b''))  # dummy
 
     for channel in im.split():
diff --git a/libImaging/SgiRleDecode.c b/libImaging/SgiRleDecode.c
index 133f30196..65dd7677a 100644
--- a/libImaging/SgiRleDecode.c
+++ b/libImaging/SgiRleDecode.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ ImagingSgiRleDecode(Imaging im, ImagingCodecState state,
 		    UINT8* buf, int bytes)
 {
     uint32_t *starttab, *lengthtab, rleoffset, rlelength;
-    int tablen, i, j, rowno, channo, bpc;
+    int tablen, i, j, rowno, channo;
     long bufsize;
     UINT8 *ptr;
     SGISTATE *context;
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ ImagingSgiRleDecode(Imaging im, ImagingCodecState state,
     bufsize -= SGI_HEADER_SIZE;
     ptr = malloc(sizeof(UINT8) * bufsize);
     _imaging_seek_pyFd(state->fd, SGI_HEADER_SIZE, SEEK_SET);
-    _imaging_read_pyFd(state->fd, ptr, bufsize);
+    _imaging_read_pyFd(state->fd, (char*)ptr, bufsize);
 
 
     /* decoder initialization */