diff --git a/CLCGCell.h b/CLCGCell.h
index 43e7b8f..96e4efb 100644
--- a/CLCGCell.h
+++ b/CLCGCell.h
@@ -63,7 +63,6 @@
 
 // properties declared in CLCGCell protocol
 @property(nonatomic,assign)   BOOL      emphasized;
-@property(nonatomic,readonly) CGFloat   viewportPadding;
 @property(nonatomic) CGFloat   innerPadding;
 @property(nonatomic,retain)   UIColor   *normalColor;
 @property(nonatomic,retain)   UIColor   *emphasisColor;
diff --git a/CLCGCell.m b/CLCGCell.m
index 27929be..c0f7a21 100644
--- a/CLCGCell.m
+++ b/CLCGCell.m
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ -(id)initWithImageWidth:(CGFloat)w
   if (self) {
     _imgW = w;
     _imgH = h;
-    _viewportPadding = _innerPadding = padding;
+    _innerPadding = padding;
     [self setCommonLayouter:[[CLCGCellCommonLayouter alloc] initWithCell:self]];
     [self setSelectionStyle:UITableViewCellSelectionStyleBlue];
     [[self textLabel] setTextColor:[UIColor blackColor]];
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ -(void)layoutSubviews
   [super layoutSubviews];
 
   // layout image view
-  const CGRect img_frame = CGRectMake(_viewportPadding, [class topBottomPadding],
+  const CGRect img_frame = CGRectMake([class viewportPadding], [class topBottomPadding],
                                       _imgW, _imgH);
   [_mainImageView setFrame:img_frame];
 
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ -(void)loadImageForURL:(NSString*)img_url
                context:(id)cell_cxt_obj
 {
   [self setContext:cell_cxt_obj];
+  [self showImage:nil]; //avoid showing previous image on a recycled cell
   [CLCGImageLoader loadImageForURL:img_url
                          retinaURL:retina_img_url
                           useCache:YES
diff --git a/CLCGCellCommonLayouter.h b/CLCGCellCommonLayouter.h
index 86aee64..ace0680 100644
--- a/CLCGCellCommonLayouter.h
+++ b/CLCGCellCommonLayouter.h
@@ -53,12 +53,11 @@
 
 @property(nonatomic,retain) UIView      *backgroundView;
 @property(nonatomic,readonly,retain) UIImageView *imageView NS_AVAILABLE_IOS(3_0);
-- (void)setNeedsLayout;
 @property(nonatomic,assign)   BOOL      emphasized;
-@property(nonatomic,readonly) CGFloat   viewportPadding;
 @property(nonatomic,readonly) CGFloat   innerPadding;
 @property(nonatomic,retain)   UIColor   *normalColor;
 @property(nonatomic,retain)   UIColor   *emphasisColor;
+- (void)setNeedsDisplay;
 
 @end
 
diff --git a/CLCGCellCommonLayouter.m b/CLCGCellCommonLayouter.m
index 88f2762..b9331df 100644
--- a/CLCGCellCommonLayouter.m
+++ b/CLCGCellCommonLayouter.m
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ -(void)showImage:(UIImage*)img animated:(BOOL)animated
   CALayer *layer = [[_cell imageView] layer];
 
   if (animated) {
-    // once the img view has been layed out once, no need to re-lay it out again
-    [_cell setNeedsLayout]; //layout will happen in next update cycle
+    [_cell setNeedsDisplay];
     CABasicAnimation *anim = [CABasicAnimation animationWithKeyPath:@"opacity"];
     [anim setDuration:0.4]; // seconds
     [anim setFromValue:[NSNumber numberWithFloat:0.0]];
diff --git a/clcg_debug.h b/clcg_debug.h
index 919d52e..d996a57 100644
--- a/clcg_debug.h
+++ b/clcg_debug.h
@@ -101,6 +101,17 @@ if (am_i_being_debugged()) { __asm__("int $3\n" : : ); }; } \
 #endif // #ifdef DEBUG
 #define CLCGASSERT CLCG_ASSERT
 
+
+///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// exception macro
+
+#ifdef DEBUG
+#define CLCG_INCONSISTENCY(msg,obj) {[NSException raise:NSInternalInconsistencyException format:@"%@ Class: %@",msg,NSStringFromClass([obj class])];}
+#else
+#define CLCG_INCONSISTENCY(msg,obj) ((void)0)
+#endif
+
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }
 #endif