diff --git a/test/shaping/data/aots/Makefile.am b/test/shaping/data/aots/Makefile.am
index 543448f0b..6b71d893b 100644
--- a/test/shaping/data/aots/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/shaping/data/aots/Makefile.am
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	$(NULL)
 
 TEST_EXTENSIONS = .tests
+if HAVE_FREETYPE
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = HAVE_FREETYPE=1
+else
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = HAVE_FREETYPE=0
+endif
 TESTS_LOG_COMPILER = $(srcdir)/../../run-tests.py $(top_builddir)/util/hb-shape$(EXEEXT)
 
 include Makefile.sources
diff --git a/test/shaping/data/in-house/Makefile.am b/test/shaping/data/in-house/Makefile.am
index 15ac13c2f..a2845785e 100644
--- a/test/shaping/data/in-house/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/shaping/data/in-house/Makefile.am
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	$(NULL)
 
 TEST_EXTENSIONS = .tests
+if HAVE_FREETYPE
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = HAVE_FREETYPE=1
+else
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = HAVE_FREETYPE=0
+endif
 TESTS_LOG_COMPILER = $(srcdir)/../../run-tests.py $(top_builddir)/util/hb-shape$(EXEEXT)
 
 include Makefile.sources
diff --git a/test/shaping/data/text-rendering-tests/Makefile.am b/test/shaping/data/text-rendering-tests/Makefile.am
index 17d7ba5d3..19ac3b3a0 100644
--- a/test/shaping/data/text-rendering-tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/test/shaping/data/text-rendering-tests/Makefile.am
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ EXTRA_DIST = \
 	$(NULL)
 
 TEST_EXTENSIONS = .tests
+if HAVE_FREETYPE
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = HAVE_FREETYPE=1
+else
+TESTS_ENVIRONMENT = HAVE_FREETYPE=0
+endif
 TESTS_LOG_COMPILER = $(srcdir)/../../run-tests.py $(top_builddir)/util/hb-shape$(EXEEXT)
 
 include Makefile.sources
diff --git a/test/shaping/meson.build b/test/shaping/meson.build
index 0e2ee5b2a..ee74353a8 100644
--- a/test/shaping/meson.build
+++ b/test/shaping/meson.build
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ subdir('data/text-rendering-tests') # text_rendering_tests
 shaping_run_tests_py = find_program('run-tests.py')
 
 env = environment()
-env.set('NO_FT_FUNCS', conf.get('HAVE_FREETYPE', 0) == 1 ? '0' : '1')
+env.set('HAVE_FREETYPE', '@0@'.format(conf.get('HAVE_FREETYPE', 0)))
 
 foreach file_name : in_house_tests
   test_name = file_name.split('.')[0].underscorify()
diff --git a/test/shaping/run-tests.py b/test/shaping/run-tests.py
index 3cd74cc28..71d520f6b 100755
--- a/test/shaping/run-tests.py
+++ b/test/shaping/run-tests.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ if len (args) and args[0] == "--reference":
 	reference = True
 	args = args[1:]
 
-no_ft_funcs = bool(int(os.getenv ('NO_FT_FUNCS', '0')))
+have_freetype = bool(int(os.getenv ('HAVE_FREETYPE', '1')))
 
 if not args or args[0].find('hb-shape') == -1 or not os.path.exists (args[0]):
 	sys.exit ("""First argument does not seem to point to usable hb-shape.""")
@@ -103,11 +103,11 @@ for filename in args:
 			shutil.copyfile(fontfile, new_fontfile)
 			fontfile = new_fontfile
 
-		if "--font-funcs=ft" in options and no_ft_funcs:
+		if "--font-funcs=ft" in options and not have_freetype:
 			skips += 1
 			continue
 
-		if "--font-funcs=ot" in options or no_ft_funcs:
+		if "--font-funcs=ot" in options or not have_freetype:
 			glyphs1 = cmd ([hb_shape, "--font-funcs=ot", fontfile] + extra_options + ["--unicodes", unicodes] + options)
 		else:
 			glyphs1 = cmd ([hb_shape, "--font-funcs=ft", fontfile] + extra_options + ["--unicodes", unicodes] + options)