diff --git a/src/hb-dsalgs.hh b/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
index 7a207f5d2..8e59fdee4 100644
--- a/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
+++ b/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
@@ -573,6 +573,10 @@ struct hb_array_t
 
   inline unsigned int get_size (void) const { return len * sizeof (Type); }
 
+  template <typename hb_sanitize_context_t>
+  inline bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c) const
+  { return c->check_array (arrayZ, len); }
+
   template <typename T> inline operator  T * (void) const { return arrayZ; }
 
   inline Type * operator & (void) const { return arrayZ; }
@@ -598,6 +602,8 @@ struct hb_array_t
   Type *arrayZ;
   unsigned int len;
 };
+template <typename T>
+hb_array_t<T> hb_array (T *array, unsigned int len) { return hb_array_t<T> (array, len); }
 
 
 struct HbOpOr
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-var-fvar-table.hh b/src/hb-ot-var-fvar-table.hh
index 66618a5a1..b4fdd5fad 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-var-fvar-table.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-var-fvar-table.hh
@@ -114,9 +114,6 @@ struct fvar
 
   inline bool get_axis (unsigned int index, hb_ot_var_axis_t *info) const
   {
-    if (unlikely (index >= axisCount))
-      return false;
-
     if (info)
     {
       const AxisRecord &axis = get_axes ()[index];
@@ -133,9 +130,6 @@ struct fvar
 
   inline hb_ot_var_axis_flags_t get_axis_flags (unsigned int index) const
   {
-    if (unlikely (index >= axisCount))
-      return (hb_ot_var_axis_flags_t) 0;
-
     const AxisRecord &axis = get_axes ()[index];
     return (hb_ot_var_axis_flags_t) (unsigned int) axis.flags;
   }
@@ -195,11 +189,11 @@ struct fvar
   }
 
   protected:
-  inline const AxisRecord * get_axes (void) const
-  { return &(this+firstAxis); }
+  inline hb_array_t<const AxisRecord> get_axes (void) const
+  { return hb_array (&(this+firstAxis), axisCount); }
 
-  inline const InstanceRecord * get_instances (void) const
-  { return &StructAtOffset<InstanceRecord> (get_axes () + axisCount, 0); }
+  inline const InstanceRecord * get_first_instance (void) const
+  { return &StructAfter<InstanceRecord> (get_axes ()); }
 
   protected:
   FixedVersion<>version;	/* Version of the fvar table