diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.cc b/src/hb-buffer.cc
index e79b45ae4..eb7b01caa 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.cc
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.cc
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ hb_buffer_t::reset (void)
     return;
 
   hb_unicode_funcs_destroy (unicode);
-  unicode = hb_unicode_funcs_get_default ();
+  unicode = hb_unicode_funcs_reference (hb_unicode_funcs_get_default ());
   flags = HB_BUFFER_FLAG_DEFAULT;
   replacement = HB_BUFFER_REPLACEMENT_CODEPOINT_DEFAULT;
 
@@ -908,7 +908,6 @@ hb_buffer_set_unicode_funcs (hb_buffer_t        *buffer,
   if (!unicode_funcs)
     unicode_funcs = hb_unicode_funcs_get_default ();
 
-
   hb_unicode_funcs_reference (unicode_funcs);
   hb_unicode_funcs_destroy (buffer->unicode);
   buffer->unicode = unicode_funcs;
diff --git a/src/hb-glib.cc b/src/hb-glib.cc
index 342891d98..809b22f6b 100644
--- a/src/hb-glib.cc
+++ b/src/hb-glib.cc
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ void free_static_glib_funcs (void)
 hb_unicode_funcs_t *
 hb_glib_get_unicode_funcs (void)
 {
-  return hb_unicode_funcs_reference (static_glib_funcs.get_unconst ());
+  return static_glib_funcs.get_unconst ();
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/hb-icu.cc b/src/hb-icu.cc
index 380a99c89..63b37f055 100644
--- a/src/hb-icu.cc
+++ b/src/hb-icu.cc
@@ -390,5 +390,5 @@ void free_static_icu_funcs (void)
 hb_unicode_funcs_t *
 hb_icu_get_unicode_funcs (void)
 {
-  return hb_unicode_funcs_reference (static_icu_funcs.get_unconst ());
+  return static_icu_funcs.get_unconst ();
 }
diff --git a/src/hb-ucdn.cc b/src/hb-ucdn.cc
index 7b26e5124..56d13e7cd 100644
--- a/src/hb-ucdn.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ucdn.cc
@@ -275,5 +275,5 @@ extern "C" HB_INTERNAL
 hb_unicode_funcs_t *
 hb_ucdn_get_unicode_funcs (void)
 {
-  return hb_unicode_funcs_reference (static_ucdn_funcs.get_unconst ());
+  return static_ucdn_funcs.get_unconst ();
 }