diff --git a/src/hb-face.cc b/src/hb-face.cc
index 9348af7bf..f38f04734 100644
--- a/src/hb-face.cc
+++ b/src/hb-face.cc
@@ -165,8 +165,8 @@ hb_face_create (hb_blob_t    *blob,
 {
   hb_face_t *face;
 
-  if (unlikely (!blob || !hb_blob_get_length (blob)))
-    return hb_face_get_empty ();
+  if (unlikely (!blob))
+    blob = hb_blob_get_empty ();
 
   hb_face_for_data_closure_t *closure = _hb_face_for_data_closure_create (OT::Sanitizer<OT::OpenTypeFontFile>::sanitize (hb_blob_reference (blob)), index);
 
diff --git a/src/hb-font.cc b/src/hb-font.cc
index d42db5985..3df41bd38 100644
--- a/src/hb-font.cc
+++ b/src/hb-font.cc
@@ -854,8 +854,6 @@ hb_font_create (hb_face_t *face)
 
   if (unlikely (!face))
     face = hb_face_get_empty ();
-  if (unlikely (hb_object_is_inert (face)))
-    return hb_font_get_empty ();
   if (!(font = hb_object_create<hb_font_t> ()))
     return hb_font_get_empty ();
 
@@ -880,7 +878,7 @@ hb_font_t *
 hb_font_create_sub_font (hb_font_t *parent)
 {
   if (unlikely (!parent))
-    return hb_font_get_empty ();
+    parent = hb_font_get_empty ();
 
   hb_font_t *font = hb_font_create (parent->face);
 
diff --git a/src/hb-shape-plan.cc b/src/hb-shape-plan.cc
index 2166173f9..4ccf90ef1 100644
--- a/src/hb-shape-plan.cc
+++ b/src/hb-shape-plan.cc
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ hb_shape_plan_create (hb_face_t                     *face,
 
   if (unlikely (!face))
     face = hb_face_get_empty ();
-  if (unlikely (!props || hb_object_is_inert (face)))
+  if (unlikely (!props))
     return hb_shape_plan_get_empty ();
   if (num_user_features && !(features = (hb_feature_t *) malloc (num_user_features * sizeof (hb_feature_t))))
     return hb_shape_plan_get_empty ();
@@ -294,7 +294,6 @@ hb_shape_plan_execute (hb_shape_plan_t    *shape_plan,
 		  shape_plan->shaper_func);
 
   if (unlikely (hb_object_is_inert (shape_plan) ||
-		hb_object_is_inert (font) ||
 		hb_object_is_inert (buffer)))
     return false;
 
@@ -453,6 +452,10 @@ retry:
 
   hb_shape_plan_t *shape_plan = hb_shape_plan_create (face, props, user_features, num_user_features, shaper_list);
 
+  /* Don't add to the cache if face is inert. */
+  if (unlikely (hb_object_is_inert (face)))
+    return shape_plan;
+
   /* Don't add the plan to the cache if there were user features with non-global ranges */
 
   if (hb_non_global_user_features_present (user_features, num_user_features))
diff --git a/test/api/test-font.c b/test/api/test-font.c
index 6b6a5039f..2fc06313b 100644
--- a/test/api/test-font.c
+++ b/test/api/test-font.c
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ static void
 test_face_empty (void)
 {
   g_assert (hb_face_get_empty ());
-  g_assert (hb_face_get_empty () == hb_face_create (hb_blob_get_empty (), 0));
-  g_assert (hb_face_get_empty () == hb_face_create (NULL, 0));
+  g_assert (hb_face_get_empty () != hb_face_create (hb_blob_get_empty (), 0));
+  g_assert (hb_face_get_empty () != hb_face_create (NULL, 0));
 
   g_assert (hb_face_reference_table (hb_face_get_empty (), HB_TAG ('h','e','a','d')) == hb_blob_get_empty ());
 
@@ -348,9 +348,9 @@ static void
 test_font_empty (void)
 {
   g_assert (hb_font_get_empty ());
-  g_assert (hb_font_get_empty () == hb_font_create (hb_face_get_empty ()));
-  g_assert (hb_font_get_empty () == hb_font_create (NULL));
-  g_assert (hb_font_get_empty () == hb_font_create_sub_font (NULL));
+  g_assert (hb_font_get_empty () != hb_font_create (hb_face_get_empty ()));
+  g_assert (hb_font_get_empty () != hb_font_create (NULL));
+  g_assert (hb_font_get_empty () != hb_font_create_sub_font (NULL));
   g_assert (hb_font_is_immutable (hb_font_get_empty ()));
 
   g_assert (hb_font_get_face (hb_font_get_empty ()) == hb_face_get_empty ());
diff --git a/test/api/test-object.c b/test/api/test-object.c
index 3afe6ae87..4ea6f7cbf 100644
--- a/test/api/test-object.c
+++ b/test/api/test-object.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ create_blob (void)
   return hb_blob_create (data, sizeof (data), HB_MEMORY_MODE_READONLY, NULL, NULL);
 }
 static void *
-create_blob_inert (void)
+create_blob_from_inert (void)
 {
   return hb_blob_create (NULL, 0, HB_MEMORY_MODE_DUPLICATE, NULL, NULL);
 }
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ create_buffer (void)
   return hb_buffer_create ();
 }
 static void *
-create_buffer_inert (void)
+create_buffer_from_inert (void)
 {
   return NULL;
 }
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ create_set (void)
   return hb_set_create ();
 }
 static void *
-create_set_inert (void)
+create_set_from_inert (void)
 {
   return NULL;
 }
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ create_face (void)
   return face;
 }
 static void *
-create_face_inert (void)
+create_face_from_inert (void)
 {
   return hb_face_create (hb_blob_get_empty (), 0);
 }
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ create_font (void)
   return font;
 }
 static void *
-create_font_inert (void)
+create_font_from_inert (void)
 {
   return hb_font_create (hb_face_get_empty ());
 }
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ create_font_funcs (void)
   return hb_font_funcs_create ();
 }
 static void *
-create_font_funcs_inert (void)
+create_font_funcs_from_inert (void)
 {
   return NULL;
 }
@@ -108,9 +108,9 @@ create_unicode_funcs (void)
   return hb_unicode_funcs_create (NULL);
 }
 static void *
-create_unicode_funcs_inert (void)
+create_unicode_funcs_from_inert (void)
 {
-  return hb_unicode_funcs_get_default ();
+  return hb_unicode_funcs_create (hb_unicode_funcs_get_empty ());
 }
 
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ typedef hb_bool_t (*is_immutable_func_t)   (void *obj);
 
 typedef struct {
   create_func_t          create;
-  create_func_t          create_inert;
+  create_func_t          create_from_inert;
   create_func_t          get_empty;
   reference_func_t       reference;
   destroy_func_t         destroy;
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ typedef struct {
 #define OBJECT_WITHOUT_IMMUTABILITY(name) \
   { \
     (create_func_t)         create_##name, \
-    (create_func_t)         create_##name##_inert, \
+    (create_func_t)         create_##name##_from_inert, \
     (create_func_t)         hb_##name##_get_empty, \
     (reference_func_t)      hb_##name##_reference, \
     (destroy_func_t)        hb_##name##_destroy, \
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ typedef struct {
 #define OBJECT_WITH_IMMUTABILITY(name) \
   { \
     (create_func_t)         create_##name, \
-    (create_func_t)         create_##name##_inert, \
+    (create_func_t)         create_##name##_from_inert, \
     (create_func_t)         hb_##name##_get_empty, \
     (reference_func_t)      hb_##name##_reference, \
     (destroy_func_t)        hb_##name##_destroy, \
@@ -340,8 +340,8 @@ test_object (void)
     {
       data_t data[2] = {{MAGIC0, FALSE}, {MAGIC1, FALSE}};
 
-      g_test_message ("->create_inert()");
-      obj = o->create_inert ();
+      g_test_message ("->create_from_inert()");
+      obj = o->create_from_inert ();
       if (!obj)
 	continue;
       if (obj == o->get_empty ())
@@ -351,10 +351,10 @@ test_object (void)
       o->destroy (obj);
 
       if (o->is_immutable)
-	g_assert (o->is_immutable (obj));
+	g_assert (!o->is_immutable (obj));
 
-      g_assert (!o->set_user_data (obj, &key[0], &data[0], free_up0, TRUE));
-      g_assert (!o->get_user_data (obj, &key[0]));
+      g_assert (o->set_user_data (obj, &key[0], &data[0], free_up0, TRUE));
+      g_assert (o->get_user_data (obj, &key[0]));
 
       o->destroy (obj);
       o->destroy (obj);
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ test_object (void)
       o->destroy (obj);
       o->destroy (obj);
 
-      g_assert (!data[0].freed);
+      g_assert (data[0].freed);
     }
   }
 }