diff --git a/src/hb-aat-map.hh b/src/hb-aat-map.hh
index fa312dbec..3853b7e0d 100644
--- a/src/hb-aat-map.hh
+++ b/src/hb-aat-map.hh
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ struct hb_aat_map_t
   void fini () { chain_flags.fini (); }
 
   public:
-  hb_vector_t<hb_mask_t, 1> chain_flags;
+  hb_vector_t<hb_mask_t> chain_flags;
 };
 
 struct hb_aat_map_builder_t
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ struct hb_aat_map_builder_t
   hb_face_t *face;
 
   public:
-  hb_vector_t<feature_info_t, 32> features;
+  hb_vector_t<feature_info_t> features;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/hb-cff-interp-common.hh b/src/hb-cff-interp-common.hh
index 843256c6b..9a45332b7 100644
--- a/src/hb-cff-interp-common.hh
+++ b/src/hb-cff-interp-common.hh
@@ -482,7 +482,7 @@ struct stack_t
   protected:
   bool error;
   unsigned int count;
-  hb_vector_t<ELEM, kSizeLimit> elements;
+  hb_vector_t<ELEM> elements;
 };
 
 /* argument stack */
diff --git a/src/hb-face.cc b/src/hb-face.cc
index 1042d706c..375ef9293 100644
--- a/src/hb-face.cc
+++ b/src/hb-face.cc
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ struct hb_face_builder_data_t
     hb_blob_t *blob;
   };
 
-  hb_vector_t<table_entry_t, 32> tables;
+  hb_vector_t<table_entry_t> tables;
 };
 
 static hb_face_builder_data_t *
diff --git a/src/hb-object.hh b/src/hb-object.hh
index adbd3ebc5..68520f2a1 100644
--- a/src/hb-object.hh
+++ b/src/hb-object.hh
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
 template <typename item_t, typename lock_t>
 struct hb_lockable_set_t
 {
-  hb_vector_t <item_t, 1> items;
+  hb_vector_t<item_t> items;
 
   void init () { items.init (); }
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-cff-common.hh b/src/hb-ot-cff-common.hh
index 05eaf64cf..3a9cce353 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-cff-common.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-cff-common.hh
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ struct code_pair_t
   hb_codepoint_t  glyph;
 };
 
-typedef hb_vector_t<unsigned char, 1> str_buff_t;
+typedef hb_vector_t<unsigned char> str_buff_t;
 struct str_buff_vec_t : hb_vector_t<str_buff_t>
 {
   void fini () { SUPER::fini_deep (); }
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
index 532cf4b07..dd44e746a 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
@@ -643,7 +643,7 @@ struct hb_get_subtables_context_t :
     hb_set_digest_t digest;
   };
 
-  typedef hb_vector_t<hb_applicable_t, 2> array_t;
+  typedef hb_vector_t<hb_applicable_t> array_t;
 
   /* Dispatch interface. */
   const char *get_name () { return "GET_SUBTABLES"; }
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-map.hh b/src/hb-ot-map.hh
index 9c55864dc..28407c217 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-map.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-map.hh
@@ -167,9 +167,9 @@ struct hb_ot_map_t
 
   hb_mask_t global_mask;
 
-  hb_vector_t<feature_map_t, 8> features;
-  hb_vector_t<lookup_map_t, 16> lookups[2]; /* GSUB/GPOS */
-  hb_vector_t<stage_map_t, 4> stages[2]; /* GSUB/GPOS */
+  hb_vector_t<feature_map_t> features;
+  hb_vector_t<lookup_map_t> lookups[2]; /* GSUB/GPOS */
+  hb_vector_t<stage_map_t> stages[2]; /* GSUB/GPOS */
 };
 
 enum hb_ot_map_feature_flags_t
@@ -275,8 +275,8 @@ struct hb_ot_map_builder_t
   private:
 
   unsigned int current_stage[2]; /* GSUB/GPOS */
-  hb_vector_t<feature_info_t, 32> feature_infos;
-  hb_vector_t<stage_info_t, 8> stages[2]; /* GSUB/GPOS */
+  hb_vector_t<feature_info_t> feature_infos;
+  hb_vector_t<stage_info_t> stages[2]; /* GSUB/GPOS */
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-post-table.hh b/src/hb-ot-post-table.hh
index 6c8eb180f..a799b869f 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-post-table.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-post-table.hh
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ struct post
     hb_blob_ptr_t<post> table;
     uint32_t version;
     const ArrayOf<HBUINT16> *glyphNameIndex;
-    hb_vector_t<uint32_t, 1> index_to_offset;
+    hb_vector_t<uint32_t> index_to_offset;
     const uint8_t *pool;
     hb_atomic_ptr_t<uint16_t *> gids_sorted_by_name;
   };
diff --git a/src/hb-set.hh b/src/hb-set.hh
index 725fa3393..990c2953c 100644
--- a/src/hb-set.hh
+++ b/src/hb-set.hh
@@ -186,8 +186,8 @@ struct hb_set_t
   hb_object_header_t header;
   bool successful; /* Allocations successful */
   mutable unsigned int population;
-  hb_vector_t<page_map_t, 1> page_map;
-  hb_vector_t<page_t, 1> pages;
+  hb_vector_t<page_map_t> page_map;
+  hb_vector_t<page_t> pages;
 
   void init_shallow ()
   {
diff --git a/src/hb-vector.hh b/src/hb-vector.hh
index 9aa930989..7d615bf6a 100644
--- a/src/hb-vector.hh
+++ b/src/hb-vector.hh
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@
 #include "hb-null.hh"
 
 
-template <typename Type, unsigned int PreallocedCount=2>
+template <typename Type>
 struct hb_vector_t
 {
   typedef Type item_t;
   enum { item_size = hb_static_size (Type) };
 
-  HB_NO_COPY_ASSIGN_TEMPLATE2 (hb_vector_t, Type, PreallocedCount);
+  HB_NO_COPY_ASSIGN_TEMPLATE (hb_vector_t, Type);
   hb_vector_t ()  { init (); }
   ~hb_vector_t () { fini (); }
 
@@ -46,13 +46,11 @@ struct hb_vector_t
   private:
   int allocated; /* == -1 means allocation failed. */
   Type *arrayZ_;
-  Type static_array[PreallocedCount];
   public:
 
   void init ()
   {
-    length = 0;
-    allocated = ARRAY_LENGTH (static_array);
+    allocated = length = 0;
     arrayZ_ = nullptr;
   }
 
@@ -71,8 +69,8 @@ struct hb_vector_t
     fini ();
   }
 
-  const Type * arrayZ () const { return arrayZ_ ? arrayZ_ : static_array; }
-        Type * arrayZ ()       { return arrayZ_ ? arrayZ_ : static_array; }
+  const Type * arrayZ () const { return arrayZ_; }
+        Type * arrayZ ()       { return arrayZ_; }
 
   Type& operator [] (int i_)
   {
@@ -158,22 +156,12 @@ struct hb_vector_t
       new_allocated += (new_allocated >> 1) + 8;
 
     Type *new_array = nullptr;
-
-    if (!arrayZ_)
-    {
-      new_array = (Type *) calloc (new_allocated, sizeof (Type));
-      if (new_array)
-        memcpy (new_array, static_array, length * sizeof (Type));
-    }
-    else
-    {
-      bool overflows =
-	(int) new_allocated < 0 ||
-        (new_allocated < allocated) ||
-	hb_unsigned_mul_overflows (new_allocated, sizeof (Type));
-      if (likely (!overflows))
-        new_array = (Type *) realloc (arrayZ_, new_allocated * sizeof (Type));
-    }
+    bool overflows =
+      (int) new_allocated < 0 ||
+      (new_allocated < allocated) ||
+      hb_unsigned_mul_overflows (new_allocated, sizeof (Type));
+    if (likely (!overflows))
+      new_array = (Type *) realloc (arrayZ_, new_allocated * sizeof (Type));
 
     if (unlikely (!new_array))
     {
diff --git a/src/hb.hh b/src/hb.hh
index d604d958e..c6db70aed 100644
--- a/src/hb.hh
+++ b/src/hb.hh
@@ -377,6 +377,9 @@ static_assert ((sizeof (hb_var_int_t) == 4), "");
 #define HB_NO_COPY_ASSIGN(TypeName) \
   TypeName(const TypeName&); \
   void operator=(const TypeName&)
+#define HB_NO_COPY_ASSIGN_TEMPLATE(TypeName, T) \
+  TypeName(const TypeName<T>&); \
+  void operator=(const TypeName<T>&)
 #define HB_NO_COPY_ASSIGN_TEMPLATE2(TypeName, T1, T2) \
   TypeName(const TypeName<T1, T2>&); \
   void operator=(const TypeName<T1, T2>&)