diff --git a/src/hb-set.hh b/src/hb-set.hh
index 36d11c031..7603526e7 100644
--- a/src/hb-set.hh
+++ b/src/hb-set.hh
@@ -698,8 +698,15 @@ struct hb_set_t
   struct iter_t : hb_iter_with_fallback_t<iter_t, hb_codepoint_t>
   {
     static constexpr bool is_sorted_iterator = true;
-    iter_t (const hb_set_t &s_ = Null(hb_set_t)) :
-      s (&s_), v (INVALID), l (s->get_population () + 1) { __next__ (); }
+    iter_t (const hb_set_t &s_ = Null(hb_set_t),
+	    bool init = true) : s (&s_), v (INVALID), l(0)
+    {
+      if (init)
+      {
+	l = s->get_population () + 1;
+	__next__ ();
+      }
+    }
 
     typedef hb_codepoint_t __item_t__;
     hb_codepoint_t __item__ () const { return v; }
@@ -707,7 +714,7 @@ struct hb_set_t
     void __next__ () { s->next (&v); if (l) l--; }
     void __prev__ () { s->previous (&v); }
     unsigned __len__ () const { return l; }
-    iter_t end () const { return iter_t (*s); }
+    iter_t end () const { return iter_t (*s, false); }
     bool operator != (const iter_t& o) const
     { return s != o.s || v != o.v; }