diff --git a/util/hb-test.c b/util/hb-test.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ebd6c20d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/util/hb-test.c
@@ -0,0 +1,168 @@
+#include <hb.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdarg.h>
+
+typedef struct {
+  int level;
+} paint_data_t;
+
+#define INDENT 2
+
+static void
+print (paint_data_t *data,
+       const char *format,
+       ...)
+{
+  va_list args;
+
+  printf ("%*s", 2 * data->level, "");
+
+  va_start (args, format);
+  vprintf (format, args);
+  va_end (args);
+
+  printf ("\n");
+}
+
+static void
+push_transform (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+                void *paint_data,
+                float xx, float xy,
+                float yx, float yy,
+                float x0, float y0,
+                void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  print (data, "start transform %f %f %f %f %f %f", xx, xy, yx, yy, x0, y0);
+  data->level++;
+}
+
+static void
+pop_transform (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+               void *paint_data,
+               void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  data->level--;
+  print (data, "end transform");
+}
+
+static void
+push_clip (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+           void *paint_data,
+           hb_codepoint_t glyph,
+           void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  print (data, "start clip %u", glyph);
+  data->level++;
+}
+
+static void
+pop_clip (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+          void *paint_data,
+          void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  data->level--;
+  print (data, "end clip");
+}
+
+static void
+solid (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+       void *paint_data,
+       unsigned int color_index,
+       void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  print (data, "solid %u", color_index);
+}
+
+static void
+linear_gradient (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+                 void *paint_data,
+                 hb_color_line_t *color_line,
+                 hb_position_t x0, hb_position_t y0,
+                 hb_position_t x1, hb_position_t y1,
+                 hb_position_t x2, hb_position_t y2,
+                 void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  print (data, "linear gradient");
+}
+
+static void
+radial_gradient (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+                 void *paint_data,
+                 hb_color_line_t *color_line,
+                 hb_position_t x0, hb_position_t y0,
+                 float r0,
+                 hb_position_t x1, hb_position_t y1,
+                 float r1,
+                 void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  print (data, "radial gradient");
+}
+
+static void
+sweep_gradient (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+                void *paint_data,
+                hb_color_line_t *color_line,
+                hb_position_t x0, hb_position_t y0,
+                float start_angle,
+                float end_angle,
+                void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  print (data, "sweep gradient");
+}
+
+static void
+push_group (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+            void *paint_data,
+            void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  print (data, "push group");
+  data->level++;
+}
+
+static void
+pop_group_and_composite (hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs,
+                         void *paint_data,
+                         hb_paint_composite_mode_t mode,
+                         void *user_data)
+{
+  paint_data_t *data = user_data;
+  data->level--;
+  print (data, "pop group mode %d", mode);
+}
+
+int main (int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+  paint_data_t data = { 0 };
+  hb_paint_funcs_t *funcs;
+  hb_blob_t *blob = hb_blob_create_from_file (argv[1]);
+  hb_face_t *face = hb_face_create (blob, 0);
+  hb_font_t *font = hb_font_create (face);
+  hb_font_set_scale (font, 20, 20);
+  hb_codepoint_t gid = atoi (argv[2]);
+
+  funcs = hb_paint_funcs_create ();
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_push_transform_func (funcs, push_transform, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_pop_transform_func (funcs, pop_transform, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_push_clip_func (funcs, push_clip, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_pop_clip_func (funcs, pop_clip, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_push_group_func (funcs, push_group, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_pop_group_and_composite_func (funcs, pop_group_and_composite, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_solid_func (funcs, solid, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_linear_gradient_func (funcs, linear_gradient, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_radial_gradient_func (funcs, radial_gradient, &data, NULL);
+  hb_paint_funcs_set_sweep_gradient_func (funcs, sweep_gradient, &data, NULL);
+
+  hb_font_paint_glyph (font, gid, funcs, NULL);
+
+  return 0;
+}
diff --git a/util/meson.build b/util/meson.build
index 41965994c..2e57cf1e4 100644
--- a/util/meson.build
+++ b/util/meson.build
@@ -16,6 +16,13 @@ hb_subset_cli_sources = [
 
 util_deps = [freetype_dep, cairo_dep, cairo_ft_dep, glib_dep]
 
+hb_test = executable('hb-test', [ 'hb-test.c' ],
+   cpp_args: cpp_args,
+      include_directories: [incconfig, incsrc],
+      dependencies: [util_deps, chafa_dep],
+      link_with: [libharfbuzz],
+   ) 
+
 if conf.get('HAVE_GLIB', 0) == 1
   if conf.get('HAVE_CAIRO', 0) == 1
     hb_view = executable('hb-view', hb_view_sources,