diff --git a/docs/reference/gdk-pixbuf/tmpl/rendering.sgml b/docs/reference/gdk-pixbuf/tmpl/rendering.sgml
index 9eb3562dd8..68e5f616eb 100644
--- a/docs/reference/gdk-pixbuf/tmpl/rendering.sgml
+++ b/docs/reference/gdk-pixbuf/tmpl/rendering.sgml
@@ -20,6 +20,14 @@ Rendering a pixbuf to a GDK drawable.
     and use that to draw the image onto a drawable.
   </para>
 
+  <important>
+    <para>
+      Since these functions use GdkRGB for rendering, you must
+      initialize GdkRGB before using any of them.  You can do this by
+      calling gdk_rgb_init() near the beginning of your program.
+    </para>
+  </important>
+
 <!-- ##### SECTION See_Also ##### -->
   <para>
     GdkRGB
diff --git a/gdk-pixbuf/ChangeLog b/gdk-pixbuf/ChangeLog
index bcf425cee9..21ef624a0d 100644
--- a/gdk-pixbuf/ChangeLog
+++ b/gdk-pixbuf/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+1999-12-16  Federico Mena Quintero  <federico@redhat.com>
+
+	* doc/tmpl/rendering.sgml: Added notice about initializing GdkRGB
+	before using the GdkPixbuf rendering functions.  Thanks to Joe
+	Shaw <joe@off.net> for pointing this out.
+
 1999-12-13  Federico Mena Quintero  <federico@redhat.com>
 
 	* gdk-pixbuf/gnome-canvas-pixbuf.c