diff --git a/src/hb-font.cc b/src/hb-font.cc
index cb74e59a9..5f0807f28 100644
--- a/src/hb-font.cc
+++ b/src/hb-font.cc
@@ -344,6 +344,8 @@ hb_font_create (void)
   if (!HB_OBJECT_DO_CREATE (hb_font_t, font))
     return &_hb_font_nil;
 
+  font->klass = &_hb_font_funcs_nil;
+
   return font;
 }