diff --git a/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.c b/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.c
index 64046b607a..8dd13cec6c 100644
--- a/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.c
+++ b/app/gegl/gimp-gegl.c
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ gimp_gegl_exit (Gimp *gimp)
 {
   g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_GIMP (gimp));
 
+  gimp_operations_exit (gimp);
   gimp_parallel_exit (gimp);
 }
 
diff --git a/app/operations/gimp-operations.c b/app/operations/gimp-operations.c
index 7cb30fd2dd..96668a317d 100644
--- a/app/operations/gimp-operations.c
+++ b/app/operations/gimp-operations.c
@@ -223,3 +223,11 @@ gimp_operations_init (Gimp *gimp)
   set_settings_folder (GIMP_TYPE_LEVELS_CONFIG,
                        "levels");
 }
+
+void
+gimp_operations_exit (Gimp *gimp)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (GIMP_IS_GIMP (gimp));
+
+  gimp_layer_modes_exit ();
+}
diff --git a/app/operations/gimp-operations.h b/app/operations/gimp-operations.h
index 6f2b222fd7..8e41e45241 100644
--- a/app/operations/gimp-operations.h
+++ b/app/operations/gimp-operations.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 
 void   gimp_operations_init (Gimp *gimp);
+void   gimp_operations_exit (Gimp *gimp);
 
 
 #endif /* __GIMP_OPERATIONS_H__ */
diff --git a/app/operations/layer-modes/gimp-layer-modes.c b/app/operations/layer-modes/gimp-layer-modes.c
index 587e1c0b9c..4f4da5a825 100644
--- a/app/operations/layer-modes/gimp-layer-modes.c
+++ b/app/operations/layer-modes/gimp-layer-modes.c
@@ -1110,6 +1110,7 @@ static const GimpLayerMode layer_mode_groups[][2] =
   }
 };
 
+static GeglOperation *ops[G_N_ELEMENTS (layer_mode_infos)] = { 0 };
 
 /*  public functions  */
 
@@ -1124,6 +1125,15 @@ gimp_layer_modes_init (void)
     }
 }
 
+void
+gimp_layer_modes_exit (void)
+{
+  gint i;
+
+  for (i = 0; i < G_N_ELEMENTS (layer_mode_infos); i++)
+    g_clear_object (&ops[i]);
+}
+
 static const GimpLayerModeInfo *
 gimp_layer_mode_info (GimpLayerMode mode)
 {
@@ -1265,55 +1275,54 @@ gimp_layer_mode_get_operation_name (GimpLayerMode mode)
   return info->op_name;
 }
 
+/**
+ * gimp_layer_mode_get_operation:
+ * @mode:
+ *
+ * Returns: a #GeglOperation for @mode which may be reused and must not
+ *          be freed.
+ */
 GeglOperation *
 gimp_layer_mode_get_operation (GimpLayerMode mode)
 {
   const GimpLayerModeInfo *info = gimp_layer_mode_info (mode);
-  GeglNode                *node;
-  GeglOperation           *operation;
+  const gchar             *op_name;
 
-  if (! info)
-    info = layer_mode_infos;
-
-  node = gegl_node_new_child (NULL,
-                              "operation", info->op_name,
-                              NULL);
-
-  operation = gegl_node_get_gegl_operation (node);
-  g_object_ref (operation);
-  g_object_unref (node);
-
-  return operation;
-}
-
-GimpLayerModeFunc
-gimp_layer_mode_get_function (GimpLayerMode mode)
-{
-  const GimpLayerModeInfo  *info = gimp_layer_mode_info (mode);
-  static GimpLayerModeFunc  funcs[G_N_ELEMENTS (layer_mode_infos)];
+  op_name = gimp_layer_mode_get_operation_name (mode);
 
   if (! info)
     info = layer_mode_infos;
 
   mode = info - layer_mode_infos;
 
-  if (! funcs[mode])
+  if (! ops[mode])
     {
       GeglNode      *node;
       GeglOperation *operation;
 
       node = gegl_node_new_child (NULL,
-                                  "operation", info->op_name,
+                                  "operation", op_name,
                                   NULL);
 
       operation = gegl_node_get_gegl_operation (node);
 
-      funcs[mode] = GIMP_OPERATION_LAYER_MODE_GET_CLASS (operation)->process;
-
+      g_object_ref (operation);
       g_object_unref (node);
+
+      ops[mode] = operation;
     }
 
-  return funcs[mode];
+  return ops[mode];
+}
+
+GimpLayerModeFunc
+gimp_layer_mode_get_function (GimpLayerMode mode)
+{
+  GeglOperation *operation;
+
+  operation = gimp_layer_mode_get_operation (mode);
+
+  return GIMP_OPERATION_LAYER_MODE_GET_CLASS (operation)->process;
 }
 
 GimpLayerModeBlendFunc
diff --git a/app/operations/layer-modes/gimp-layer-modes.h b/app/operations/layer-modes/gimp-layer-modes.h
index c98a392c61..34ebf64d2e 100644
--- a/app/operations/layer-modes/gimp-layer-modes.h
+++ b/app/operations/layer-modes/gimp-layer-modes.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 
 void                       gimp_layer_modes_init                      (void);
+void                       gimp_layer_modes_exit                      (void);
 
 gboolean                   gimp_layer_mode_is_legacy                  (GimpLayerMode           mode);
 
diff --git a/app/paint/gimppaintcore-loops.cc b/app/paint/gimppaintcore-loops.cc
index 8aec8ca8fe..664fe0476f 100644
--- a/app/paint/gimppaintcore-loops.cc
+++ b/app/paint/gimppaintcore-loops.cc
@@ -1876,13 +1876,12 @@ struct DoLayerBlend : Base
 
   static constexpr gint max_n_iterators = Base::max_n_iterators + 2;
 
-  const Babl                     *iterator_format;
-  GimpOperationLayerMode         *layer_mode = NULL;
-  const GimpPaintCoreLoopsParams *params;
+  const Babl             *iterator_format;
+  GimpOperationLayerMode *layer_mode = NULL;
 
   explicit
   DoLayerBlend (const GimpPaintCoreLoopsParams *params) :
-    Base (params), params(params)
+    Base (params)
   {
     layer_mode = GIMP_OPERATION_LAYER_MODE (gimp_layer_mode_get_operation (params->paint_mode));
     layer_mode->layer_mode      = params->paint_mode;
@@ -1902,18 +1901,6 @@ struct DoLayerBlend : Base
     g_return_if_fail (gimp_temp_buf_get_format (params->paint_buf) == iterator_format);
   }
 
-  DoLayerBlend (const DoLayerBlend &algorithm) :
-    Base (algorithm.params), params(algorithm.params)
-  {
-    layer_mode = GIMP_OPERATION_LAYER_MODE (g_object_ref (algorithm.layer_mode));
-    iterator_format = algorithm.iterator_format;
-  }
-
-  ~DoLayerBlend ()
-  {
-    g_clear_object (&layer_mode);
-  }
-
   template <class Derived>
   struct State : Base::template State<Derived>
   {