diff --git a/src/hb-font.cc b/src/hb-font.cc
index c6fca1c9e..b82fd2877 100644
--- a/src/hb-font.cc
+++ b/src/hb-font.cc
@@ -27,11 +27,11 @@
 #include "hb-private.h"
 
 #include "hb-font-private.h"
+#include "hb-ot-layout-private.h"
 
 #include "hb-open-file-private.hh"
 #include "hb-blob.h"
 
-
 /*
  * hb_font_callbacks_t
  */
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ _hb_face_get_table (hb_tag_t tag, void *user_data)
   hb_face_t *face = (hb_face_t *) user_data;
   const char *data = hb_blob_lock (face->blob);
 
+  /* XXX sanitize */
+
   const OpenTypeFontFile &ot_file = OpenTypeFontFile::get_for_data (data);
   const OpenTypeFontFace &ot_face = ot_file.get_face (face->index);
 
@@ -219,7 +221,7 @@ hb_face_create_for_tables (hb_get_table_func_t  get_table,
   face->destroy = destroy;
   face->user_data = user_data;
 
-  _hb_ot_layout_init (&face->ot_layout, face);
+  _hb_ot_layout_init (face);
 
   return face;
 }
@@ -230,14 +232,15 @@ hb_face_create_for_data (hb_blob_t    *blob,
 {
   hb_face_t *face;
 
-  face = hb_face_create_for_tables (_hb_face_get_table, NULL, NULL);
+  if (!HB_OBJECT_DO_CREATE (face))
+    return &_hb_face_nil;
 
-  if (!HB_OBJECT_IS_INERT (face)) {
-    face->blob = hb_blob_reference (blob);
-    face->index = index;
-    face->destroy = _hb_face_destroy_blob,
-    face->user_data = face;
-  }
+  face->blob = hb_blob_reference (blob);
+  face->index = index;
+  face->get_table = _hb_face_get_table;
+  face->user_data = face;
+
+  _hb_ot_layout_init (face);
 
   return face;
 }
@@ -259,7 +262,7 @@ hb_face_destroy (hb_face_t *face)
 {
   HB_OBJECT_DO_DESTROY (face);
 
-  _hb_ot_layout_fini (&face->ot_layout);
+  _hb_ot_layout_fini (face);
 
   hb_blob_destroy (face->blob);
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-private.h b/src/hb-ot-layout-private.h
index d3f3abbbb..404301448 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-private.h
@@ -49,6 +49,10 @@ struct _hb_ot_layout_t
 {
   hb_face_t *face; /* XXX can do without this */
 
+  hb_blob_t *gdef_blob;
+  hb_blob_t *gsub_blob;
+  hb_blob_t *gpos_blob;
+
   const struct GDEF *gdef;
   const struct GSUB *gsub;
   const struct GPOS *gpos;
@@ -79,11 +83,10 @@ struct _hb_ot_layout_context_t
 
 
 void
-_hb_ot_layout_init (hb_ot_layout_t *layout,
-		    hb_face_t      *face);
+_hb_ot_layout_init (hb_face_t *face);
 
 void
-_hb_ot_layout_fini (hb_ot_layout_t *layout);
+_hb_ot_layout_fini (hb_face_t *face);
 
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout.cc b/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
index c7158bd08..eef768d18 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
@@ -40,53 +40,52 @@
 
 
 void
-_hb_ot_layout_init (hb_ot_layout_t *layout)
+_hb_ot_layout_init (hb_face_t *face)
 {
-  layout->gdef = NULL;
-  layout->gsub = NULL;
-  layout->gpos = NULL;
+  hb_ot_layout_t *layout = &face->ot_layout;
+
+  /* XXX sanitize */
+
+  layout->gdef_blob = hb_face_get_table (face, HB_OT_TAG_GDEF);
+  layout->gdef = &GDEF::get_for_data (hb_blob_lock (layout->gdef_blob));
+
+  layout->gsub_blob = hb_face_get_table (face, HB_OT_TAG_GSUB);
+  layout->gsub = &GSUB::get_for_data (hb_blob_lock (layout->gsub_blob));
+
+  layout->gpos_blob = hb_face_get_table (face, HB_OT_TAG_GPOS);
+  layout->gpos = &GPOS::get_for_data (hb_blob_lock (layout->gpos_blob));
 }
 
 void
-_hb_ot_layout_fini (hb_ot_layout_t *layout)
+_hb_ot_layout_fini (hb_face_t *face)
 {
-}
+  hb_ot_layout_t *layout = &face->ot_layout;
 
-static hb_ot_layout_t *
-_hb_ot_face_get_layout (hb_face_t *face)
-{
-  return &face->ot_layout;
+  hb_blob_unlock (layout->gdef_blob);
+  hb_blob_unlock (layout->gsub_blob);
+  hb_blob_unlock (layout->gpos_blob);
+
+  hb_blob_destroy (layout->gdef_blob);
+  hb_blob_destroy (layout->gsub_blob);
+  hb_blob_destroy (layout->gpos_blob);
 }
 
 static const GDEF&
 _get_gdef (hb_face_t *face)
 {
-#if 0
-  if (HB_UNLIKELY (!layout->face))
-    return Null(GDEF);
-
-  if (HB_UNLIKELY (!layout->gdef)) {
-    hb_blob_t *blob = hb_face_get_table (face, HB_OT_TAG_GDEF);
-    unsigned int length;
-    const char *data = hb_blob_get_data (blob,
-  layout->gdef = &GDEF::get_for_data (font.get_table_data (face.get_table_by_tag (GDEF::Tag)));
-    layout->gdef = &Null(GDEF);
-  }
-
-  return *layout->gdef;
-#endif
+  return HB_LIKELY (face->ot_layout.gdef) ? *face->ot_layout.gdef : Null(GDEF);
 }
 
 static const GSUB&
 _get_gsub (hb_face_t *face)
 {
-  return Null(GSUB);
+  return HB_LIKELY (face->ot_layout.gsub) ? *face->ot_layout.gsub : Null(GSUB);
 }
 
 static const GPOS&
 _get_gpos (hb_face_t *face)
 {
-  return Null(GPOS);
+  return HB_LIKELY (face->ot_layout.gpos) ? *face->ot_layout.gpos : Null(GPOS);
 }