diff --git a/keepalive.go b/keepalive.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..410ed278
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keepalive.go
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// +build go1.7
+
+package main
+
+import "runtime"
+
+func keepAlive(i interface{}) {
+	runtime.KeepAlive(i)
+}
diff --git a/keepalive_old.go b/keepalive_old.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..71915966
--- /dev/null
+++ b/keepalive_old.go
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+// +build !go1.7
+
+package main
+
+func keepAlive(i interface{}) {
+	// Dummy function. Do nothing
+}
diff --git a/process.go b/process.go
index eb794913..2021ec95 100644
--- a/process.go
+++ b/process.go
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ func calcCrop(width, height int, po processingOptions) (left, top int) {
 }
 
 func processImage(data []byte, imgtype imageType, po processingOptions) ([]byte, error) {
-	defer runtime.KeepAlive(data)
+	defer keepAlive(data)
 
 	err := C.int(0)