diff --git a/sx/pisa3/pisa_reportlab.py b/sx/pisa3/pisa_reportlab.py
index a24ff883..6a935bed 100644
--- a/sx/pisa3/pisa_reportlab.py
+++ b/sx/pisa3/pisa_reportlab.py
@@ -319,6 +319,8 @@ def getRGBData(self):
                 self.mode = 'RGB'
             else:
                 im = self._image
+                # explicit load, see: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/image-sig/2006-January/003742.html
+                im.load()
                 mode = self.mode = im.mode
                 if mode == 'RGBA':
                     self._dataA = PmlImageReader(im.split()[3])
@@ -906,4 +908,4 @@ def draw(self):
         canvas.rotate(90)
         canvas.scale(self.scale, self.scale)
         hand(canvas, debug=0, fill=1)
-"""
\ No newline at end of file
+"""