Let X and Y be Banach spaces. We give a “non-separable” proof of the Kalton-Werner-Lima-Oja theorem that the subspace (X,X) of compact operators forms an M-ideal in the space (X,X) of all continuous linear operators from X to X if and only if X has Kalton’s property (M*) and the metric compact approximation property. Our proof is a quick consequence of two main results. First, we describe how Johnson’s projection P on (X,Y)* applies to f ∈ (X,Y)* when f is represented via a Borel (with respect to...