diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.cc b/src/hb-buffer.cc
index cf4667181..7cf5adcd6 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.cc
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.cc
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 static hb_buffer_t _hb_buffer_nil = {
   HB_OBJECT_HEADER_STATIC,
 
-  &_hb_unicode_funcs_nil,  /* unicode */
+  &_hb_unicode_funcs_default,
   {
     HB_DIRECTION_INVALID,
     HB_SCRIPT_INVALID,
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ hb_buffer_set_unicode_funcs (hb_buffer_t        *buffer,
 			     hb_unicode_funcs_t *unicode)
 {
   if (!unicode)
-    unicode = &_hb_unicode_funcs_nil;
+    unicode = &_hb_unicode_funcs_default;
 
   hb_unicode_funcs_reference (unicode);
   hb_unicode_funcs_destroy (buffer->unicode);
diff --git a/src/hb-glib.cc b/src/hb-glib.cc
index 32cefa2c8..2bce1f9c2 100644
--- a/src/hb-glib.cc
+++ b/src/hb-glib.cc
@@ -220,7 +220,8 @@ hb_glib_get_script (hb_unicode_funcs_t *ufuncs,
   return hb_glib_script_to_script (g_unichar_get_script (unicode));
 }
 
-static hb_unicode_funcs_t glib_ufuncs = {
+extern HB_INTERNAL hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_unicode_funcs_glib;
+hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_glib_unicode_funcs = {
   HB_OBJECT_HEADER_STATIC,
 
   NULL, /* parent */
@@ -237,7 +238,7 @@ static hb_unicode_funcs_t glib_ufuncs = {
 hb_unicode_funcs_t *
 hb_glib_get_unicode_funcs (void)
 {
-  return &glib_ufuncs;
+  return &_hb_glib_unicode_funcs;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/hb-icu.cc b/src/hb-icu.cc
index 2abd1403b..52645fd64 100644
--- a/src/hb-icu.cc
+++ b/src/hb-icu.cc
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ hb_icu_get_script (hb_unicode_funcs_t *ufuncs,
   return hb_icu_script_to_script (scriptCode);
 }
 
-static hb_unicode_funcs_t icu_ufuncs = {
+extern HB_INTERNAL hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_unicode_funcs_icu;
+hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_icu_unicode_funcs = {
   HB_OBJECT_HEADER_STATIC,
 
   NULL, /* parent */
@@ -177,7 +178,7 @@ static hb_unicode_funcs_t icu_ufuncs = {
 hb_unicode_funcs_t *
 hb_icu_get_unicode_funcs (void)
 {
-  return &icu_ufuncs;
+  return &_hb_icu_unicode_funcs;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/hb-unicode-private.hh b/src/hb-unicode-private.hh
index 16836a04c..8337e4293 100644
--- a/src/hb-unicode-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-unicode-private.hh
@@ -90,7 +90,18 @@ struct _hb_unicode_funcs_t {
   } destroy;
 };
 
+
+#if HAVE_GLIB
+extern HB_INTERNAL hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_glib_unicode_funcs;
+#define _hb_unicode_funcs_default _hb_glib_unicode_funcs
+#elif HAVE_ICU
+extern HB_INTERNAL hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_icu_unicode_funcs;
+#define _hb_unicode_funcs_default _hb_icu_unicode_funcs
+#else
 extern HB_INTERNAL hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_unicode_funcs_nil;
+#define _hb_unicode_funcs_default _hb_unicode_funcs_nil
+#endif
+
 
 
 HB_END_DECLS
diff --git a/src/hb-unicode.cc b/src/hb-unicode.cc
index ed0dc108d..b756461ba 100644
--- a/src/hb-unicode.cc
+++ b/src/hb-unicode.cc
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ hb_unicode_get_script_nil (hb_unicode_funcs_t *ufuncs    HB_UNUSED,
 }
 
 
+extern HB_INTERNAL hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_unicode_funcs_nil;
 hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_unicode_funcs_nil = {
   HB_OBJECT_HEADER_STATIC,
 
@@ -95,6 +96,12 @@ hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_unicode_funcs_nil = {
 };
 
 
+hb_unicode_funcs_t *
+hb_unicode_funcs_get_default (void)
+{
+  return &_hb_unicode_funcs_default;
+}
+
 hb_unicode_funcs_t *
 hb_unicode_funcs_create (hb_unicode_funcs_t *parent)
 {
diff --git a/src/hb-unicode.h b/src/hb-unicode.h
index 47a78d46f..d558c2271 100644
--- a/src/hb-unicode.h
+++ b/src/hb-unicode.h
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 typedef struct _hb_unicode_funcs_t hb_unicode_funcs_t;
 
+
+/*
+ * just give me the best implementation you've got there.
+ */
+hb_unicode_funcs_t *
+hb_unicode_funcs_get_default (void);
+
+
 hb_unicode_funcs_t *
 hb_unicode_funcs_create (hb_unicode_funcs_t *parent_funcs);
 
diff --git a/src/hb-view.c b/src/hb-view.c
index ed2d515d1..783c559f7 100644
--- a/src/hb-view.c
+++ b/src/hb-view.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 #include <math.h>
 #include <locale.h>
 
-#include <hb-glib.h>
+#include <glib.h>
 
 #include <cairo-ft.h>
 #include <hb-ft.h>
@@ -348,18 +348,17 @@ _hb_cr_text_glyphs (cairo_t *cr,
   unsigned int num_glyphs, i;
   hb_position_t x;
 
-  if (len < 0)
-    len = strlen (text);
-  hb_buffer = hb_buffer_create (len);
+  hb_buffer = hb_buffer_create (0);
 
-  hb_buffer_set_unicode_funcs (hb_buffer, hb_glib_get_unicode_funcs ());
-
-  hb_buffer_add_utf8 (hb_buffer, text, len, 0, len);
   if (script)
     hb_buffer_set_script (hb_buffer, hb_script_from_string (script));
   if (language)
     hb_buffer_set_language (hb_buffer, hb_language_from_string (language));
 
+  if (len < 0)
+    len = strlen (text);
+  hb_buffer_add_utf8 (hb_buffer, text, len, 0, len);
+
   hb_shape (hb_font, hb_face, hb_buffer, features, num_features);
 
   num_glyphs = hb_buffer_get_length (hb_buffer);
diff --git a/test/test-unicode.c b/test/test-unicode.c
index 324fa1fc4..c69634110 100644
--- a/test/test-unicode.c
+++ b/test/test-unicode.c
@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@ test_glib (void)
   g_assert_cmpint (hb_unicode_get_script (uf, 'd'), ==, HB_SCRIPT_LATIN);
 }
 
+static void
+test_default (void)
+{
+  hb_unicode_funcs_t *uf = hb_unicode_funcs_get_default ();
+
+  g_assert_cmpint (hb_unicode_get_script (uf, 'd'), ==, HB_SCRIPT_LATIN);
+}
+
 static gboolean freed0, freed1;
 static int unique_pointer0[1];
 static int unique_pointer1[1];
@@ -191,12 +199,13 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
 
   g_test_add_func ("/unicode/nil", test_nil);
   g_test_add_func ("/unicode/glib", test_glib);
+  g_test_add_func ("/unicode/default", test_default);
   g_test_add_func ("/unicode/custom", test_custom);
   g_test_add_func ("/unicode/subclassing/nil", test_subclassing_nil);
   g_test_add_func ("/unicode/subclassing/glib", test_subclassing_glib);
   g_test_add_func ("/unicode/subclassing/deep", test_subclassing_deep);
 
-  /* XXX test all methods for their defaults and various (glib, icu) implementations. */
+  /* XXX test all methods for their defaults and various (glib, icu, default) implementations. */
   /* XXX test glib & icu two-way script conversion */
 
   return g_test_run ();