diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 0fdaf531e..6948aa6ff 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -346,6 +346,10 @@ if test "x$with_freetype" = "xyes" -a "x$have_freetype" != "xtrue"; then
 fi
 if $have_freetype; then
 	AC_DEFINE(HAVE_FREETYPE, 1, [Have FreeType 2 library])
+	save_libs=$LIBS
+	LIBS="$LIBS $FREETYPE_LIBS"
+	AC_CHECK_FUNCS(FT_Get_Var_Blend_Coordinates)
+	LIBS=$save_libs
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(HAVE_FREETYPE, $have_freetype)
 
diff --git a/src/hb-ft.cc b/src/hb-ft.cc
index 30d28c09e..f127066a6 100644
--- a/src/hb-ft.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ft.cc
@@ -617,18 +617,22 @@ hb_ft_font_create (FT_Face           ft_face,
 		    ft_face->size->metrics.y_ppem);
 #endif
 
+#ifdef HAVE_FT_GET_VAR_BLEND_COORDINATES
   FT_MM_Var *mm_var = NULL;
-  if (!FT_Get_MM_Var (ft_face, &mm_var)) {
+  if (!FT_Get_MM_Var (ft_face, &mm_var))
+  {
     FT_Fixed coords[mm_var->num_axis];
     int hbCoords[mm_var->num_axis];
-    if (!FT_Get_Var_Blend_Coordinates (ft_face, mm_var->num_axis, coords)) {
-      for (int i = 0; i < mm_var->num_axis; ++i) {
+    if (!FT_Get_Var_Blend_Coordinates (ft_face, mm_var->num_axis, coords))
+    {
+      for (int i = 0; i < mm_var->num_axis; ++i)
 	hbCoords[i] = coords[i] >> 2;
-      }
+
       hb_font_set_var_coords_normalized (font, hbCoords, mm_var->num_axis);
     }
   }
   free (mm_var);
+#endif
 
   return font;
 }