diff --git a/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp b/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
index 438604deb..eb2b5890d 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/torrent.hpp
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 
 		void get_full_peer_list(std::vector<peer_list_entry>& v) const;
 		void get_peer_info(std::vector<peer_info>& v);
-		void get_download_queue(std::vector<partial_piece_info>& queue);
+		void get_download_queue(std::vector<partial_piece_info>* queue);
 
 		void refresh_explicit_cache(int cache_size);
 
diff --git a/src/torrent.cpp b/src/torrent.cpp
index b239907cd..21c6b1644 100644
--- a/src/torrent.cpp
+++ b/src/torrent.cpp
@@ -5350,10 +5350,10 @@ ctx->set_verify_callback(verify_function, ec);
 		}
 	}
 
-	void torrent::get_download_queue(std::vector<partial_piece_info>& queue)
+	void torrent::get_download_queue(std::vector<partial_piece_info>* queue)
 	{
 		TORRENT_ASSERT(m_ses.is_network_thread());
-		queue.clear();
+		queue->clear();
 		std::vector<block_info>& blk = m_ses.m_block_info_storage;
 		blk.clear();
 
@@ -5364,6 +5364,10 @@ ctx->set_verify_callback(verify_function, ec);
 
 		const int blocks_per_piece = m_picker->blocks_in_piece(0);
 		blk.resize(q.size() * blocks_per_piece);
+		// for some weird reason valgrind claims these are uninitialized
+		// unless it's zeroed out here (block_info has a construct that's
+		// supposed to initialize it)
+		memset(&blk[0], 0, sizeof(blk[0]) * blk.size());
 
 		int counter = 0;
 		for (std::vector<piece_picker::downloading_piece>::const_iterator i
@@ -5375,6 +5379,7 @@ ctx->set_verify_callback(verify_function, ec);
 			pi.finished = (int)i->finished;
 			pi.writing = (int)i->writing;
 			pi.requested = (int)i->requested;
+			TORRENT_ASSERT(counter * blocks_per_piece + pi.blocks_in_piece <= int(blk.size()));
 			pi.blocks = &blk[counter * blocks_per_piece];
 			int piece_size = int(torrent_file().piece_size(i->index));
 			for (int j = 0; j < pi.blocks_in_piece; ++j)
@@ -5425,7 +5430,7 @@ ctx->set_verify_callback(verify_function, ec);
 				pi.blocks[j].num_peers = i->info[j].num_peers;
 			}
 			pi.piece_index = i->index;
-			queue.push_back(pi);
+			queue->push_back(pi);
 		}
 	
 	}
diff --git a/src/torrent_handle.cpp b/src/torrent_handle.cpp
index 6eeb659ae..ffc1f2d7a 100644
--- a/src/torrent_handle.cpp
+++ b/src/torrent_handle.cpp
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ namespace libtorrent
 	void torrent_handle::get_download_queue(std::vector<partial_piece_info>& queue) const
 	{
 		INVARIANT_CHECK;
-		TORRENT_SYNC_CALL1(get_download_queue, boost::ref(queue));
+		TORRENT_SYNC_CALL1(get_download_queue, &queue);
 	}
 
 	void torrent_handle::set_piece_deadline(int index, int deadline, int flags) const