diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 025b8ddf5..3c8fe5266 100755
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -73,22 +73,7 @@ var Sharp = function(input) {
     this.options.fileIn = input;
   } else if (typeof input === 'object' && input instanceof Buffer) {
     // input=buffer
-    if (
-      (input.length > 3) &&
-      // JPEG
-      (input[0] === 0xFF && input[1] === 0xD8) ||
-      // PNG
-      (input[0] === 0x89 && input[1] === 0x50) ||
-      // WebP
-      (input[0] === 0x52 && input[1] === 0x49) ||
-      // TIFF
-      (input[0] === 0x4D && input[1] === 0x4D && input[2] === 0x00 && (input[3] === 0x2A || input[3] === 0x2B)) ||
-      (input[0] === 0x49 && input[1] === 0x49 && (input[2] === 0x2A || input[2] === 0x2B) && input[3] === 0x00)
-    ) {
-      this.options.bufferIn = input;
-    } else {
-      throw new Error('Buffer contains an unsupported image format. JPEG, PNG, WebP and TIFF are currently supported.');
-    }
+    this.options.bufferIn = input;
   } else {
     // input=stream
     this.options.streamIn = true;
diff --git a/src/common.cc b/src/common.cc
index a8c670d31..2e69253ee 100755
--- a/src/common.cc
+++ b/src/common.cc
@@ -29,36 +29,40 @@ namespace sharp {
     return EndsWith(str, ".tif") || EndsWith(str, ".tiff") || EndsWith(str, ".TIF") || EndsWith(str, ".TIFF");
   }
 
-  // Buffer content checkers
-  unsigned char const MARKER_JPEG[] = {0xff, 0xd8};
-  unsigned char const MARKER_PNG[] = {0x89, 0x50};
-  unsigned char const MARKER_WEBP[] = {0x52, 0x49};
-
-  static bool buffer_is_tiff(char *buffer, size_t len) {
-    return (
-      len >= 4 && (
-        (buffer[0] == 'M' && buffer[1] == 'M' && buffer[2] == '\0' && (buffer[3] == '*' || buffer[3] == '+')) ||
-        (buffer[0] == 'I' && buffer[1] == 'I' && (buffer[2] == '*' || buffer[2] == '+') && buffer[3] == '\0')
-      )
-    );
-  }
-
   /*
     Determine image format of a buffer.
   */
   ImageType DetermineImageType(void *buffer, size_t const length) {
     ImageType imageType = ImageType::UNKNOWN;
-    if (length >= 4) {
-      if (memcmp(MARKER_JPEG, buffer, 2) == 0) {
+#if (VIPS_MAJOR_VERSION >= 8)
+    if (vips_foreign_is_a_buffer("jpegload_buffer", buffer, length)) {
+      imageType = ImageType::JPEG;
+    } else if (vips_foreign_is_a_buffer("pngload_buffer", buffer, length)) {
+      imageType = ImageType::PNG;
+    } else if (vips_foreign_is_a_buffer("webpload_buffer", buffer, length)) {
+      imageType = ImageType::WEBP;
+    } else if (vips_foreign_is_a_buffer("tiffload_buffer", buffer, length)) {
+      imageType = ImageType::TIFF;
+    } else if(vips_foreign_is_a_buffer("magickload_buffer", buffer, length)) {
+      imageType = ImageType::MAGICK;
+    }
+#else
+    const char* loader = vips_foreign_find_load_buffer(buffer, length);
+
+    if (loader != NULL) {
+      if (!strcmp(loader, "VipsForeignLoadJpegBuffer")) {
         imageType = ImageType::JPEG;
-      } else if (memcmp(MARKER_PNG, buffer, 2) == 0) {
+      } else if (!strcmp(loader, "VipsForeignLoadPngBuffer")) {
         imageType = ImageType::PNG;
-      } else if (memcmp(MARKER_WEBP, buffer, 2) == 0) {
+      } else if (!strcmp(loader, "VipsForeignLoadWebpBuffer")) {
         imageType = ImageType::WEBP;
-      } else if (buffer_is_tiff(static_cast<char*>(buffer), length)) {
+      } else if (!strcmp(loader, "VipsForeignLoadTiffBuffer")) {
         imageType = ImageType::TIFF;
+      } else if (!strcmp(loader, "VipsForeignLoadMagickBuffer")) {
+        imageType = ImageType::MAGICK;
       }
     }
+#endif
     return imageType;
   }
 
diff --git a/test/unit/io.js b/test/unit/io.js
index 1501b6f31..74f1130d4 100755
--- a/test/unit/io.js
+++ b/test/unit/io.js
@@ -202,27 +202,23 @@ describe('Input/output', function() {
   });
 
   it('Fail when input is empty Buffer', function(done) {
-    var failed = true;
-    try {
-      sharp(new Buffer(0));
-      failed = false;
-    } catch (err) {
+    sharp(new Buffer(0)).toBuffer().then(function () {
+      assert(false);
+      done();
+    }).catch(function (err) {
       assert(err instanceof Error);
-    }
-    assert(failed);
-    done();
+      done();
+    });
   });
 
   it('Fail when input is invalid Buffer', function(done) {
-    var failed = true;
-    try {
-      sharp(new Buffer([0x1, 0x2, 0x3, 0x4]));
-      failed = false;
-    } catch (err) {
+    sharp(new Buffer([0x1, 0x2, 0x3, 0x4])).toBuffer().then(function () {
+      assert(false);
+      done();
+    }).catch(function (err) {
       assert(err instanceof Error);
-    }
-    assert(failed);
-    done();
+      done();
+    });
   });
 
   it('Promises/A+', function(done) {