diff --git a/src/hb-subset-plan.cc b/src/hb-subset-plan.cc
index 470fa03e3..20185e1d8 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset-plan.cc
+++ b/src/hb-subset-plan.cc
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include "hb-subset-plan.hh"
 #include "hb-subset-private.hh"
 
+#include "hb-ot-cmap-table.hh"
+
 hb_bool_t
 hb_subset_plan_new_gid_for_old_id(hb_subset_plan_t *plan,
                                   hb_codepoint_t old_gid,
@@ -46,14 +48,16 @@ hb_subset_plan_new_gid_for_old_id(hb_subset_plan_t *plan,
 }
 
 hb_set_t *
-glyph_ids_to_retain (hb_subset_face_t *face,
+glyph_ids_to_retain (hb_face_t *face,
                      hb_set_t  *codepoints)
 {
+  OT::cmap::accelerator_t cmap;
+  cmap.init (face);
   hb_codepoint_t cp = -1;
   hb_set_t *gids = hb_set_create();
   while (hb_set_next(codepoints, &cp)) {
     hb_codepoint_t gid;
-    if (face->cmap.get_nominal_glyph(cp, &gid)) {
+    if (cmap.get_nominal_glyph(cp, &gid)) {
       DEBUG_MSG(SUBSET, nullptr, "gid for U+%04X is %d", cp, gid);
       hb_set_add(gids, gid);
     } else {
@@ -63,6 +67,8 @@ glyph_ids_to_retain (hb_subset_face_t *face,
 
   // TODO(Q1) expand with glyphs that make up complex glyphs
   // TODO expand with glyphs reached by G*
+  //
+  cmap.fini ();
   return gids;
 }
 
@@ -77,7 +83,7 @@ glyph_ids_to_retain (hb_subset_face_t *face,
  * Since: 1.7.5
  **/
 hb_subset_plan_t *
-hb_subset_plan_create (hb_subset_face_t    *face,
+hb_subset_plan_create (hb_face_t           *face,
                        hb_subset_profile_t *profile,
                        hb_subset_input_t   *input)
 {
diff --git a/src/hb-subset-plan.hh b/src/hb-subset-plan.hh
index 549c87e28..b1ed1add8 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset-plan.hh
+++ b/src/hb-subset-plan.hh
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ struct hb_subset_plan_t {
 typedef struct hb_subset_plan_t hb_subset_plan_t;
 
 hb_subset_plan_t *
-hb_subset_plan_create (hb_subset_face_t    *face,
+hb_subset_plan_create (hb_face_t           *face,
                        hb_subset_profile_t *profile,
                        hb_subset_input_t   *input);
 
diff --git a/src/hb-subset-private.hh b/src/hb-subset-private.hh
index 31fceb470..9689da808 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-subset-private.hh
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@
 
 #include "hb-font-private.hh"
 
-#include "hb-ot-cmap-table.hh"
-
 struct hb_subset_input_t {
   hb_object_header_t header;
   ASSERT_POD ();
@@ -43,12 +41,4 @@ struct hb_subset_input_t {
   hb_set_t *codepoints;
 };
 
-struct hb_subset_face_t {
-  hb_object_header_t header;
-  ASSERT_POD ();
-
-  hb_face_t *face;
-  OT::cmap::accelerator_t cmap;
-};
-
 #endif /* HB_SUBSET_PRIVATE_HH */
diff --git a/src/hb-subset.cc b/src/hb-subset.cc
index 7215b60b0..28cfd300f 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset.cc
+++ b/src/hb-subset.cc
@@ -101,40 +101,6 @@ hb_subset_input_destroy(hb_subset_input_t *subset_input)
   free (subset_input);
 }
 
-/**
- * hb_subset_face_create:
- *
- * Return value: New subset face.
- *
- * Since: 1.7.5
- **/
-hb_subset_face_t *
-hb_subset_face_create (hb_face_t *face)
-{
-  if (unlikely (!face))
-    face = hb_face_get_empty();
-
-  hb_subset_face_t *subset_face = hb_object_create<hb_subset_face_t> ();
-  subset_face->face = hb_face_reference (face);
-  subset_face->cmap.init(face);
-
-  return subset_face;
-}
-
-/**
- * hb_subset_face_destroy:
- *
- * Since: 1.7.5
- **/
-void
-hb_subset_face_destroy (hb_subset_face_t *subset_face)
-{
-  if (!hb_object_destroy (subset_face)) return;
-
-  subset_face->cmap.fini();
-  hb_face_destroy(subset_face->face);
-  free (subset_face);
-}
 
 /**
  * hb_subset:
@@ -145,15 +111,14 @@ hb_subset_face_destroy (hb_subset_face_t *subset_face)
  *
  * Subsets a font according to provided profile and input.
  **/
-hb_bool_t
-hb_subset (hb_subset_profile_t *profile,
-           hb_subset_input_t *input,
-           hb_subset_face_t *face,
-           hb_blob_t **result /* OUT */)
+hb_face_t *
+hb_subset (hb_face_t *source,
+	   hb_subset_profile_t *profile,
+           hb_subset_input_t *input)
 {
-  if (!profile || !input || !face) return false;
+  if (unlikely (!profile || !input || !source)) return nullptr;
 
-  hb_subset_plan_t *plan = hb_subset_plan_create (face, profile, input);
+  hb_subset_plan_t *plan = hb_subset_plan_create (source, profile, input);
 
   hb_codepoint_t old_gid = -1;
   while (hb_set_next(plan->glyphs_to_retain, &old_gid)) {
@@ -174,14 +139,13 @@ hb_subset (hb_subset_profile_t *profile,
   bool success = true;
 
   hb_blob_t *glyf_prime = nullptr;
-  if (hb_subset_glyf (plan, face->face, &glyf_prime)) {
+  if (hb_subset_glyf (plan, source, &glyf_prime)) {
     // TODO: write new glyf to new face.
   } else {
     success = false;
   }
   hb_blob_destroy (glyf_prime);
 
-  *result = hb_face_reference_blob(face->face);
   hb_subset_plan_destroy (plan);
-  return success;
+  return success ? hb_face_reference (source) : nullptr;
 }
diff --git a/src/hb-subset.h b/src/hb-subset.h
index 47127e035..2b8d55a24 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset.h
+++ b/src/hb-subset.h
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 typedef struct hb_subset_profile_t hb_subset_profile_t;
 
 HB_EXTERN hb_subset_profile_t *
-hb_subset_profile_create ();
+hb_subset_profile_create (void);
 
 HB_EXTERN void
 hb_subset_profile_destroy (hb_subset_profile_t *profile);
@@ -58,26 +58,13 @@ hb_subset_input_create (hb_set_t *codepoints);
 HB_EXTERN void
 hb_subset_input_destroy (hb_subset_input_t *subset_input);
 
-/*
- * hb_subset_face_t
- * Reusable subset-ready plan for a given face. Threadsafe for multiple
- * concurrent subset operations.
- */
-
-typedef struct hb_subset_face_t hb_subset_face_t;
-
-HB_EXTERN hb_subset_face_t *
-hb_subset_face_create (hb_face_t *face);
-
-HB_EXTERN void
-hb_subset_face_destroy (hb_subset_face_t *face);
 
+/* hb_subset() */
 
-HB_EXTERN hb_bool_t
-hb_subset (hb_subset_profile_t *profile,
-           hb_subset_input_t *input,
-           hb_subset_face_t *face,
-           hb_blob_t **result /* OUT */);
+HB_EXTERN hb_face_t *
+hb_subset (hb_face_t *source,
+	   hb_subset_profile_t *profile,
+           hb_subset_input_t *input);
 
 HB_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/test/api/test-subset.c b/test/api/test-subset.c
index 4841af624..db4bbe923 100644
--- a/test/api/test-subset.c
+++ b/test/api/test-subset.c
@@ -43,19 +43,20 @@ test_subset (void)
 
   hb_subset_profile_t *profile = hb_subset_profile_create();
   hb_subset_input_t *input = hb_subset_input_create (hb_set_get_empty ());
-  hb_subset_face_t *subset_face = hb_subset_face_create(face);
 
-  hb_blob_t *output;
-  g_assert(hb_subset(profile, input, subset_face, &output));
+  hb_face_t *out_face = hb_subset(face, profile, input);
+  g_assert(out_face);
+  g_assert(out_face != hb_face_get_empty ());
+  hb_blob_t *output = hb_face_reference_blob (out_face);
 
   unsigned int output_length;
   const char *output_data = hb_blob_get_data(output, &output_length);
   g_assert_cmpmem(test_data, 4, output_data, output_length);
 
   hb_blob_destroy(output);
-  hb_subset_face_destroy(subset_face);
   hb_subset_input_destroy(input);
   hb_subset_profile_destroy(profile);
+  hb_face_destroy(out_face);
   hb_face_destroy(face);
   hb_blob_destroy(font_blob);
 }
diff --git a/util/hb-subset.cc b/util/hb-subset.cc
index 67cfed193..fb6d36357 100644
--- a/util/hb-subset.cc
+++ b/util/hb-subset.cc
@@ -93,19 +93,21 @@ struct subset_consumer_t
     hb_subset_profile_t *subset_profile = hb_subset_profile_create();
     hb_subset_input_t *subset_input = hb_subset_input_create (codepoints);
     hb_face_t *face = hb_font_get_face (font);
-    hb_subset_face_t *subset_face = hb_subset_face_create(face);
 
 
 
-    hb_blob_t *result = nullptr;
-    failed = !(hb_subset(subset_profile, subset_input, subset_face, &result)
-               && write_file(options.output_file, result));
+    hb_face_t *new_face = hb_subset(face, subset_profile, subset_input);
+    hb_blob_t *result = hb_face_reference_blob (new_face);
+
+    failed = !hb_blob_get_length (result);
+    if (!failed)
+      write_file (options.output_file, result);
 
     hb_subset_profile_destroy (subset_profile);
     hb_subset_input_destroy (subset_input);
     hb_set_destroy (codepoints);
-    hb_subset_face_destroy (subset_face);
     hb_blob_destroy (result);
+    hb_face_destroy (new_face);
     hb_font_destroy (font);
   }