diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-common.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-common.hh
index cdcffd424..e4f3e06f7 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-common.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-common.hh
@@ -2603,9 +2603,11 @@ struct VarRegionAxis
 
 struct VarRegionList
 {
+  using cache_t = float;
+
   float evaluate (unsigned int region_index,
 		  const int *coords, unsigned int coord_len,
-		  hb_vector_t<float> *cache = nullptr) const
+		  cache_t *cache = nullptr) const
   {
     if (unlikely (region_index >= regionCount))
       return 0.;
@@ -2613,11 +2615,9 @@ struct VarRegionList
     float *cached = nullptr;
     if (cache)
     {
-      cached = &((*cache)[region_index]);
+      cached = &(cache[region_index]);
       if (!std::isnan (*cached))
-       {
 	return *cached;
-       }
     }
 
     const VarRegionAxis *axes = axesZ.arrayZ + (region_index * axisCount);
@@ -2636,6 +2636,7 @@ struct VarRegionList
       }
       v *= factor;
     }
+
     if (cached)
       *cached = v;
     return v;
@@ -2696,7 +2697,7 @@ struct VarData
   float get_delta (unsigned int inner,
 		   const int *coords, unsigned int coord_count,
 		   const VarRegionList &regions,
-		   hb_vector_t<float> *regions_cache = nullptr) const
+		   VarRegionList::cache_t *cache = nullptr) const
   {
     if (unlikely (inner >= itemCount))
       return 0.;
@@ -2713,13 +2714,13 @@ struct VarData
    const HBINT16 *scursor = reinterpret_cast<const HBINT16 *> (row);
    for (; i < scount; i++)
    {
-     float scalar = regions.evaluate (regionIndices.arrayZ[i], coords, coord_count, regions_cache);
+     float scalar = regions.evaluate (regionIndices.arrayZ[i], coords, coord_count, cache);
      delta += scalar * *scursor++;
    }
    const HBINT8 *bcursor = reinterpret_cast<const HBINT8 *> (scursor);
    for (; i < count; i++)
    {
-     float scalar = regions.evaluate (regionIndices.arrayZ[i], coords, coord_count, regions_cache);
+     float scalar = regions.evaluate (regionIndices.arrayZ[i], coords, coord_count, cache);
      delta += scalar * *bcursor++;
    }
 
@@ -2864,10 +2865,28 @@ struct VarData
 
 struct VariationStore
 {
+  using cache_t = VarRegionList::cache_t;
+
+  cache_t *create_cache () const
+  {
+    auto &r = this+regions;
+    unsigned count = r.regionCount;
+
+    float *cache = (float *) hb_malloc (sizeof (float) * count);
+    if (unlikely (!cache)) return nullptr;
+
+    for (unsigned i = 0; i < count; i++)
+      cache[i] = NAN;
+
+    return cache;
+  }
+
+  static void destroy_cache (cache_t *cache) { hb_free (cache); }
+
   private:
   float get_delta (unsigned int outer, unsigned int inner,
 		   const int *coords, unsigned int coord_count,
-		   hb_vector_t<float> *regions_cache = nullptr) const
+		   VarRegionList::cache_t *cache = nullptr) const
   {
 #ifdef HB_NO_VAR
     return 0.f;
@@ -2879,17 +2898,17 @@ struct VariationStore
     return (this+dataSets[outer]).get_delta (inner,
 					     coords, coord_count,
 					     this+regions,
-					     regions_cache);
+					     cache);
   }
 
   public:
   float get_delta (unsigned int index,
 		   const int *coords, unsigned int coord_count,
-		   hb_vector_t<float> *regions_cache = nullptr) const
+		   VarRegionList::cache_t *cache = nullptr) const
   {
     unsigned int outer = index >> 16;
     unsigned int inner = index & 0xFFFF;
-    return get_delta (outer, inner, coords, coord_count, regions_cache);
+    return get_delta (outer, inner, coords, coord_count, cache);
   }
 
   bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c) const
@@ -3010,9 +3029,7 @@ struct VariationStore
 
   protected:
   HBUINT16				format;
-  public:
   Offset32To<VarRegionList>		regions;
-  protected:
   Array16OfOffset32To<VarData>		dataSets;
   public:
   DEFINE_SIZE_ARRAY_SIZED (8, dataSets);
@@ -3487,13 +3504,13 @@ struct VariationDevice
 
   hb_position_t get_x_delta (hb_font_t *font,
 			     const VariationStore &store,
-			     hb_vector_t<float> *regions_cache = nullptr) const
-  { return font->em_scalef_x (get_delta (font, store, regions_cache)); }
+			     void *store_cache = nullptr) const
+  { return font->em_scalef_x (get_delta (font, store, store_cache)); }
 
   hb_position_t get_y_delta (hb_font_t *font,
 			     const VariationStore &store,
-			     hb_vector_t<float> *regions_cache = nullptr) const
-  { return font->em_scalef_y (get_delta (font, store, regions_cache)); }
+			     void *store_cache = nullptr) const
+  { return font->em_scalef_y (get_delta (font, store, store_cache)); }
 
   VariationDevice* copy (hb_serialize_context_t *c, const hb_map_t *layout_variation_idx_map) const
   {
@@ -3529,9 +3546,9 @@ struct VariationDevice
 
   float get_delta (hb_font_t *font,
 		   const VariationStore &store,
-		   hb_vector_t<float> *regions_cache = nullptr) const
+		   void *store_cache = nullptr) const
   {
-    return store.get_delta (varIdx, font->coords, font->num_coords, regions_cache);
+    return store.get_delta (varIdx, font->coords, font->num_coords, (VariationStore::cache_t *) store_cache);
   }
 
   protected:
@@ -3556,7 +3573,7 @@ struct Device
 {
   hb_position_t get_x_delta (hb_font_t *font,
 			     const VariationStore &store=Null (VariationStore),
-			     hb_vector_t<float> *regions_cache = nullptr) const
+			     void *store_cache = nullptr) const
   {
     switch (u.b.format)
     {
@@ -3566,7 +3583,7 @@ struct Device
 #endif
 #ifndef HB_NO_VAR
     case 0x8000:
-      return u.variation.get_x_delta (font, store, regions_cache);
+      return u.variation.get_x_delta (font, store, store_cache);
 #endif
     default:
       return 0;
@@ -3574,7 +3591,7 @@ struct Device
   }
   hb_position_t get_y_delta (hb_font_t *font,
 			     const VariationStore &store=Null (VariationStore),
-			     hb_vector_t<float> *regions_cache = nullptr) const
+			     void *store_cache = nullptr) const
   {
     switch (u.b.format)
     {
@@ -3584,7 +3601,7 @@ struct Device
 #endif
 #ifndef HB_NO_VAR
     case 0x8000:
-      return u.variation.get_y_delta (font, store, regions_cache);
+      return u.variation.get_y_delta (font, store, store_cache);
 #endif
     default:
       return 0;
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-table.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-table.hh
index 4d1872493..0dbfa016a 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-table.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-table.hh
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ struct ValueFormat : HBUINT16
     if (!use_x_device && !use_y_device) return ret;
 
     const VariationStore &store = c->var_store;
-    auto *cache = &c->regions_cache;
+    auto *cache = c->var_store_cache;
 
     /* pixel -> fractional pixel */
     if (format & xPlaDevice) {
@@ -466,9 +466,9 @@ struct AnchorFormat3
     *y = font->em_fscale_y (yCoordinate);
 
     if (font->x_ppem || font->num_coords)
-      *x += (this+xDeviceTable).get_x_delta (font, c->var_store, &c->regions_cache);
+      *x += (this+xDeviceTable).get_x_delta (font, c->var_store, c->var_store_cache);
     if (font->y_ppem || font->num_coords)
-      *y += (this+yDeviceTable).get_y_delta (font, c->var_store, &c->regions_cache);
+      *y += (this+yDeviceTable).get_y_delta (font, c->var_store, c->var_store_cache);
   }
 
   bool sanitize (hb_sanitize_context_t *c) const
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
index 74922b3da..c2e043a60 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
@@ -621,17 +621,17 @@ struct hb_ot_apply_context_t :
 
   skipping_iterator_t iter_input, iter_context;
 
+  unsigned int table_index; /* GSUB/GPOS */
   hb_font_t *font;
   hb_face_t *face;
   hb_buffer_t *buffer;
   recurse_func_t recurse_func;
   const GDEF &gdef;
   const VariationStore &var_store;
-  hb_vector_t<float> regions_cache;
+  VariationStore::cache_t *var_store_cache;
 
   hb_direction_t direction;
   hb_mask_t lookup_mask;
-  unsigned int table_index; /* GSUB/GPOS */
   unsigned int lookup_index;
   unsigned int lookup_props;
   unsigned int nesting_level_left;
@@ -649,6 +649,7 @@ struct hb_ot_apply_context_t :
 			 hb_font_t *font_,
 			 hb_buffer_t *buffer_) :
 			iter_input (), iter_context (),
+			table_index (table_index_),
 			font (font_), face (font->face), buffer (buffer_),
 			recurse_func (nullptr),
 			gdef (
@@ -659,9 +660,9 @@ struct hb_ot_apply_context_t :
 #endif
 			     ),
 			var_store (gdef.get_var_store ()),
+			var_store_cache (table_index == 1 && font->num_coords ? var_store.create_cache () : nullptr),
 			direction (buffer_->props.direction),
 			lookup_mask (1),
-			table_index (table_index_),
 			lookup_index ((unsigned int) -1),
 			lookup_props (0),
 			nesting_level_left (HB_MAX_NESTING_LEVEL),
@@ -671,15 +672,9 @@ struct hb_ot_apply_context_t :
 			per_syllable (false),
 			random (false),
 			random_state (1)
-  {
-    init_iters ();
-    if (table_index == 1 && font->num_coords) /* GPOS */
-    {
-      regions_cache.resize ((&var_store+var_store.regions).regionCount);
-      for (auto &f : regions_cache.writer ())
-        f = NAN;
-    }
-  }
+  { init_iters (); }
+
+  ~hb_ot_apply_context_t () { VariationStore::destroy_cache (var_store_cache); }
 
   void init_iters ()
   {