diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.cc b/src/hb-buffer.cc
index bbbbd227c..5dd83fc2c 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.cc
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.cc
@@ -2026,9 +2026,6 @@ hb_buffer_set_message_func (hb_buffer_t *buffer,
 bool
 hb_buffer_t::message_impl (hb_font_t *font, const char *fmt, va_list ap)
 {
-#ifdef HB_NO_BUFFER_MESSAGE
-  return false;
-#endif
   char buf[100];
   vsnprintf (buf, sizeof (buf), fmt, ap);
   return (bool) this->message_func (this, font, buf, this->message_data);
diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.hh b/src/hb-buffer.hh
index b2b190ace..9aae38dbb 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.hh
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.hh
@@ -347,7 +347,13 @@ struct hb_buffer_t
 
   HB_INTERNAL void sort (unsigned int start, unsigned int end, int(*compar)(const hb_glyph_info_t *, const hb_glyph_info_t *));
 
-  bool messaging () { return unlikely (message_func); }
+  bool messaging ()
+  {
+#ifdef HB_NO_BUFFER_MESSAGE
+    return false;
+#endif
+    return unlikely (message_func);
+  }
   bool message (hb_font_t *font, const char *fmt, ...) HB_PRINTF_FUNC(3, 4)
   {
     if (!messaging ())