diff --git a/src/test-buffer-serialize.cc b/src/test-buffer-serialize.cc
index c52d88a0f..74de9a0e7 100644
--- a/src/test-buffer-serialize.cc
+++ b/src/test-buffer-serialize.cc
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
-#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
-#include "config.h"
-#endif
+#include "hb-private.hh"
 
 #include "hb.h"
 #ifdef HAVE_FREETYPE
diff --git a/src/test-size-params.cc b/src/test-size-params.cc
index faa828051..9741b87ef 100644
--- a/src/test-size-params.cc
+++ b/src/test-size-params.cc
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
-#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
-#include "config.h"
-#endif
+#include "hb-private.hh"
 
 #include "hb.h"
 #include "hb-ot.h"
diff --git a/src/test-would-substitute.cc b/src/test-would-substitute.cc
index cad5b5a04..efebf2d06 100644
--- a/src/test-would-substitute.cc
+++ b/src/test-would-substitute.cc
@@ -24,9 +24,7 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
-#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
-#include "config.h"
-#endif
+#include "hb-private.hh"
 
 #include "hb.h"
 #include "hb-ot.h"
diff --git a/util/ansi-print.hh b/util/ansi-print.hh
index dad4d4cfd..1ea5b3742 100644
--- a/util/ansi-print.hh
+++ b/util/ansi-print.hh
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #ifndef ANSI_PRINT_HH
 #define ANSI_PRINT_HH
 
+#include "hb-private.hh"
 #include <hb.h> /* for int types */
 
 void
diff --git a/util/helper-cairo-ansi.hh b/util/helper-cairo-ansi.hh
index eeaaa5069..cf18ea495 100644
--- a/util/helper-cairo-ansi.hh
+++ b/util/helper-cairo-ansi.hh
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
-#include <cairo.h>
-
 #ifndef HELPER_CAIRO_ANSI_HH
 #define HELPER_CAIRO_ANSI_HH
 
+#include "hb-private.hh"
+
+#include <cairo.h>
 
 cairo_status_t
 helper_cairo_surface_write_to_ansi_stream (cairo_surface_t	*surface,
diff --git a/util/helper-cairo.hh b/util/helper-cairo.hh
index 27b6eb3dc..50bc0af09 100644
--- a/util/helper-cairo.hh
+++ b/util/helper-cairo.hh
@@ -24,13 +24,14 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
+#ifndef HELPER_CAIRO_HH
+#define HELPER_CAIRO_HH
+
+#include "hb-private.hh"
 #include "options.hh"
 
 #include <cairo.h>
 
-#ifndef HELPER_CAIRO_HH
-#define HELPER_CAIRO_HH
-
 
 cairo_scaled_font_t *
 helper_cairo_create_scaled_font (const font_options_t *font_opts);
diff --git a/util/main-font-text.hh b/util/main-font-text.hh
index 53478e756..3390371c5 100644
--- a/util/main-font-text.hh
+++ b/util/main-font-text.hh
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
-#include "options.hh"
-
 #ifndef HB_MAIN_FONT_TEXT_HH
 #define HB_MAIN_FONT_TEXT_HH
 
+#include "hb-private.hh"
+#include "options.hh"
+
 /* main() body for utilities taking font and processing text.*/
 
 static char *
diff --git a/util/options.hh b/util/options.hh
index c2f37dcaf..4f9d85e50 100644
--- a/util/options.hh
+++ b/util/options.hh
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@
 #ifndef OPTIONS_HH
 #define OPTIONS_HH
 
-
-#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
-#include "config.h"
-#endif
+#include "hb-private.hh"
 
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stddef.h>
@@ -59,12 +56,6 @@
 # define g_mapped_file_unref g_mapped_file_free
 #endif
 
-/* Normally I don't like including private headers, but hb-private.hh
- * is generic utility stuff and in no way exposes the internals of
- * libharfbuzz.
- */
-#include "hb-private.hh"
-
 void fail (hb_bool_t suggest_help, const char *format, ...) G_GNUC_NORETURN G_GNUC_PRINTF (2, 3);
 
 extern hb_bool_t debug;
diff --git a/util/shape-consumer.hh b/util/shape-consumer.hh
index 1aa30cdee..fa419f185 100644
--- a/util/shape-consumer.hh
+++ b/util/shape-consumer.hh
@@ -24,11 +24,12 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
-#include "options.hh"
-
 #ifndef HB_SHAPE_CONSUMER_HH
 #define HB_SHAPE_CONSUMER_HH
 
+#include "hb-private.hh"
+#include "options.hh"
+
 
 template <typename output_t>
 struct shape_consumer_t
diff --git a/util/view-cairo.hh b/util/view-cairo.hh
index bf56da3c8..d28c3cd16 100644
--- a/util/view-cairo.hh
+++ b/util/view-cairo.hh
@@ -24,12 +24,13 @@
  * Google Author(s): Behdad Esfahbod
  */
 
-#include "options.hh"
-#include "helper-cairo.hh"
-
 #ifndef VIEW_CAIRO_HH
 #define VIEW_CAIRO_HH
 
+#include "hb-private.hh"
+#include "options.hh"
+#include "helper-cairo.hh"
+
 
 struct view_cairo_t
 {