diff --git a/src/hb-font.cc b/src/hb-font.cc
index 72dc044fa..34c2345dd 100644
--- a/src/hb-font.cc
+++ b/src/hb-font.cc
@@ -75,14 +75,12 @@ hb_font_get_kerning_nil (hb_font_t *font HB_UNUSED,
 
 hb_font_funcs_t _hb_font_funcs_nil = {
   HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_INVALID, /* ref_count */
-
   TRUE,  /* immutable */
-
   {
-  hb_font_get_glyph_nil,
-  hb_font_get_contour_point_nil,
-  hb_font_get_glyph_metrics_nil,
-  hb_font_get_kerning_nil
+    hb_font_get_glyph_nil,
+    hb_font_get_contour_point_nil,
+    hb_font_get_glyph_metrics_nil,
+    hb_font_get_kerning_nil
   }
 };
 
@@ -94,6 +92,8 @@ hb_font_funcs_create (void)
   if (!HB_OBJECT_DO_CREATE (hb_font_funcs_t, ffuncs))
     return &_hb_font_funcs_nil;
 
+  ffuncs->v = _hb_font_funcs_nil.v;
+
   return ffuncs;
 }
 
@@ -125,11 +125,7 @@ hb_font_funcs_copy (hb_font_funcs_t *other_ffuncs)
   if (!HB_OBJECT_DO_CREATE (hb_font_funcs_t, ffuncs))
     return &_hb_font_funcs_nil;
 
-  *ffuncs = *other_ffuncs;
-
-  /* re-init refcount */
-  HB_OBJECT_DO_INIT (ffuncs);
-  ffuncs->immutable = FALSE;
+  ffuncs->v = other_ffuncs->v;
 
   return ffuncs;
 }
diff --git a/src/hb-unicode.c b/src/hb-unicode.c
index 69ba58c1b..77efb678e 100644
--- a/src/hb-unicode.c
+++ b/src/hb-unicode.c
@@ -40,9 +40,7 @@ static unsigned int hb_unicode_get_eastasian_width_nil (hb_codepoint_t unicode H
 
 hb_unicode_funcs_t _hb_unicode_funcs_nil = {
   HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_INVALID, /* ref_count */
-
   TRUE, /* immutable */
-
   {
     hb_unicode_get_general_category_nil,
     hb_unicode_get_combining_class_nil,
@@ -60,8 +58,7 @@ hb_unicode_funcs_create (void)
   if (!HB_OBJECT_DO_CREATE (hb_unicode_funcs_t, ufuncs))
     return &_hb_unicode_funcs_nil;
 
-  *ufuncs = _hb_unicode_funcs_nil;
-  HB_OBJECT_DO_INIT (ufuncs);
+  ufuncs->v = _hb_unicode_funcs_nil.v;
 
   return ufuncs;
 }
@@ -94,9 +91,7 @@ hb_unicode_funcs_copy (hb_unicode_funcs_t *other_ufuncs)
   if (!HB_OBJECT_DO_CREATE (hb_unicode_funcs_t, ufuncs))
     return &_hb_unicode_funcs_nil;
 
-  *ufuncs = *other_ufuncs;
-  HB_OBJECT_DO_INIT (ufuncs);
-  ufuncs->immutable = FALSE;
+  ufuncs->v = other_ufuncs->v;
 
   return ufuncs;
 }