diff --git a/src/hb-common.cc b/src/hb-common.cc
index a089e52cd..a6a514479 100644
--- a/src/hb-common.cc
+++ b/src/hb-common.cc
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ struct hb_language_item_t {
 
 static hb_language_item_t *langs;
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ATEXIT
+#ifdef HB_USE_ATEXIT
 static inline
 void free_langs (void)
 {
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ retry:
     goto retry;
   }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ATEXIT
+#ifdef HB_USE_ATEXIT
   if (!first_lang)
     atexit (free_langs); /* First person registers atexit() callback. */
 #endif
diff --git a/src/hb-ft.cc b/src/hb-ft.cc
index 44e0b0bc2..16bf51f56 100644
--- a/src/hb-ft.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ft.cc
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ retry:
       goto retry;
     }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ATEXIT
+#ifdef HB_USE_ATEXIT
     atexit (free_ft_library); /* First person registers atexit() callback. */
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/src/hb-private.hh b/src/hb-private.hh
index 5a4ca6991..1b39e5731 100644
--- a/src/hb-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-private.hh
@@ -130,6 +130,31 @@
 #  define STRICT
 #endif
 
+#if HAVE_ATEXIT
+/* atexit() is only safe to be called from shared libraries on certain
+ * platforms.  Whitelist.
+ * https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=82246 */
+#  if defined(__linux) && defined(__GLIBC_PREREQ)
+#    if __GLIBC_PREREQ(2,3)
+/* From atexit() manpage, it's safe with glibc 2.2.3 on Linux. */
+#      define HB_USE_ATEXIT 1
+#    endif
+#  elif defined(_MSC_VER) || defined(__MINGW32__)
+/* For MSVC:
+ * http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/tze57ck3.aspx
+ * http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-ca/library/zk17ww08.aspx
+ * mingw32 headers say atexit is safe to use in shared libraries.
+ */
+#    define HB_USE_ATEXIT 1
+#  elif defined(__ANDROID__) && (__GNUC__ > 4 || (__GNUC__ == 4 && __GNUC_MINOR__ >= 6))
+/* This was fixed in Android NKD r8 or r8b:
+ * https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=6455
+ * which introduced GCC 4.6:
+ * https://developer.android.com/tools/sdk/ndk/index.html
+ */
+#    define HB_USE_ATEXIT 1
+#  endif
+#endif
 
 /* Basics */
 
diff --git a/src/hb-shape.cc b/src/hb-shape.cc
index 812cf5919..74747f88b 100644
--- a/src/hb-shape.cc
+++ b/src/hb-shape.cc
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ retry:
       goto retry;
     }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ATEXIT
+#ifdef HB_USE_ATEXIT
     atexit (free_static_shaper_list); /* First person registers atexit() callback. */
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/src/hb-shaper.cc b/src/hb-shaper.cc
index 44f718aa7..6ae260138 100644
--- a/src/hb-shaper.cc
+++ b/src/hb-shaper.cc
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ retry:
       goto retry;
     }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ATEXIT
+#ifdef HB_USE_ATEXIT
     atexit (free_static_shapers); /* First person registers atexit() callback. */
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/src/hb-uniscribe.cc b/src/hb-uniscribe.cc
index 6bf87a5f4..0a2b48163 100644
--- a/src/hb-uniscribe.cc
+++ b/src/hb-uniscribe.cc
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ retry:
       goto retry;
     }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_ATEXIT
+#ifdef HB_USE_ATEXIT
     atexit (free_uniscribe_funcs); /* First person registers atexit() callback. */
 #endif
   }