diff --git a/imagekit/models.py b/imagekit/models.py
index e5ed1bb..fb5d592 100755
--- a/imagekit/models.py
+++ b/imagekit/models.py
@@ -2,22 +2,17 @@ import os
 import datetime
 from StringIO import StringIO
 
-from django.conf import settings
 from django.core.files.base import ContentFile
 from django.db import models
 from django.db.models.fields.files import ImageFieldFile
 from django.db.models.signals import post_save, post_delete
 from django.utils.encoding import force_unicode, smart_str
 
-from imagekit.lib import Image, ImageFile
 from imagekit.utils import img_to_fobj, get_spec_files, open_image, \
         format_to_extension, extension_to_format, UnknownFormatError, \
         UnknownExtensionError
 from imagekit.processors import ProcessorPipeline
 
-# Modify image file buffer size.
-ImageFile.MAXBLOCK = getattr(settings, 'PIL_IMAGEFILE_MAXBLOCK', 256 * 2 ** 10)
-
 
 class _ImageSpecMixin(object):
     def __init__(self, processors=None, quality=70, format=None):
diff --git a/imagekit/utils.py b/imagekit/utils.py
index 57c1e0b..325280a 100644
--- a/imagekit/utils.py
+++ b/imagekit/utils.py
@@ -21,10 +21,15 @@ def img_to_fobj(img, format, **kwargs):
     try:
         img.save(tmp, format, **kwargs)
     except IOError:
+        # PIL can have problems saving large JPEGs if MAXBLOCK isn't big enough,
+        # So if we have a problem saving, we temporarily increase it. See
+        # http://github.com/jdriscoll/django-imagekit/issues/50
         old_maxblock = ImageFile.MAXBLOCK
         ImageFile.MAXBLOCK = img.size[0] * img.size[1]
-        img.save(tmp, format, **kwargs)
-        ImageFile.MAXBLOCK = old_maxblock
+        try:
+            img.save(tmp, format, **kwargs)
+        finally:
+            ImageFile.MAXBLOCK = old_maxblock
     tmp.seek(0)
     return tmp