diff --git a/rtengine/improcfun.h b/rtengine/improcfun.h
index e48ec3c7f..4f748a0c1 100644
--- a/rtengine/improcfun.h
+++ b/rtengine/improcfun.h
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ public:
     ImProcFunctions       (const ProcParams* iparams, bool imultiThread = true)
         : monitorTransform (nullptr), lab2outputTransform (nullptr), output2monitorTransform (nullptr), params (iparams), scale (1), multiThread (imultiThread), lumimul{} {}
     ~ImProcFunctions      ();
-
+    bool needsLuminanceOnly() { return !(needsCA() || needsDistortion() || needsRotation() || needsPerspective() || needsLCP() || needsLensfun()) && (needsVignetting() || needsPCVignetting() || needsGradient());}
     void setScale         (double iscale);
 
     bool needsTransform   ();
diff --git a/rtengine/simpleprocess.cc b/rtengine/simpleprocess.cc
index fd0a67411..f128c145e 100644
--- a/rtengine/simpleprocess.cc
+++ b/rtengine/simpleprocess.cc
@@ -812,11 +812,17 @@ private:
 
         // perform transform (excepted resizing)
         if (ipf.needsTransform()) {
-            Imagefloat* trImg = new Imagefloat (fw, fh);
-            ipf.transform (baseImg, trImg, 0, 0, 0, 0, fw, fh, fw, fh,
+            Imagefloat* trImg = nullptr;
+            if (ipf.needsLuminanceOnly()) {
+                trImg = baseImg;
+            } else {
+                trImg = new Imagefloat (fw, fh);
+            }           ipf.transform (baseImg, trImg, 0, 0, 0, 0, fw, fh, fw, fh,
                            imgsrc->getMetaData(), imgsrc->getRotateDegree(), true);
-            delete baseImg;
-            baseImg = trImg;
+            if(trImg != baseImg) {
+                delete baseImg;
+                baseImg = trImg;
+            }
         }
     }