diff --git a/src/bdf/bdflib.c b/src/bdf/bdflib.c
index 438017a8b..081713979 100644
--- a/src/bdf/bdflib.c
+++ b/src/bdf/bdflib.c
@@ -631,10 +631,6 @@
       {
         error = (*cb)( buf + start, end - start, lineno,
                        (void*)&cb, client_data );
-        /* Redo if we have encountered CHARS without properties. */
-        if ( error == -1 )
-          error = (*cb)( buf + start, end - start, lineno,
-                         (void*)&cb, client_data );
         if ( error )
           break;
       }
@@ -1267,7 +1263,15 @@
   }
 
 
-  /* Line function prototype. */
+  /* Line function prototypes. */
+  static FT_Error
+  bdf_parse_start_( char*          line,
+                     unsigned long  linelen,
+                     unsigned long  lineno,
+                     void*          call_data,
+                     void*          client_data );
+
+
   static FT_Error
   bdf_parse_glyphs_( char*          line,
                      unsigned long  linelen,
@@ -1367,49 +1371,6 @@
       goto Exit;
     }
 
-    /* The very first thing expected is the number of glyphs. */
-    if ( !( p->flags & BDF_GLYPHS_ ) )
-    {
-      if ( _bdf_strncmp( line, "CHARS", 5 ) != 0 )
-      {
-        FT_ERROR(( "bdf_parse_glyphs_: " ERRMSG1, lineno, "CHARS" ));
-        error = FT_THROW( Missing_Chars_Field );
-        goto Exit;
-      }
-
-      error = bdf_list_split_( &p->list, " +", line, linelen );
-      if ( error )
-        goto Exit;
-      p->cnt = font->glyphs_size = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[1] );
-
-      /* We need at least 20 bytes per glyph. */
-      if ( p->cnt > p->size / 20 )
-      {
-        p->cnt = font->glyphs_size = p->size / 20;
-        FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_glyphs_: " ACMSG17, p->cnt ));
-      }
-
-      /* Make sure the number of glyphs is non-zero. */
-      if ( p->cnt == 0 )
-        font->glyphs_size = 64;
-
-      /* Limit ourselves to 1,114,112 glyphs in the font (this is the */
-      /* number of code points available in Unicode).                 */
-      if ( p->cnt >= 0x110000UL )
-      {
-        FT_ERROR(( "bdf_parse_glyphs_: " ERRMSG5, lineno, "CHARS" ));
-        error = FT_THROW( Invalid_Argument );
-        goto Exit;
-      }
-
-      if ( FT_NEW_ARRAY( font->glyphs, font->glyphs_size ) )
-        goto Exit;
-
-      p->flags |= BDF_GLYPHS_;
-
-      goto Exit;
-    }
-
     /* Check for the ENDFONT field. */
     if ( _bdf_strncmp( line, "ENDFONT", 7 ) == 0 )
     {
@@ -1747,7 +1708,6 @@
     unsigned long      vlen;
     char*              name;
     char*              value;
-    char               nbuf[BUFSIZE];
 
     FT_UNUSED( lineno );
 
@@ -1755,38 +1715,8 @@
     /* Check for the end of the properties. */
     if ( _bdf_strncmp( line, "ENDPROPERTIES", 13 ) == 0 )
     {
-      /* If the FONT_ASCENT or FONT_DESCENT properties have not been      */
-      /* encountered yet, then make sure they are added as properties and */
-      /* make sure they are set from the font bounding box info.          */
-      /*                                                                  */
-      /* This is *always* done regardless of the options, because X11     */
-      /* requires these two fields to compile fonts.                      */
-      if ( bdf_get_font_property( p->font, "FONT_ASCENT" ) == 0 )
-      {
-        p->font->font_ascent = p->font->bbx.ascent;
-        ft_snprintf( nbuf, BUFSIZE, "%hd", p->font->bbx.ascent );
-        error = bdf_add_property_( p->font, "FONT_ASCENT",
-                                   nbuf, lineno );
-        if ( error )
-          goto Exit;
-
-        FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_properties_: " ACMSG1, p->font->bbx.ascent ));
-      }
-
-      if ( bdf_get_font_property( p->font, "FONT_DESCENT" ) == 0 )
-      {
-        p->font->font_descent = p->font->bbx.descent;
-        ft_snprintf( nbuf, BUFSIZE, "%hd", p->font->bbx.descent );
-        error = bdf_add_property_( p->font, "FONT_DESCENT",
-                                   nbuf, lineno );
-        if ( error )
-          goto Exit;
-
-        FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_properties_: " ACMSG2, p->font->bbx.descent ));
-      }
-
       p->flags &= ~BDF_PROPS_;
-      *next     = bdf_parse_glyphs_;
+      *next     = bdf_parse_start_;
 
       goto Exit;
     }
@@ -1843,6 +1773,7 @@
   {
     bdf_line_func_t_*  next = (bdf_line_func_t_ *)call_data;
     bdf_parse_t_*      p    = (bdf_parse_t_ *)    client_data;
+    bdf_font_t*        font;
 
     FT_Memory          memory = p->memory;
     FT_Error           error  = FT_Err_Ok;
@@ -1917,6 +1848,9 @@
       goto Exit;
     }
 
+    /* Point at the font being constructed. */
+    font = p->font;
+
     /* Check for the start of the properties. */
     if ( _bdf_strncmp( line, "STARTPROPERTIES", 15 ) == 0 )
     {
@@ -1932,21 +1866,20 @@
       if ( error )
         goto Exit;
 
-      /* at this point, `p->font' can't be NULL */
-      p->cnt = p->font->props_size = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[1] );
+      p->cnt = font->props_size = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[1] );
       /* We need at least 4 bytes per property. */
       if ( p->cnt > p->size / 4 )
       {
-        p->font->props_size = 0;
+        font->props_size = 0;
 
         FT_ERROR(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ERRMSG5, lineno, "STARTPROPERTIES" ));
         error = FT_THROW( Invalid_Argument );
         goto Exit;
       }
 
-      if ( FT_NEW_ARRAY( p->font->props, p->cnt ) )
+      if ( FT_NEW_ARRAY( font->props, p->cnt ) )
       {
-        p->font->props_size = 0;
+        font->props_size = 0;
         goto Exit;
       }
 
@@ -1971,16 +1904,16 @@
       if ( error )
         goto Exit;
 
-      p->font->bbx.width  = bdf_atous_( p->list.field[1] );
-      p->font->bbx.height = bdf_atous_( p->list.field[2] );
+      font->bbx.width  = bdf_atous_( p->list.field[1] );
+      font->bbx.height = bdf_atous_( p->list.field[2] );
 
-      p->font->bbx.x_offset = bdf_atos_( p->list.field[3] );
-      p->font->bbx.y_offset = bdf_atos_( p->list.field[4] );
+      font->bbx.x_offset = bdf_atos_( p->list.field[3] );
+      font->bbx.y_offset = bdf_atos_( p->list.field[4] );
 
-      p->font->bbx.ascent  = (short)( p->font->bbx.height +
-                                      p->font->bbx.y_offset );
+      font->bbx.ascent  = (short)( font->bbx.height +
+                                      font->bbx.y_offset );
 
-      p->font->bbx.descent = (short)( -p->font->bbx.y_offset );
+      font->bbx.descent = (short)( -font->bbx.y_offset );
 
       p->flags |= BDF_FONT_BBX_;
 
@@ -2005,14 +1938,14 @@
       }
 
       /* Allowing multiple `FONT' lines (which is invalid) doesn't hurt... */
-      FT_FREE( p->font->name );
+      FT_FREE( font->name );
 
-      if ( FT_DUP( p->font->name, s, slen + 1 ) )
+      if ( FT_DUP( font->name, s, slen + 1 ) )
         goto Exit;
 
       /* If the font name is an XLFD name, set the spacing to the one in  */
       /* the font name.  If there is no spacing fall back on the default. */
-      error = bdf_set_default_spacing_( p->font, p->opts, lineno );
+      error = bdf_set_default_spacing_( font, p->opts, lineno );
       if ( error )
         goto Exit;
 
@@ -2036,9 +1969,9 @@
       if ( error )
         goto Exit;
 
-      p->font->point_size   = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[1] );
-      p->font->resolution_x = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[2] );
-      p->font->resolution_y = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[3] );
+      font->point_size   = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[1] );
+      font->resolution_x = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[2] );
+      font->resolution_y = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[3] );
 
       /* Check for the bits per pixel field. */
       if ( p->list.used == 5 )
@@ -2050,26 +1983,26 @@
 
         /* Only values 1, 2, 4, 8 are allowed for greymap fonts. */
         if ( bpp > 4 )
-          p->font->bpp = 8;
+          font->bpp = 8;
         else if ( bpp > 2 )
-          p->font->bpp = 4;
+          font->bpp = 4;
         else if ( bpp > 1 )
-          p->font->bpp = 2;
+          font->bpp = 2;
         else
-          p->font->bpp = 1;
+          font->bpp = 1;
 
-        if ( p->font->bpp != bpp )
-          FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ACMSG11, p->font->bpp ));
+        if ( font->bpp != bpp )
+          FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ACMSG11, font->bpp ));
       }
       else
-        p->font->bpp = 1;
+        font->bpp = 1;
 
       p->flags |= BDF_SIZE_;
 
       goto Exit;
     }
 
-    /* Check for the CHARS field -- font properties are optional */
+    /* Check for the CHARS field */
     if ( _bdf_strncmp( line, "CHARS", 5 ) == 0 )
     {
       char  nbuf[BUFSIZE];
@@ -2083,28 +2016,65 @@
         goto Exit;
       }
 
-      /* Add the two standard X11 properties which are required */
-      /* for compiling fonts.                                   */
-      p->font->font_ascent = p->font->bbx.ascent;
-      ft_snprintf( nbuf, BUFSIZE, "%hd", p->font->bbx.ascent );
-      error = bdf_add_property_( p->font, "FONT_ASCENT",
-                                 nbuf, lineno );
+      /* If the FONT_ASCENT or FONT_DESCENT properties have not been      */
+      /* encountered yet, then make sure they are added as properties and */
+      /* make sure they are set from the font bounding box info.          */
+      /*                                                                  */
+      /* This is *always* done regardless of the options, because X11     */
+      /* requires these two fields to compile fonts.                      */
+      if ( bdf_get_font_property( font, "FONT_ASCENT" ) == 0 )
+      {
+        font->font_ascent = font->bbx.ascent;
+        ft_snprintf( nbuf, BUFSIZE, "%hd", font->bbx.ascent );
+        error = bdf_add_property_( font, "FONT_ASCENT", nbuf, lineno );
+        if ( error )
+          goto Exit;
+
+        FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ACMSG1, font->bbx.ascent ));
+      }
+
+      if ( bdf_get_font_property( font, "FONT_DESCENT" ) == 0 )
+      {
+        font->font_descent = font->bbx.descent;
+        ft_snprintf( nbuf, BUFSIZE, "%hd", font->bbx.descent );
+        error = bdf_add_property_( font, "FONT_DESCENT", nbuf, lineno );
+        if ( error )
+          goto Exit;
+
+        FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ACMSG2, font->bbx.descent ));
+      }
+
+      error = bdf_list_split_( &p->list, " +", line, linelen );
       if ( error )
         goto Exit;
-      FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ACMSG1, p->font->bbx.ascent ));
+      p->cnt = font->glyphs_size = bdf_atoul_( p->list.field[1] );
 
-      p->font->font_descent = p->font->bbx.descent;
-      ft_snprintf( nbuf, BUFSIZE, "%hd", p->font->bbx.descent );
-      error = bdf_add_property_( p->font, "FONT_DESCENT",
-                                 nbuf, lineno );
-      if ( error )
+      /* We need at least 20 bytes per glyph. */
+      if ( p->cnt > p->size / 20 )
+      {
+        p->cnt = font->glyphs_size = p->size / 20;
+        FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ACMSG17, p->cnt ));
+      }
+
+      /* Make sure the number of glyphs is non-zero. */
+      if ( p->cnt == 0 )
+        font->glyphs_size = 64;
+
+      /* Limit ourselves to 1,114,112 glyphs in the font (this is the */
+      /* number of code points available in Unicode).                 */
+      if ( p->cnt >= 0x110000UL )
+      {
+        FT_ERROR(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ERRMSG5, lineno, "CHARS" ));
+        error = FT_THROW( Invalid_Argument );
         goto Exit;
-      FT_TRACE2(( "bdf_parse_start_: " ACMSG2, p->font->bbx.descent ));
+      }
 
-      *next = bdf_parse_glyphs_;
+      if ( FT_NEW_ARRAY( font->glyphs, font->glyphs_size ) )
+        goto Exit;
+
+      p->flags |= BDF_GLYPHS_;
+      *next     = bdf_parse_glyphs_;
 
-      /* A special return value. */
-      error = -1;
       goto Exit;
     }