diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 2cdfd4b3b..71830b6f5 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ endmacro ()
 if (UNIX)
   list(APPEND CMAKE_REQUIRED_LIBRARIES m)
 endif ()
-check_funcs(atexit mprotect sysconf getpagesize mmap isatty newlocale strtod_l roundf)
+check_funcs(atexit mprotect sysconf getpagesize mmap isatty roundf)
 check_include_file(unistd.h HAVE_UNISTD_H)
 if (${HAVE_UNISTD_H})
   add_definitions(-DHAVE_UNISTD_H)
@@ -97,10 +97,6 @@ check_include_file(sys/mman.h HAVE_SYS_MMAN_H)
 if (${HAVE_SYS_MMAN_H})
   add_definitions(-DHAVE_SYS_MMAN_H)
 endif ()
-check_include_file(xlocale.h HAVE_XLOCALE_H)
-if (${HAVE_XLOCALE_H})
-  add_definitions(-DHAVE_XLOCALE_H)
-endif ()
 check_include_file(stdbool.h HAVE_STDBOOL_H)
 if (${HAVE_STDBOOL_H})
   add_definitions(-DHAVE_STDBOOL_H)
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 7fd9538c2..df5929744 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ GTK_DOC_CHECK([1.15],[--flavour no-tmpl])
 ])
 
 # Functions and headers
-AC_CHECK_FUNCS(atexit mprotect sysconf getpagesize mmap isatty newlocale strtod_l roundf)
-AC_CHECK_HEADERS(unistd.h sys/mman.h xlocale.h stdbool.h)
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(atexit mprotect sysconf getpagesize mmap isatty roundf)
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS(unistd.h sys/mman.h stdbool.h)
 
 # Compiler flags
 AC_CANONICAL_HOST
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 016ef89cc..12dc4858f 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ python3 = import('python').find_installation('python3')
 check_headers = [
   ['unistd.h'],
   ['sys/mman.h'],
-  ['xlocale.h'],
   ['stdbool.h'],
 ]
 
@@ -70,8 +69,6 @@ check_funcs = [
   ['getpagesize'],
   ['mmap'],
   ['isatty'],
-  ['newlocale'],
-  ['strtod_l'],
   ['roundf'],
 ]
 
diff --git a/src/hb-number.cc b/src/hb-number.cc
index 424c2a3ff..e68b10d9b 100644
--- a/src/hb-number.cc
+++ b/src/hb-number.cc
@@ -28,11 +28,6 @@
 #include "hb-number.hh"
 #include "hb-number-parser.hh"
 
-#include <locale.h>
-#ifdef HAVE_XLOCALE_H
-#include <xlocale.h>
-#endif
-
 template<typename T, typename Func>
 static bool
 _parse_number (const char **pp, const char *end, T *pv,
@@ -74,75 +69,11 @@ hb_parse_uint (const char **pp, const char *end, unsigned int *pv,
 				      { return strtoul (p, end, base); });
 }
 
-
-#if defined (HAVE_NEWLOCALE) && defined (HAVE_STRTOD_L)
-#define USE_XLOCALE 1
-#define HB_LOCALE_T locale_t
-#define HB_CREATE_LOCALE(locName) newlocale (LC_ALL_MASK, locName, nullptr)
-#define HB_FREE_LOCALE(loc) freelocale (loc)
-#elif defined(_MSC_VER)
-#define USE_XLOCALE 1
-#define HB_LOCALE_T _locale_t
-#define HB_CREATE_LOCALE(locName) _create_locale (LC_ALL, locName)
-#define HB_FREE_LOCALE(loc) _free_locale (loc)
-#define strtod_l(a, b, c) _strtod_l ((a), (b), (c))
-#endif
-
-#ifdef USE_XLOCALE
-
-#if HB_USE_ATEXIT
-static void free_static_C_locale ();
-#endif
-
-static struct hb_C_locale_lazy_loader_t : hb_lazy_loader_t<hb_remove_pointer<HB_LOCALE_T>,
-							  hb_C_locale_lazy_loader_t>
-{
-  static HB_LOCALE_T create ()
-  {
-    HB_LOCALE_T C_locale = HB_CREATE_LOCALE ("C");
-
-#if HB_USE_ATEXIT
-    atexit (free_static_C_locale);
-#endif
-
-    return C_locale;
-  }
-  static void destroy (HB_LOCALE_T p)
-  {
-    HB_FREE_LOCALE (p);
-  }
-  static HB_LOCALE_T get_null ()
-  {
-    return nullptr;
-  }
-} static_C_locale;
-
-#if HB_USE_ATEXIT
-static
-void free_static_C_locale ()
-{
-  static_C_locale.free_instance ();
-}
-#endif
-
-static HB_LOCALE_T
-get_C_locale ()
-{
-  return static_C_locale.get_unconst ();
-}
-#endif /* USE_XLOCALE */
-
 bool
 hb_parse_double (const char **pp, const char *end, double *pv,
 		 bool whole_buffer)
 {
   return _parse_number<double> (pp, end, pv, whole_buffer,
 				[] (const char *p, char **end)
-				{
-#ifdef USE_XLOCALE
-				  return strtod_l (p, end, get_C_locale ());
-#else
-				  return strtod_rl (p, end);
-#endif
-				});
+				{ return strtod_rl (p, end); });
 }
diff --git a/src/test-number.cc b/src/test-number.cc
index 3591b13f2..468de6f42 100644
--- a/src/test-number.cc
+++ b/src/test-number.cc
@@ -146,11 +146,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     assert ((int) roundf (pv * 1000.) == 123);
     assert (pp - str == 4);
     assert (end - pp == 1);
-
-    /* Test strtod_rl even if libc's strtod_l is used */
-    char *pend;
-    assert ((int) roundf (strtod_rl (str, &pend) * 1000.) == 123);
-    assert (pend - str == 4);
   }
 
   {
@@ -163,10 +158,6 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     assert ((int) roundf (pv * 1000.) == 123);
     assert (pp - str == 5);
     assert (end - pp == 0);
-
-    char *pend;
-    assert ((int) roundf (strtod_rl (str, &pend) * 1000.) == 123);
-    assert (pend - str == 5);
   }
 
   {