diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape-normalize.cc b/src/hb-ot-shape-normalize.cc
index a754590dc..a1ad6d7ea 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape-normalize.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape-normalize.cc
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ decompose_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 = c->buffer->idx; i < end; i++)
-    if (unlikely (is_variation_selector (c->buffer->info[i].codepoint))) {
+    if (unlikely (_hb_unicode_is_variation_selector (c->buffer->info[i].codepoint))) {
       while (c->buffer->idx < end)
 	c->buffer->next_glyph ();
       return;
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh b/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
index 78564f835..73473772f 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape-private.hh
@@ -90,14 +90,6 @@ struct hb_ot_shape_context_t
 };
 
 
-static inline hb_bool_t
-is_variation_selector (hb_codepoint_t unicode)
-{
-  return unlikely ((unicode >=  0x180B && unicode <=  0x180D) || /* MONGOLIAN FREE VARIATION SELECTOR ONE..THREE */
-		   (unicode >=  0xFE00 && unicode <=  0xFE0F) || /* VARIATION SELECTOR-1..16 */
-		   (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)
 {
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape.cc b/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
index 4275afc82..d61eb75cd 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape.cc
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ hb_map_glyphs (hb_font_t    *font,
 
   unsigned int count = buffer->len - 1;
   for (buffer->idx = 0; buffer->idx < count;) {
-    if (unlikely (is_variation_selector (buffer->info[buffer->idx + 1].codepoint))) {
+    if (unlikely (_hb_unicode_is_variation_selector (buffer->info[buffer->idx + 1].codepoint))) {
       hb_font_get_glyph (font, buffer->info[buffer->idx].codepoint, buffer->info[buffer->idx + 1].codepoint, &glyph);
       buffer->replace_glyph (glyph);
       buffer->skip_glyph ();
diff --git a/src/hb-unicode-private.hh b/src/hb-unicode-private.hh
index 7fdf646df..ad85be7b9 100644
--- a/src/hb-unicode-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-unicode-private.hh
@@ -106,5 +106,13 @@ HB_INTERNAL unsigned int
 _hb_unicode_modified_combining_class (hb_unicode_funcs_t *ufuncs,
 				      hb_codepoint_t      unicode);
 
+static inline hb_bool_t
+_hb_unicode_is_variation_selector (hb_codepoint_t unicode)
+{
+  return unlikely ((unicode >=  0x180B && unicode <=  0x180D) || /* MONGOLIAN FREE VARIATION SELECTOR ONE..THREE */
+		   (unicode >=  0xFE00 && unicode <=  0xFE0F) || /* VARIATION SELECTOR-1..16 */
+		   (unicode >= 0xE0100 && unicode <= 0xE01EF));  /* VARIATION SELECTOR-17..256 */
+}
+
 
 #endif /* HB_UNICODE_PRIVATE_HH */