diff --git a/util/hb-subset.cc b/util/hb-subset.cc
index 5fe322237..27cbc47d6 100644
--- a/util/hb-subset.cc
+++ b/util/hb-subset.cc
@@ -134,9 +134,6 @@ struct subset_main_t : option_parser_t, face_options_t, output_options_t<false>
 
   void add_options ();
 
-  public:
-  void post_parse (GError **error);
-
   protected:
   static gboolean
   collect_face (const char *name,
@@ -153,9 +150,6 @@ struct subset_main_t : option_parser_t, face_options_t, output_options_t<false>
 
   unsigned num_iterations = 1;
   hb_subset_input_t *input = nullptr;
-
-  /* Internal, ouch. */
-  GString *glyph_names = nullptr;
 };
 
 static gboolean
@@ -223,13 +217,37 @@ parse_glyphs (const char *name G_GNUC_UNUSED,
 	      GError    **error G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
   subset_main_t *subset_main = (subset_main_t *) data;
+  hb_set_t *gids = hb_subset_input_glyph_set (subset_main->input);
 
-  if (!subset_main->glyph_names)
-    subset_main->glyph_names = g_string_new (nullptr);
-  else
-    g_string_append_c (subset_main->glyph_names, ' ');
+  const char *p = arg;
+  const char *p_end = arg + strlen (arg);
 
-  g_string_append (subset_main->glyph_names, arg);
+  hb_font_t *font = hb_font_create (subset_main->face);
+  while (p < p_end)
+  {
+    while (p < p_end && (*p == ' ' || *p == ','))
+      p++;
+
+    const char *end = p;
+    while (end < p_end && *end != ' ' && *end != ',')
+      end++;
+
+    if (p < end)
+    {
+      hb_codepoint_t gid;
+      if (!hb_font_get_glyph_from_name (font, p, end - p, &gid))
+      {
+	g_set_error (error, G_OPTION_ERROR, G_OPTION_ERROR_BAD_VALUE,
+		     "Failed parsing glyph name: '%s'", p);
+	return false;
+      }
+
+      hb_set_add (gids, gid);
+    }
+
+    p = end + 1;
+  }
+  hb_font_destroy (font);
 
   return true;
 }
@@ -731,51 +749,6 @@ subset_main_t::add_options ()
   option_parser_t::add_options ();
 }
 
-void
-subset_main_t::post_parse (GError **error)
-{
-  /* This WILL get called multiple times. Oh well... */
-
-  if (glyph_names)
-  {
-    char *p = glyph_names->str;
-    char *p_end = p + glyph_names->len;
-
-    hb_set_t *gids = hb_subset_input_glyph_set (input);
-
-    hb_font_t *font = hb_font_create (face);
-    while (p < p_end)
-    {
-      while (p < p_end && (*p == ' ' || *p == ','))
-	p++;
-
-      char *end = p;
-      while (end < p_end && *end != ' ' && *end != ',')
-	end++;
-      *end = '\0';
-
-      if (p < end)
-      {
-        hb_codepoint_t gid;
-	if (!hb_font_get_glyph_from_name (font, p, -1, &gid))
-	{
-	  g_set_error (error, G_OPTION_ERROR, G_OPTION_ERROR_BAD_VALUE,
-		       "Failed parsing glyph name: '%s'", p);
-	  return;
-	}
-
-	hb_set_add (gids, gid);
-      }
-
-      p = end + 1;
-    }
-    hb_font_destroy (font);
-
-    g_string_free (glyph_names, false);
-    glyph_names = nullptr;
-  }
-}
-
 int
 main (int argc, char **argv)
 {