diff --git a/src/hb-ot-font.cc b/src/hb-ot-font.cc
index 9cde83898..3d861ec78 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-font.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-font.cc
@@ -238,10 +238,9 @@ struct hb_ot_font_t
 
 
 static hb_ot_font_t *
-_hb_ot_font_create (hb_font_t *font)
+_hb_ot_font_create (hb_face_t *face)
 {
   hb_ot_font_t *ot_font = (hb_ot_font_t *) calloc (1, sizeof (hb_ot_font_t));
-  hb_face_t *face = font->face;
 
   if (unlikely (!ot_font))
     return NULL;
@@ -423,7 +422,7 @@ _hb_ot_get_font_funcs (void)
 void
 hb_ot_font_set_funcs (hb_font_t *font)
 {
-  hb_ot_font_t *ot_font = _hb_ot_font_create (font);
+  hb_ot_font_t *ot_font = _hb_ot_font_create (font->face);
   if (unlikely (!ot_font))
     return;