diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.hh b/src/hb-buffer.hh
index 0f991936c..6ca78f28d 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.hh
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.hh
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ struct hb_buffer_t
 #ifdef HB_NO_BUFFER_MESSAGE
    return true;
 #else
-    if (!messaging ())
+    if (likely (!messaging ()))
       return true;
 
     message_depth++;