diff --git a/gdal/frmts/derived/deriveddataset.cpp b/gdal/frmts/derived/deriveddataset.cpp
index bee7b185868a..891185350449 100644
--- a/gdal/frmts/derived/deriveddataset.cpp
+++ b/gdal/frmts/derived/deriveddataset.cpp
@@ -80,16 +80,16 @@ GDALDataset * DerivedDataset::Open(GDALOpenInfo * poOpenInfo)
   CPLString pixelFunctionName = "";
   bool datasetFound = false;
 
-  const unsigned int nbSupportedDerivedDS = GDALGetNumberOfDerivedDatasetDecriptions();
+  unsigned int nbSupportedDerivedDS(0);
+  
+  const DerivedDatasetDescription * poDDSDesc = GDALGetDerivedDatasetDescriptions(&nbSupportedDerivedDS);
   
   for(unsigned int derivedId = 0; derivedId<nbSupportedDerivedDS;++derivedId)
-    {
-      const DerivedDatasetDescription * poCurrentDerivedDatasetDescription = GDALGetDerivedDatasetDescription(&derivedId);
-      
-    if(poCurrentDerivedDatasetDescription != NULL && odDerivedName == poCurrentDerivedDatasetDescription->pszDatasetName)
+    {     
+    if(odDerivedName == poDDSDesc[derivedId].pszDatasetName)
       {
       datasetFound = true;
-      pixelFunctionName = poCurrentDerivedDatasetDescription->pszPixelFunction;
+      pixelFunctionName = poDDSDesc[derivedId].pszPixelFunction;
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/gdal/frmts/derived/derivedlist.c b/gdal/frmts/derived/derivedlist.c
index 31a4579a1968..7cfcbe5313ef 100644
--- a/gdal/frmts/derived/derivedlist.c
+++ b/gdal/frmts/derived/derivedlist.c
@@ -43,18 +43,10 @@ static const DerivedDatasetDescription asDDSDesc [] =
 
 #define NB_DERIVED_DATASETS (sizeof(asDDSDesc)/sizeof(asDDSDesc[0]))
 
-const DerivedDatasetDescription* CPL_DLL CPL_STDCALL GDALGetDerivedDatasetDescription(const unsigned int * pnDescriptionCount)
+const DerivedDatasetDescription* CPL_DLL CPL_STDCALL GDALGetDerivedDatasetDescriptions(unsigned int * pnDescriptionCount)
 {
-  if(*pnDescriptionCount < (int)NB_DERIVED_DATASETS)
-    {
-      return &asDDSDesc[*pnDescriptionCount];
-    }
-  return NULL;
-}
-
-unsigned int CPL_DLL CPL_STDCALL GDALGetNumberOfDerivedDatasetDecriptions(void)
-{
-  return (unsigned int)NB_DERIVED_DATASETS;
+  *pnDescriptionCount = (unsigned int)NB_DERIVED_DATASETS;
+  return asDDSDesc;
 }
 
 CPL_C_END
diff --git a/gdal/frmts/derived/derivedlist.h b/gdal/frmts/derived/derivedlist.h
index 2f0b2620fca4..3202f8860e6c 100644
--- a/gdal/frmts/derived/derivedlist.h
+++ b/gdal/frmts/derived/derivedlist.h
@@ -40,9 +40,7 @@ typedef struct
   const char * pszTargetPixelType;
 } DerivedDatasetDescription;
 
-const DerivedDatasetDescription* CPL_DLL CPL_STDCALL GDALGetDerivedDatasetDescription(const unsigned int * pnDescriptionCount);
-
-unsigned int CPL_DLL CPL_STDCALL GDALGetNumberOfDerivedDatasetDecriptions(void);
+const DerivedDatasetDescription* CPL_DLL CPL_STDCALL GDALGetDerivedDatasetDescriptions(unsigned int * pnDescriptionCount);
 
 CPL_C_END
 
diff --git a/gdal/gcore/gdaldataset.cpp b/gdal/gcore/gdaldataset.cpp
index 98d9f546c6cc..24652f95783f 100644
--- a/gdal/gcore/gdaldataset.cpp
+++ b/gdal/gcore/gdaldataset.cpp
@@ -3316,17 +3316,17 @@ char ** GDALDataset::GetMetadata(const char * pszDomain)
               }
           }
 
-          const unsigned int nbSupportedDerivedDS = GDALGetNumberOfDerivedDatasetDecriptions();
+          unsigned int nbSupportedDerivedDS;
+          const DerivedDatasetDescription * poDDSDesc = GDALGetDerivedDatasetDescriptions(&nbSupportedDerivedDS);
       
           for(unsigned int derivedId = 0; derivedId<nbSupportedDerivedDS;++derivedId)
           {
-              const DerivedDatasetDescription * poCurrentDerivedDatasetDescription = GDALGetDerivedDatasetDescription(&derivedId);
-              
-              if(hasAComplexBand || CPLString(poCurrentDerivedDatasetDescription->pszTargetPixelType) != "complex")
+                            
+              if(hasAComplexBand || CPLString(poDDSDesc[derivedId].pszTargetPixelType) != "complex")
               {
-                  oDerivedMetadataList.SetNameValue(CPLSPrintf("DERIVED_SUBDATASET_%i_NAME",derivedId),CPLSPrintf("DERIVED_SUBDATASET:%s:%s",poCurrentDerivedDatasetDescription->pszDatasetName,GetDescription()));
+                  oDerivedMetadataList.SetNameValue(CPLSPrintf("DERIVED_SUBDATASET_%i_NAME",derivedId),CPLSPrintf("DERIVED_SUBDATASET:%s:%s",poDDSDesc[derivedId].pszDatasetName,GetDescription()));
 
-                  CPLString osDesc(CPLSPrintf("%s from %s",poCurrentDerivedDatasetDescription->pszDatasetDescritpion,GetDescription()));
+                  CPLString osDesc(CPLSPrintf("%s from %s",poDDSDesc[derivedId].pszDatasetDescritpion,GetDescription()));
                   oDerivedMetadataList.SetNameValue(CPLSPrintf("DERIVED_SUBDATASET_%i_DESC",derivedId),osDesc.c_str());
               }
           }