diff --git a/libs/ui/KisSaveGroupVisitor.cpp b/libs/ui/KisSaveGroupVisitor.cpp
--- a/libs/ui/KisSaveGroupVisitor.cpp
+++ b/libs/ui/KisSaveGroupVisitor.cpp
@@ -104,18 +104,18 @@
         QRect r = m_image->bounds();
 
         KisDocument *exportDocument = KisPart::instance()->createDocument();
-
-        KisImageSP dst = new KisImage(exportDocument->createUndoStore(), r.width(), r.height(), m_image->colorSpace(), layer->name());
-        dst->setResolution(m_image->xRes(), m_image->yRes());
-        exportDocument->setCurrentImage(dst);
-        KisPaintLayer* paintLayer = new KisPaintLayer(dst, "projection", layer->opacity());
-        KisPainter gc(paintLayer->paintDevice());
-        gc.bitBlt(QPoint(0, 0), layer->projection(), r);
-        dst->addNode(paintLayer, dst->rootLayer(), KisLayerSP(0));
-
-        dst->refreshGraph();
-
-
+        { // make sure dst is deleted before calling 'delete exportDocument',
+          // since KisDocument checks that its image is properly deref()'d.
+          KisImageSP dst = new KisImage(exportDocument->createUndoStore(), r.width(), r.height(), m_image->colorSpace(), layer->name());
+          dst->setResolution(m_image->xRes(), m_image->yRes());
+          exportDocument->setCurrentImage(dst);
+          KisPaintLayer* paintLayer = new KisPaintLayer(dst, "projection", layer->opacity());
+          KisPainter gc(paintLayer->paintDevice());
+          gc.bitBlt(QPoint(0, 0), layer->projection(), r);
+          dst->addNode(paintLayer, dst->rootLayer(), KisLayerSP(0));
+
+          dst->refreshGraph();
+        }
 
         QString path = m_path + "/" + m_baseName + "_" + layer->name().replace(' ', '_') + '.' + m_extension;
         QUrl url = QUrl::fromLocalFile(path);
diff --git a/plugins/extensions/imagesplit/imagesplit.cpp b/plugins/extensions/imagesplit/imagesplit.cpp
--- a/plugins/extensions/imagesplit/imagesplit.cpp
+++ b/plugins/extensions/imagesplit/imagesplit.cpp
@@ -65,16 +65,19 @@
 
     KisDocument *document = KisPart::instance()->createDocument();
 
-    KisImageSP dst = new KisImage(document->createUndoStore(), imgSize.width(), imgSize.height(), image->colorSpace(), image->objectName());
-    dst->setResolution(image->xRes(), image->yRes());
-    document->setCurrentImage(dst);
-
-    KisPaintLayer* paintLayer = new KisPaintLayer(dst, dst->nextLayerName(), 255);
-    KisPainter gc(paintLayer->paintDevice());
-    gc.bitBlt(QPoint(0, 0), image->projection(), imgSize);
-
-    dst->addNode(paintLayer, KisNodeSP(0));
-    dst->refreshGraph();
+    { // make sure dst is deleted before calling 'delete exportDocument',
+      // since KisDocument checks that its image is properly deref()'d.
+      KisImageSP dst = new KisImage(document->createUndoStore(), imgSize.width(), imgSize.height(), image->colorSpace(), image->objectName());
+      dst->setResolution(image->xRes(), image->yRes());
+      document->setCurrentImage(dst);
+
+      KisPaintLayer* paintLayer = new KisPaintLayer(dst, dst->nextLayerName(), 255);
+      KisPainter gc(paintLayer->paintDevice());
+      gc.bitBlt(QPoint(0, 0), image->projection(), imgSize);
+
+      dst->addNode(paintLayer, KisNodeSP(0));
+      dst->refreshGraph();
+    }
     document->setFileBatchMode(true);
     if (!document->exportDocumentSync(QUrl::fromLocalFile(url), mimeType.toLatin1())) {
         if (document->errorMessage().isEmpty()) {