diff --git a/src/hb-blob.h b/src/hb-blob.h
index 50c9ae3bc..360310b4a 100644
--- a/src/hb-blob.h
+++ b/src/hb-blob.h
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
  * Red Hat Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_BLOB_H
 #define HB_BLOB_H
 
diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.h b/src/hb-buffer.h
index 9582ebee4..ca1bbf476 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.h
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.h
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_BUFFER_H
 #define HB_BUFFER_H
 
diff --git a/src/hb-common.h b/src/hb-common.h
index 4265bb36f..df929eaf4 100644
--- a/src/hb-common.h
+++ b/src/hb-common.h
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_COMMON_H
 #define HB_COMMON_H
 
diff --git a/src/hb-font.h b/src/hb-font.h
index 8a9dda593..7e6451580 100644
--- a/src/hb-font.h
+++ b/src/hb-font.h
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
  * Red Hat Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_FONT_H
 #define HB_FONT_H
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ft.h b/src/hb-ft.h
index c1772ac15..696251e14 100644
--- a/src/hb-ft.h
+++ b/src/hb-ft.h
@@ -29,8 +29,6 @@
 
 #include "hb.h"
 
-#include "hb-font.h"
-
 #include <ft2build.h>
 #include FT_FREETYPE_H
 
diff --git a/src/hb-glib.h b/src/hb-glib.h
index 3bc3ebf1e..63a9d3366 100644
--- a/src/hb-glib.h
+++ b/src/hb-glib.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #define HB_GLIB_H
 
 #include "hb.h"
+
 #include <glib.h>
 
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
diff --git a/src/hb-gobject.h b/src/hb-gobject.h
index 25fc94180..4f23fdd38 100644
--- a/src/hb-gobject.h
+++ b/src/hb-gobject.h
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 #define HB_GOBJECT_H
 
 #include "hb.h"
+
 #include <glib-object.h>
 
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
diff --git a/src/hb-graphite2.h b/src/hb-graphite2.h
index 68bd01950..3eba9e0bd 100644
--- a/src/hb-graphite2.h
+++ b/src/hb-graphite2.h
@@ -26,8 +26,7 @@
 #ifndef HB_GRAPHITE2_H
 #define HB_GRAPHITE2_H
 
-#include "hb-common.h"
-#include "hb-shape.h"
+#include "hb.h"
 
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
@@ -41,6 +40,8 @@ hb_graphite_shape (hb_font_t          *font,
 		   unsigned int        num_features,
 		   const char * const *shaper_options);
 
+/* TODO add gr_font/face etc getters and other glue API */
+
 HB_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* HB_GRAPHITE2_H */
diff --git a/src/hb-icu.h b/src/hb-icu.h
index ecabec29f..d22a8e1fe 100644
--- a/src/hb-icu.h
+++ b/src/hb-icu.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #define HB_ICU_H
 
 #include "hb.h"
+
 #include <unicode/uscript.h>
 
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout.h b/src/hb-ot-layout.h
index 447e35dbf..430e54c33 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout.h
@@ -24,12 +24,14 @@
  * Red Hat Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_OT_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb-ot.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_OT_LAYOUT_H
 #define HB_OT_LAYOUT_H
 
-#include "hb-common.h"
-#include "hb-buffer.h"
-#include "hb-font.h"
+#include "hb.h"
 
 #include "hb-ot-tag.h"
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape.h b/src/hb-ot-shape.h
index 1897e8458..cc18be688 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape.h
@@ -24,15 +24,16 @@
  * Red Hat Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_OT_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb-ot.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_OT_SHAPE_H
 #define HB_OT_SHAPE_H
 
-#include "hb-common.h"
-#include "hb-shape.h"
-
-
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
+#include "hb.h"
 
 hb_bool_t
 hb_ot_shape (hb_font_t          *font,
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-tag.h b/src/hb-ot-tag.h
index 427a0695e..1bf12ab3c 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-tag.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-tag.h
@@ -24,10 +24,14 @@
  * Red Hat Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_OT_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb-ot.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_OT_TAG_H
 #define HB_OT_TAG_H
 
-#include "hb-common.h"
+#include "hb.h"
 
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot.h b/src/hb-ot.h
index fd6dd58e7..a825a86a2 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 #ifndef HB_OT_H
 #define HB_OT_H
+#define HB_OT_H_IN
 
 #include "hb.h"
 
@@ -36,4 +37,5 @@
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 HB_END_DECLS
 
+#undef HB_OT_H_IN
 #endif /* HB_OT_H */
diff --git a/src/hb-private.hh b/src/hb-private.hh
index c757e2dc9..f561260c2 100644
--- a/src/hb-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-private.hh
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@
 #include "config.h"
 #endif
 
-#include "hb-common.h"
+#include "hb.h"
+#include "hb-ot.h"
+#define HB_H_IN
+#define HB_OT_H_IN
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
diff --git a/src/hb-shape.h b/src/hb-shape.h
index 685b11d4f..99c24abf6 100644
--- a/src/hb-shape.h
+++ b/src/hb-shape.h
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
  * Red Hat Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_SHAPE_H
 #define HB_SHAPE_H
 
diff --git a/src/hb-unicode.h b/src/hb-unicode.h
index 13886dfba..205e4c7f5 100644
--- a/src/hb-unicode.h
+++ b/src/hb-unicode.h
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_UNICODE_H
 #define HB_UNICODE_H
 
diff --git a/src/hb-uniscribe.h b/src/hb-uniscribe.h
index dbcacd7f7..7bf809070 100644
--- a/src/hb-uniscribe.h
+++ b/src/hb-uniscribe.h
@@ -27,8 +27,7 @@
 #ifndef HB_UNISCRIBE_H
 #define HB_UNISCRIBE_H
 
-#include "hb-common.h"
-#include "hb-shape.h"
+#include "hb.h"
 
 #define _WIN32_WINNT 0x0500
 #include <windows.h>
diff --git a/src/hb-version.h.in b/src/hb-version.h.in
index 47a9b3009..43634f91c 100644
--- a/src/hb-version.h.in
+++ b/src/hb-version.h.in
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HB_H_IN
+#error "Include <hb.h> instead."
+#endif
+
 #ifndef HB_VERSION_H
 #define HB_VERSION_H
 
diff --git a/src/hb.h b/src/hb.h
index 0a2ebd9e8..996dc9129 100644
--- a/src/hb.h
+++ b/src/hb.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 
 #ifndef HB_H
 #define HB_H
+#define HB_H_IN
 
 #include "hb-blob.h"
 #include "hb-buffer.h"
@@ -38,4 +39,5 @@
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 HB_END_DECLS
 
+#undef HB_H_IN
 #endif /* HB_H */