diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gdef-private.h b/src/hb-ot-layout-gdef-private.h
index 8565a4862..19f0e8e41 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gdef-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gdef-private.h
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ struct CaretValueFormat3 {
   private:
   inline const Device& get_device (void) const {
     if (HB_UNLIKELY (!deviceTable)) return Null(Device);
-    return *(const Device*)((const char*)this + deviceTable);
+    return (const Device&)*((const char*)this + deviceTable);
   }
 
   inline int get_caret_value (int ppem) const {
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.h b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.h
index 056131b26..a46f73d2e 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.h
@@ -787,7 +787,7 @@ ASSERT_SIZE (PosLookupSubTable, 2);
 struct PosLookup : Lookup {
 
   inline const PosLookupSubTable& get_subtable (unsigned int i) const {
-    return *(PosLookupSubTable*)&(((Lookup *)this)->get_subtable (i));
+    return (const PosLookupSubTable&) Lookup::get_subtable (i);
   }
 
   /* Like get_type(), but looks through extension lookups.
@@ -880,7 +880,7 @@ struct GPOS : GSUBGPOS {
   /* XXX check version here? */
 
   inline const PosLookup& get_lookup (unsigned int i) const {
-    return *(PosLookup*)&(((GSUBGPOS *)this)->get_lookup (i));
+    return (PosLookup&)(((GSUBGPOS *)this)->get_lookup (i));
   }
 
   inline bool position_lookup (hb_ot_layout_t *layout,
@@ -902,7 +902,7 @@ inline bool ExtensionPosFormat1::position (LOOKUP_ARGS_DEF) const {
   if (HB_UNLIKELY (lookup_type ==  GPOS_Extension))
     return false;
 
-  return (*(PosLookupSubTable *)(((char *) this) + get_offset ())).position (LOOKUP_ARGS, lookup_type);
+  return ((PosLookupSubTable&)*(((char *) this) + get_offset ())).position (LOOKUP_ARGS, lookup_type);
 }
 
 static inline bool position_lookup (LOOKUP_ARGS_DEF, unsigned int lookup_index) {
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsub-private.h b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsub-private.h
index 2bbb81f30..e1d17c80e 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsub-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsub-private.h
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ ASSERT_SIZE (SubstLookupSubTable, 2);
 struct SubstLookup : Lookup {
 
   inline const SubstLookupSubTable& get_subtable (unsigned int i) const {
-    return *(SubstLookupSubTable*)&(((Lookup *)this)->get_subtable (i));
+    return (const SubstLookupSubTable&) Lookup::get_subtable (i);
   }
 
   /* Like get_type(), but looks through extension lookups.
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ struct GSUB : GSUBGPOS {
   /* XXX check version here? */
 
   inline const SubstLookup& get_lookup (unsigned int i) const {
-    return *(SubstLookup*)&(((GSUBGPOS *)this)->get_lookup (i));
+    return (SubstLookup&)(((GSUBGPOS *)this)->get_lookup (i));
   }
 
   inline bool substitute_lookup (hb_ot_layout_t *layout,
@@ -801,7 +801,7 @@ inline bool ExtensionSubstFormat1::substitute (LOOKUP_ARGS_DEF) const {
   if (HB_UNLIKELY (lookup_type ==  GSUB_Extension))
     return false;
 
-  return (*(SubstLookupSubTable *)(((char *) this) + get_offset ())).substitute (LOOKUP_ARGS, lookup_type);
+  return ((SubstLookupSubTable&)*(((char *) this) + get_offset ())).substitute (LOOKUP_ARGS, lookup_type);
 }
 
 static inline bool substitute_lookup (LOOKUP_ARGS_DEF, unsigned int lookup_index) {
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-open-private.h b/src/hb-ot-layout-open-private.h
index fae2d4e27..befb1d3a4 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-open-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-open-private.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
   inline const Type& operator[] (unsigned int i) const { \
     if (HB_UNLIKELY (i >= num)) return Null(Type); \
     if (HB_UNLIKELY (!array[i])) return Null(Type); \
-    return *(const Type *)((const char*)this + array[i]); \
+    return (const Type&)*((const char*)this + array[i]); \
   }
 
 
@@ -152,14 +152,14 @@ static const char NullPool[16] = "";
 template <typename Type>
 struct Null {
   ASSERT_STATIC (sizeof (Type) <= sizeof (NullPool));
-  static inline const Type &get () { return (const Type&) *(const Type*) NullPool; }
+  static inline const Type &get () { return (const Type&) *NullPool; }
 };
 
 /* Specializaiton for arbitrary-content arbitrary-sized Null objects. */
 #define DEFINE_NULL_DATA(Type, size, data) \
 template <> \
 struct Null <Type> { \
-  static inline const Type &get () { static const char bytes[size] = data; return (const Type&) *(const Type*) bytes; } \
+  static inline const Type &get () { static const char bytes[size] = data; return (const Type&) *bytes; /* XXX */ } \
 }
 
 /* Accessor macro. */
@@ -176,10 +176,10 @@ struct Null <Type> { \
 #define STATIC_DEFINE_GET_FOR_DATA(Type) \
   static inline const Type& get_for_data (const char *data) { \
     if (HB_UNLIKELY (data == NULL)) return Null(Type); \
-    return *(const Type*)data; \
+    return (const Type&)*data; \
   } \
   static inline Type& get_for_data (char *data) { \
-    return *(Type*)data; \
+    return (Type&)*data; \
   }