diff --git a/app/core/gimp.c b/app/core/gimp.c
index b820bc40e7..d7f4dea35f 100644
--- a/app/core/gimp.c
+++ b/app/core/gimp.c
@@ -540,10 +540,6 @@ gimp_real_initialize (Gimp               *gimp,
 
   status_callback (_("Initialization"), NULL, 0.0);
 
-  /*  set the last values used to default values  */
-  gimp->image_new_last_template =
-    gimp_config_duplicate (GIMP_CONFIG (gimp->config->default_image));
-
   /*  add data objects that need the user context  */
   gimp_data_factories_add_builtin (gimp);
 
@@ -1118,6 +1114,37 @@ gimp_get_tool_info (Gimp        *gimp,
   return (GimpToolInfo *) info;
 }
 
+void
+gimp_set_last_template (Gimp         *gimp,
+                        GimpTemplate *template)
+{
+  GimpTemplate *last_template;
+
+  g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_GIMP (gimp));
+  g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_TEMPLATE (template));
+
+  last_template = gimp_get_last_template (gimp);
+
+  gimp_config_sync (G_OBJECT (template),
+                    G_OBJECT (last_template), 0);
+}
+
+GimpTemplate *
+gimp_get_last_template (Gimp *gimp)
+{
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_GIMP (gimp), NULL);
+
+  if (! gimp->image_new_last_template)
+    {
+      /*  set the last values used to default values  */
+      gimp->image_new_last_template =
+        gimp_config_duplicate (GIMP_CONFIG (gimp->config->default_image));
+    }
+
+  return gimp->image_new_last_template;
+}
+
+
 /**
  * gimp_message:
  * @gimp:     a pointer to the %Gimp object
diff --git a/app/core/gimp.h b/app/core/gimp.h
index 377b3f0838..ef4796bca1 100644
--- a/app/core/gimp.h
+++ b/app/core/gimp.h
@@ -225,6 +225,10 @@ GimpContext  * gimp_get_user_context       (Gimp                *gimp);
 GimpToolInfo * gimp_get_tool_info          (Gimp                *gimp,
                                             const gchar         *tool_name);
 
+void           gimp_set_last_template      (Gimp                *gimp,
+                                            GimpTemplate        *_template);
+GimpTemplate * gimp_get_last_template      (Gimp                *gimp);
+
 void           gimp_message                (Gimp                *gimp,
                                             GObject             *handler,
                                             GimpMessageSeverity  severity,
diff --git a/app/core/gimpimage-new.c b/app/core/gimpimage-new.c
index 4bb869ad00..d10d1a3523 100644
--- a/app/core/gimpimage-new.c
+++ b/app/core/gimpimage-new.c
@@ -87,7 +87,11 @@ gimp_image_new_get_last_template (Gimp      *gimp,
     }
   else
     {
-      gimp_config_sync (G_OBJECT (gimp->image_new_last_template),
+      GimpTemplate *last_template;
+
+      last_template = gimp_get_last_template (gimp);
+
+      gimp_config_sync (G_OBJECT (last_template),
                         G_OBJECT (template), 0);
     }
 
@@ -101,8 +105,7 @@ gimp_image_new_set_last_template (Gimp         *gimp,
   g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_GIMP (gimp));
   g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_TEMPLATE (template));
 
-  gimp_config_sync (G_OBJECT (template),
-                    G_OBJECT (gimp->image_new_last_template), 0);
+  gimp_set_last_template (gimp, template);
 }
 
 GimpImage *