diff --git a/src/gmt_api.c b/src/gmt_api.c
index fb8d9bf8f35..105f17d159b 100644
--- a/src/gmt_api.c
+++ b/src/gmt_api.c
@@ -4695,7 +4695,7 @@ GMT_LOCAL bool gmtapi_expand_index_image (struct GMT_CTRL *GMT, struct GMT_IMAGE
 			for (c = 0; c < 3; c++, k++) data[k] = I->colormap[start_c+c];	/* Place r,g,b in separate bands */
 		}
 		/* If neither TRB or TRP we call for a changed layout, which may or may not have been implemented */
-		GMT_Change_Layout (GMT->parent, GMT_IS_IMAGE, GMT->parent->GMT->current.gdal_read_in.O.mem_layout, 0, I, NULL, NULL);	
+		GMT_Change_Layout (GMT->parent, GMT_IS_IMAGE, GMT->parent->GMT->current.gdal_read_in.O.mem_layout, 0, I, NULL, NULL);
 	}
 	gmt_M_free_aligned (GMT, I->data);	/* Free previous aligned image memory */
 	I->data = data;	/* Pass the reallocated rgb TRB image back */
@@ -5151,7 +5151,7 @@ GMT_LOCAL struct GMT_GRID * gmtapi_import_grid (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, int obj
 	}
 	if ((mode & GMT_CONTAINER_ONLY) && S_obj->region) {
 		GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "Cannot request a subset when just inquiring about the grid header\n");
-		return_null (API, GMT_SUBSET_NOT_ALLOWED);		
+		return_null (API, GMT_SUBSET_NOT_ALLOWED);
 	}
 
 	if (S_obj->region && grid) {	/* See if this is really a subset or just the same region as the grid */
@@ -7563,6 +7563,27 @@ int GMT_Close_VirtualFile_ (unsigned int *family, char *string, int len) {
 }
 #endif
 
+int gmtlib_delete_virtualfile (void *V_API, const char *string) {
+	/* Given a VirtualFile name, delete its record bu NULLing it */
+	int object_ID, item;
+	struct GMTAPI_DATA_OBJECT *S_obj = NULL;
+	struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API = NULL;
+	if (V_API == NULL) return_error (V_API, GMT_NOT_A_SESSION);
+	if (string == NULL) return_error (V_API, GMT_PTR_IS_NULL);
+	if ((object_ID = gmtapi_decode_id (string)) == GMT_NOTSET)
+		return_error (V_API, GMT_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND);
+	API = gmtapi_get_api_ptr (V_API);
+	if ((item = gmtlib_validate_id (API, GMT_NOTSET, object_ID, GMT_NOTSET, GMT_NOTSET)) == GMT_NOTSET)
+		return_error (API, GMT_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND);
+	S_obj = API->object[item];	/* Short-hand */
+	if (S_obj->family != S_obj->actual_family)	/* Reset the un-masquerading that GMT_Open_VirtualFile did */
+		S_obj->family = S_obj->actual_family;
+	S_obj->no_longer_owner = true;
+	S_obj->resource = NULL;
+
+	return GMT_NOERROR;
+}
+
 void * GMT_Read_VirtualFile (void *V_API, const char *string) {
 	/* Given a VirtualFile name, retrieve the resulting object */
 	int object_ID;
@@ -13426,7 +13447,7 @@ int GMT_Get_FilePath (void *V_API, unsigned int family, unsigned int direction,
 				/* Nothing*/
 			}
 			else if (gmt_M_file_is_netcdf (file))	/* Meaning it specifies a layer etc via ?<args> */
-				c = strchr (file, '?');				
+				c = strchr (file, '?');
 			else {	/* Check for modifiers */
 				unsigned int nm = gmt_validate_modifiers (API->GMT, file, 0, "onsuU", GMT_MSG_QUIET);
 				if (nm) /* Found some valid modifiers, lets get to the first */
diff --git a/src/gmt_internals.h b/src/gmt_internals.h
index f63e2d91ab5..d8ef4c3a2bd 100644
--- a/src/gmt_internals.h
+++ b/src/gmt_internals.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ struct GMT_XINGS {
 EXTERN_MSC char *dlerror (void);
 #endif
 
+EXTERN_MSC int gmtlib_delete_virtualfile  (void *API, const char *string);
 EXTERN_MSC int gmtlib_file_is_jpeg2000_tile (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, char *file);
 EXTERN_MSC int gmtlib_download_remote_file (struct GMT_CTRL *GMT, const char* file_name, char *path, int k_data, unsigned int mode);
 EXTERN_MSC int gmtlib_get_serverfile_index (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, const char *file);
diff --git a/src/gmt_remote.c b/src/gmt_remote.c
index fdb318cd4fd..069da852d88 100644
--- a/src/gmt_remote.c
+++ b/src/gmt_remote.c
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ GMT_LOCAL struct GMT_DATA_INFO *gmtremote_data_load (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, in
 		else
 			GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "Unable to parse \"%s\" to extract GMT version\n", line);
 		return NULL;
-	}	
+	}
 	if ((I = gmt_M_memory (GMT, NULL, *n, struct GMT_DATA_INFO)) == NULL) {
 		GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "Unable to allocated %d GMT_DATA_INFO structures!\n", *n);
 		return NULL;
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ GMT_LOCAL int gmtremote_refresh (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, unsigned int index) {
 			if (!access (old_indexpath, F_OK))
 				remove (old_indexpath);	/* Remove old index file if it exists */
 		}
-		else 
+		else
 			GMT->current.io.new_data_list = true;	/* Flag that we wish to delete datasets older than entries in this file */
 	}
 	else
@@ -1351,7 +1351,7 @@ char ** gmt_get_dataset_tiles (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, double wesn_in[], int k_
 			XS = (lon < 0) ? 'W' : 'E';
 			/* Write remote tile name to list */
 			if (n >= n_alloc) {
-				n_alloc <<= 1; 
+				n_alloc <<= 1;
 				if ((list = gmt_M_memory (API->GMT, list, n_alloc, char *)) == NULL) {
 					GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "gmt_get_dataset_tiles: Unable to reallocate memory.\n");
 					API->error = GMT_RUNTIME_ERROR;
@@ -1394,7 +1394,7 @@ char *gmtlib_get_tile_list (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, double wesn[], int k_data,
 	if (strcmp (Ip->filler, "-") && srtm_flag == 0) {	/* Want background filler, except special case when srtm_relief is the given dataset name (srtm_flag == 1) */
 		if ((k_filler = gmt_remote_dataset_id (API, Ip->filler)) == GMT_NOTSET) {
 			GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "gmtlib_get_tile_list: Internal error - Filler grid %s is not a recognized remote data set.\n", Ip->filler);
-			return NULL;			
+			return NULL;
 		}
 		Is = &API->remote_info[k_filler];	/* Pointer to secondary tiled dataset */
 		ocean = (strcmp (Is->inc, "15s") == 0);
@@ -1507,6 +1507,11 @@ struct GMT_GRID *gmtlib_assemble_tiles (struct GMTAPI_CTRL *API, double *region,
 		GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "ERROR - Unable to receive blended grid from grdblend\n");
 		return NULL;
 	}
+	if (gmtlib_delete_virtualfile (API, grid)) {	/* Remove trace since passed upwards anyway */
+		GMT_Report (API, GMT_MSG_ERROR, "ERROR - Unable to destroy temporary object for assembled grid\n");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
 	HH = gmt_get_H_hidden (G->header);
 	HH->orig_datatype = GMT_SHORT;	/* Since we know this */
 	return (G);