diff --git a/src/hb-aat-layout-trak-table.hh b/src/hb-aat-layout-trak-table.hh
index de2071ad6..c579c1193 100644
--- a/src/hb-aat-layout-trak-table.hh
+++ b/src/hb-aat-layout-trak-table.hh
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ struct TrackTableEntry
 			unsigned int index,
 			unsigned int nSizes) const
   {
-    return hb_array (base+valuesZ, nSizes)[index];
+    return (base+valuesZ).as_array (nSizes)[index];
   }
 
   public:
diff --git a/src/hb-dsalgs.hh b/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
index 59df860df..0940dc53c 100644
--- a/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
+++ b/src/hb-dsalgs.hh
@@ -572,8 +572,6 @@ struct hb_array_t
   T *arrayZ;
   unsigned int len;
 };
-template <typename T> static inline
-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-open-file.hh b/src/hb-open-file.hh
index 80dc5e614..2ef6d775f 100644
--- a/src/hb-open-file.hh
+++ b/src/hb-open-file.hh
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ struct ResourceTypeRecord
   inline const ResourceRecord& get_resource_record (unsigned int i,
 						    const void *type_base) const
   {
-    return hb_array (type_base+resourcesZ, get_resource_count ())[i];
+    return (type_base+resourcesZ).as_array (get_resource_count ())[i];
   }
 
   inline bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c,
diff --git a/src/hb-open-type.hh b/src/hb-open-type.hh
index 062576039..7bce7eade 100644
--- a/src/hb-open-type.hh
+++ b/src/hb-open-type.hh
@@ -346,6 +346,9 @@ struct UnsizedArrayOf
   inline unsigned int get_size (unsigned int len) const
   { return len * Type::static_size; }
 
+  inline hb_array_t<Type> as_array (unsigned int len) { return hb_array_t<Type> (arrayZ, len); }
+  inline hb_array_t<const Type> as_array (unsigned int len) const { return hb_array_t<const Type> (arrayZ, len); }
+
   inline bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c, unsigned int count) const
   {
     TRACE_SANITIZE (this);
@@ -393,14 +396,6 @@ struct UnsizedArrayOf
   public:
   DEFINE_SIZE_ARRAY (0, arrayZ);
 };
-} /* namespace OT */
-template <typename T> static inline
-hb_array_t<T> hb_array (OT::UnsizedArrayOf<T> &array, unsigned int len)
-{ return hb_array (array.arrayZ, len); }
-template <typename T> static inline
-hb_array_t<const T> hb_array (const OT::UnsizedArrayOf<T> &array, unsigned int len)
-{ return hb_array (array.arrayZ, len); }
-namespace OT {
 
 /* Unsized array of offset's */
 template <typename Type, typename OffsetType, bool has_null=true>
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-color-cpal-table.hh b/src/hb-ot-color-cpal-table.hh
index df4d9b4e7..332f0dd74 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-color-cpal-table.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-color-cpal-table.hh
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ struct CPALV1Tail
   {
     if (!paletteFlagsZ) return HB_OT_COLOR_PALETTE_FLAG_DEFAULT;
     return (hb_ot_color_palette_flags_t) (uint32_t)
-	   hb_array (base+paletteFlagsZ, palette_count)[palette_index];
+	   (base+paletteFlagsZ).as_array (palette_count)[palette_index];
   }
 
   inline hb_ot_name_id_t
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ struct CPALV1Tail
 		       unsigned int palette_count) const
   {
     if (!paletteLabelsZ) return HB_OT_NAME_ID_INVALID;
-    return hb_array (base+paletteLabelsZ, palette_count)[palette_index];
+    return (base+paletteLabelsZ).as_array (palette_count)[palette_index];
   }
 
   inline hb_ot_name_id_t
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ struct CPALV1Tail
 		     unsigned int color_count) const
   {
     if (!colorLabelsZ) return HB_OT_NAME_ID_INVALID;
-    return hb_array (base+colorLabelsZ, color_count)[color_index];
+    return (base+colorLabelsZ).as_array (color_count)[color_index];
   }
 
   public: