diff --git a/src/hb-wasm-api-buffer.hh b/src/hb-wasm-api-buffer.hh
index 2130167b9..38ebf7c76 100644
--- a/src/hb-wasm-api-buffer.hh
+++ b/src/hb-wasm-api-buffer.hh
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ namespace wasm {
 
 void
 buffer_copy_contents (HB_WASM_EXEC_ENV_COMPOUND
-		      buffer_t bufferref)
+		      ptr_t(buffer_t) bufferref)
 {
   HB_RETURN_TYPE (buffer_contents_t, ret);
   HB_REF2OBJ (buffer);
diff --git a/src/hb-wasm-api-face.hh b/src/hb-wasm-api-face.hh
index 1e6dcece1..bd7d0bb02 100644
--- a/src/hb-wasm-api-face.hh
+++ b/src/hb-wasm-api-face.hh
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ namespace wasm {
 
 void
 face_reference_table (HB_WASM_EXEC_ENV_COMPOUND
-		      face_t faceref,
+		      ptr_t(face_t) faceref,
 		      tag_t table_tag)
 {
   HB_RETURN_TYPE (blob_t, ret);
diff --git a/src/hb-wasm-api-font.hh b/src/hb-wasm-api-font.hh
index d077b4857..e495e8acd 100644
--- a/src/hb-wasm-api-font.hh
+++ b/src/hb-wasm-api-font.hh
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ namespace hb {
 namespace wasm {
 
 
-face_t
+ptr_t(face_t)
 font_get_face (HB_WASM_EXEC_ENV
-	       font_t fontref)
+	       ptr_t(font_t) fontref)
 {
   HB_REF2OBJ (font);
 
diff --git a/src/hb-wasm-api.h b/src/hb-wasm-api.h
index f919fc0d8..25bd0fc30 100644
--- a/src/hb-wasm-api.h
+++ b/src/hb-wasm-api.h
@@ -65,9 +65,6 @@ HB_WASM_BEGIN_DECLS
 #ifndef bool_t
 #define bool_t uint32_t
 #endif
-#ifndef ref_t
-#define ref_t uint32_t
-#endif
 #ifndef ptr_t
 #define ptr_t(type_t) type_t *
 #endif
@@ -78,10 +75,6 @@ typedef uint32_t hb_mask_t;
 typedef uint32_t tag_t;
 #define TAG(c1,c2,c3,c4) ((tag_t)((((uint32_t)(c1)&0xFF)<<24)|(((uint32_t)(c2)&0xFF)<<16)|(((uint32_t)(c3)&0xFF)<<8)|((uint32_t)(c4)&0xFF)))
 
-typedef ref_t face_t;
-typedef ref_t font_t;
-typedef ref_t buffer_t;
-
 
 /* blob */
 
@@ -124,28 +117,34 @@ typedef struct
 
 /* TODO buffer_contents_free */
 
+typedef struct buffer_t buffer_t;
+
 HB_WASM_API_COMPOUND (buffer_contents_t, buffer_copy_contents) (HB_WASM_EXEC_ENV_COMPOUND
-								buffer_t bufferref);
+								ptr_t(buffer_t));
 
 
 /* face */
 
+typedef struct face_t face_t;
+
 HB_WASM_API_COMPOUND (blob_t, face_reference_table) (HB_WASM_EXEC_ENV_COMPOUND
-						     face_t faceref,
+						     ptr_t(face_t),
 						     tag_t table_tag);
 
 
 /* font */
 
-HB_WASM_API (face_t, font_get_face) (HB_WASM_EXEC_ENV
-				     font_t fontref);
+typedef struct font_t font_t;
+
+HB_WASM_API (ptr_t(face_t), font_get_face) (HB_WASM_EXEC_ENV
+					    ptr_t(font_t));
 
 
 /* shape interface */
 
 HB_WASM_INTERFACE (bool_t, shape) (HB_WASM_EXEC_ENV
-				   font_t fontref,
-				   buffer_t bufferref);
+				   ptr_t(font_t),
+				   ptr_t(buffer_t));
 
 
 HB_WASM_END_DECLS
diff --git a/src/wasm-sample/shape.c b/src/wasm-sample/shape.c
index 89ea28242..c2b15ea9a 100644
--- a/src/wasm-sample/shape.c
+++ b/src/wasm-sample/shape.c
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@ void debugprint1 (char *s, int32_t);
 void debugprint2 (char *s, int32_t, int32_t);
 
 bool_t
-shape (font_t font, buffer_t buffer)
+shape (font_t *font, buffer_t *buffer)
 {
-  face_t face = font_get_face (font);
+  face_t *face = font_get_face (font);
 
   blob_t blob = face_reference_table (face, TAG ('c','m','a','p'));