diff --git a/app/base/tile-pyramid.c b/app/base/tile-pyramid.c
index 34cb5a2776..e11cb7e87c 100644
--- a/app/base/tile-pyramid.c
+++ b/app/base/tile-pyramid.c
@@ -32,11 +32,12 @@
 
 struct _TilePyramid
 {
-  guint        width;
-  guint        height;
-  gint         bytes;
-  TileManager *tiles[PYRAMID_MAX_LEVELS];
-  gint         top_level;
+  GimpImageType  type;
+  guint          width;
+  guint          height;
+  gint           bytes;
+  TileManager   *tiles[PYRAMID_MAX_LEVELS];
+  gint           top_level;
 };
 
 
@@ -60,9 +61,9 @@ static void  tile_pyramid_write_upper_quarter (Tile        *dest,
 
 /**
  * tile_pyramid_new:
+ * @type:   type of pixel data stored in the pyramid
  * @width:  bottom level width
  * @height: bottom level height
- * @bytes:  the bpp of the pixel data stored in the pyramid
  *
  * Creates a new #TilePyramid, managing a set of tile-managers where
  * each level is a sized-down version of the level below.
@@ -78,9 +79,9 @@ static void  tile_pyramid_write_upper_quarter (Tile        *dest,
  * Return value: a newly allocate #TilePyramid
  **/
 TilePyramid *
-tile_pyramid_new (gint width,
-                  gint height,
-                  gint bytes)
+tile_pyramid_new (GimpImageType  type,
+                  gint           width,
+                  gint           height)
 {
   TilePyramid *pyramid;
 
@@ -89,11 +90,35 @@ tile_pyramid_new (gint width,
 
   pyramid = g_slice_new0 (TilePyramid);
 
+  pyramid->type   = type;
   pyramid->width  = width;
   pyramid->height = height;
-  pyramid->bytes  = bytes;
 
-  pyramid->tiles[0] = tile_manager_new (width, height, bytes);
+  switch (type)
+    {
+    case GIMP_GRAY_IMAGE:
+      pyramid->bytes = 1;
+      break;
+
+    case GIMP_GRAYA_IMAGE:
+      pyramid->bytes = 2;
+      break;
+
+    case GIMP_RGB_IMAGE:
+      pyramid->bytes = 3;
+      break;
+
+    case GIMP_RGBA_IMAGE:
+      pyramid->bytes = 4;
+      break;
+
+    case GIMP_INDEXED_IMAGE:
+    case GIMP_INDEXEDA_IMAGE:
+      g_assert_not_reached ();
+      break;
+    }
+
+  pyramid->tiles[0] = tile_manager_new (width, height, pyramid->bytes);
 
   return pyramid;
 }
diff --git a/app/base/tile-pyramid.h b/app/base/tile-pyramid.h
index 07c9cf1ab9..e62f652958 100644
--- a/app/base/tile-pyramid.h
+++ b/app/base/tile-pyramid.h
@@ -29,9 +29,9 @@
  *  is "nlevels - 1". That level will be smaller than TILE_WIDTH x
  *  TILE_HEIGHT
  */
-TilePyramid * tile_pyramid_new               (gint               width,
-                                              gint               height,
-                                              gint               bytes);
+TilePyramid * tile_pyramid_new               (GimpImageType      type,
+                                              gint               width,
+                                              gint               height);
 void          tile_pyramid_destroy           (TilePyramid       *pyramid);
 
 gint          tile_pyramid_get_level         (gint               width,
diff --git a/app/core/gimpprojection.c b/app/core/gimpprojection.c
index 4db240b38d..5eb05ecb34 100644
--- a/app/core/gimpprojection.c
+++ b/app/core/gimpprojection.c
@@ -372,9 +372,9 @@ gimp_projection_get_tiles_at_level (GimpProjection *proj,
 
   if (! proj->pyramid)
     {
-      proj->pyramid = tile_pyramid_new (gimp_image_get_width  (proj->image),
-                                        gimp_image_get_height (proj->image),
-                                        gimp_projection_get_bytes (proj));
+      proj->pyramid = tile_pyramid_new (gimp_projection_get_image_type (proj),
+                                        gimp_image_get_width  (proj->image),
+                                        gimp_image_get_height (proj->image));
 
       tile_pyramid_set_validate_proc (proj->pyramid,
                                       (TileValidateProc) gimp_projection_validate_tile,