diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape-normalize.cc b/src/hb-ot-shape-normalize.cc
index 6832779cf..1df2cbe5c 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape-normalize.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape-normalize.cc
@@ -63,12 +63,34 @@ HB_BEGIN_DECLS
  *     matra for the Indic shaper.
  */
 
-static bool
-get_glyph (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c, unsigned int i)
-{
-  hb_codepoint_t glyph;
 
-  return hb_font_get_glyph (c->font, c->buffer->info[i].codepoint, 0, &glyph);
+static bool
+decompose (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c,
+	   bool recompose,
+	   hb_codepoint_t ab)
+{
+  hb_codepoint_t a, b, glyph;
+  bool has_this = hb_font_get_glyph (c->font, ab, 0, &glyph);
+
+  /* If recomposing and the single char is supported by the font, we're good. */
+  if (recompose && has_this)
+    return TRUE;
+
+  if (hb_unicode_decompose (c->buffer->unicode, ab, &a, &b) &&
+      hb_font_get_glyph (c->font, b, 0, &glyph) &&
+      decompose (c, recompose, a))
+  {
+    /* Successfully decomposed. */
+
+    if (recompose) {
+      /* Try composing b with base if not blocked */
+
+    }
+
+    return TRUE;
+  }
+
+  return has_this;
 }
 
 static bool
@@ -76,23 +98,23 @@ decompose_single_char_cluster (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c,
 			       bool recompose,
 			       unsigned int i)
 {
+//  c->buffer->copy ();
+//  bool ret = decompose (c, recompose, c->buffer->info[i].codepoint);
+//  c->buffer->skip ();
+//  return ret;
   return FALSE;
 }
 
-static bool
+static void
 handle_single_char_cluster (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c,
 			    bool recompose,
 			    unsigned int i)
 {
-  /* If recomposing and the single char is supported by the font, we're good. */
-  if (recompose && get_glyph (c, i))
-    return FALSE;
-
   /* Decompose */
-  return decompose_single_char_cluster (c, recompose, i);
+  decompose_single_char_cluster (c, recompose, i);
 }
 
-static bool
+static void
 handle_multi_char_cluster (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c,
 			   bool recompose,
 			   unsigned int start,
@@ -101,16 +123,14 @@ handle_multi_char_cluster (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c,
   /* TODO Currently if there's a variation-selector we give-up, it's just too hard. */
   for (unsigned int i = start; i < end; i++)
     if (unlikely (is_variation_selector (c->buffer->info[i].codepoint)))
-      return FALSE;
+      return;
 
-  return FALSE;
 }
 
-bool
+void
 _hb_ot_shape_normalize (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c)
 {
   hb_buffer_t *buffer = c->buffer;
-  bool changed = FALSE;
   bool recompose = !hb_ot_shape_complex_prefer_decomposed (c->plan->shaper);
 
   buffer->clear_output ();
@@ -125,16 +145,14 @@ _hb_ot_shape_normalize (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c)
         break;
 
     if (buffer->i + 1 == end)
-      changed |= handle_single_char_cluster (c, recompose, buffer->i);
+      handle_single_char_cluster (c, recompose, buffer->i);
     else
-      changed |= handle_multi_char_cluster (c, recompose, buffer->i, end);
+      handle_multi_char_cluster (c, recompose, buffer->i, end);
     while (buffer->i < end)
       c->buffer->next_glyph ();
   }
 
   buffer->swap ();
-
-  return changed;
 }
 
 HB_END_DECLS
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh b/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
index 17b3c991f..09468209e 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
@@ -99,8 +99,14 @@ is_variation_selector (hb_codepoint_t unicode)
 		   (unicode >= 0xE0100 && unicode <= 0xE01EF));  /* VARIATION SELECTOR-17..256 */
 }
 
+static inline void
+hb_glyph_info_set_unicode_props (hb_glyph_info_t *info, hb_unicode_funcs_t *unicode)
+{
+  info->general_category() = hb_unicode_general_category (unicode, info->codepoint);
+  info->combining_class() = hb_unicode_combining_class (unicode, info->codepoint);
+}
 
-HB_INTERNAL bool _hb_ot_shape_normalize (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c);
+HB_INTERNAL void _hb_ot_shape_normalize (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c);
 
 HB_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape.cc b/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
index d1c495f42..0770e3d69 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
@@ -179,14 +179,9 @@ hb_ot_position_complex (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c)
 static void
 hb_set_unicode_props (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
 {
-  hb_unicode_funcs_t *unicode = buffer->unicode;
-  hb_glyph_info_t *info = buffer->info;
-
   unsigned int count = buffer->len;
-  for (unsigned int i = 1; i < count; i++) {
-    info[i].general_category() = hb_unicode_general_category (unicode, info[i].codepoint);
-    info[i].combining_class() = hb_unicode_combining_class (unicode, info[i].codepoint);
-  }
+  for (unsigned int i = 1; i < count; i++)
+    hb_glyph_info_set_unicode_props (&buffer->info[i], buffer->unicode);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -365,9 +360,7 @@ hb_ot_shape_execute_internal (hb_ot_shape_context_t *c)
 
   hb_ensure_native_direction (c->buffer);
 
-  if (_hb_ot_shape_normalize (c))
-    /* Buffer contents changed, reset unicode_props */
-    hb_set_unicode_props (c->buffer); /* BUFFER: Set general_category and combining_class in var1 */
+  _hb_ot_shape_normalize (c);
 
   hb_ot_shape_setup_masks (c); /* BUFFER: Clobbers var2 */