diff --git a/src/hb-open-type-private.hh b/src/hb-open-type-private.hh
index bae2eed81..5580565f1 100644
--- a/src/hb-open-type-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-open-type-private.hh
@@ -140,7 +140,6 @@ struct Tag : HBUINT32
   public:
   DEFINE_SIZE_STATIC (4);
 };
-DEFINE_NULL_DATA (OT, Tag, "    ");
 
 /* Glyph index number, same as uint16 (length = 16 bits) */
 typedef HBUINT16 GlyphID;
@@ -152,7 +151,7 @@ typedef HBUINT16 NameID;
 struct Index : HBUINT16 {
   static const unsigned int NOT_FOUND_INDEX = 0xFFFFu;
 };
-DEFINE_NULL_DATA (OT, Index, "\xff\xff");
+DECLARE_NULL_NAMESPACE_BYTES (OT, Index);
 
 /* Offset, Null offset = 0 */
 template <typename Type>
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-common-private.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-common-private.hh
index 2da6e315c..89d5eae49 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-common-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-common-private.hh
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ struct RangeRecord
   public:
   DEFINE_SIZE_STATIC (6);
 };
-DEFINE_NULL_DATA (OT, RangeRecord, "\000\001");
+DECLARE_NULL_NAMESPACE_BYTES (OT, RangeRecord);
 
 
 struct IndexArray : ArrayOf<Index>
@@ -240,8 +240,7 @@ struct LangSys
   public:
   DEFINE_SIZE_ARRAY (6, featureIndex);
 };
-DEFINE_NULL_DATA (OT, LangSys, "\0\0\xFF\xFF");
-
+DECLARE_NULL_NAMESPACE_BYTES (OT, LangSys);
 
 struct Script
 {
diff --git a/src/hb-private.hh b/src/hb-private.hh
index 32e1edffe..d912fe332 100644
--- a/src/hb-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-private.hh
@@ -391,16 +391,18 @@ static inline Type const & Null (void) {
 #define Null(Type) Null<Type>()
 
 /* Specializaiton for arbitrary-content arbitrary-sized Null objects. */
-#define DEFINE_NULL_DATA(Namespace, Type, data) \
+#define DECLARE_NULL_NAMESPACE_BYTES(Namespace, Type) \
 } /* Close namespace. */ \
-static const char _Null##Type[sizeof (Namespace::Type) + 1] = data; /* +1 is for nul-termination in data */ \
+extern HB_INTERNAL const unsigned char _hb_Null_##Namespace##_##Type[sizeof (Namespace::Type)]; \
 template <> \
 /*static*/ inline const Namespace::Type& Null<Namespace::Type> (void) { \
-  return *reinterpret_cast<const Namespace::Type *> (_Null##Type); \
+  return *reinterpret_cast<const Namespace::Type *> (_hb_Null_##Namespace##_##Type); \
 } \
 namespace Namespace { \
-/* The following line really exists such that we end in a place needing semicolon */ \
-static_assert (Namespace::Type::min_size + 1 <= sizeof (_Null##Type), "Null pool too small.  Enlarge.")
+static_assert (Namespace::Type::min_size <= sizeof (Type), "Null pool too small.  Enlarge."); \
+
+#define DEFINE_NULL_NAMESPACE_BYTES(Namespace, Type) \
+const unsigned char _hb_Null_##Namespace##_##Type[sizeof (Namespace::Type)]
 
 
 /* Global writable pool.  Enlarge as necessary. */
diff --git a/src/hb-static.cc b/src/hb-static.cc
index bd0943f53..ddecbba11 100644
--- a/src/hb-static.cc
+++ b/src/hb-static.cc
@@ -25,8 +25,11 @@
  */
 
 #include "hb-private.hh"
-#include "hb-face-private.hh"
+
 #include "hb-open-type-private.hh"
+#include "hb-ot-layout-common-private.hh"
+
+#include "hb-face-private.hh"
 #include "hb-ot-head-table.hh"
 #include "hb-ot-maxp-table.hh"
 
@@ -35,6 +38,11 @@
 hb_vector_size_impl_t const _hb_NullPool[(HB_NULL_POOL_SIZE + sizeof (hb_vector_size_impl_t) - 1) / sizeof (hb_vector_size_impl_t)] = {};
 /*thread_local*/ hb_vector_size_impl_t _hb_CrapPool[(HB_NULL_POOL_SIZE + sizeof (hb_vector_size_impl_t) - 1) / sizeof (hb_vector_size_impl_t)] = {};
 
+DEFINE_NULL_NAMESPACE_BYTES (OT, Index) =  {0xFF,0xFF};
+DEFINE_NULL_NAMESPACE_BYTES (OT, LangSys) = {0x00,0x00, 0xFF,0xFF, 0x00,0x00};
+DEFINE_NULL_NAMESPACE_BYTES (OT, RangeRecord) = {0x00,0x01, 0x00,0x00, 0x00, 0x00};
+
+
 void
 hb_face_t::load_num_glyphs (void) const
 {