diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.c b/src/hb-buffer.c
index d2ec33dcb888ca036e4681f4b91891c122193a4c..3c6fd7cebfc9f8e6aee3eb0dd48fa2579d0e881c 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.c
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.c
@@ -166,6 +166,15 @@ hb_buffer_add_glyph (hb_buffer_t    *buffer,
   buffer->in_length++;
 }
 
+void
+hb_buffer_set_direction (hb_buffer_t    *buffer,
+			 hb_direction_t  direction)
+
+{
+  buffer->direction = direction;
+}
+
+
 /* HarfBuzz-Internal API */
 
 HB_INTERNAL void
diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.h b/src/hb-buffer.h
index 197c921ea8e122be5bf3cf2a6019868d4ab2992e..1376ad4c0b8ea8e4edceb7e152f354cdb4b2b5c3 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.h
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.h
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@
 
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
+typedef enum _hb_direction_t {
+  HB_DIRECTION_LTR,
+  HB_DIRECTION_RTL,
+  HB_DIRECTION_TTB,
+  HB_DIRECTION_BTT
+} hb_direction_t;
+
 /* XXX  Hide structs? */
 
 typedef struct _hb_glyph_info_t {
@@ -72,6 +79,8 @@ typedef struct _hb_buffer_t {
   hb_glyph_info_t     *out_string;
   hb_glyph_info_t     *alt_string;
   hb_glyph_position_t *positions;
+
+  hb_direction_t       direction;
   unsigned int         max_lig_id;
 } hb_buffer_t;
 
@@ -94,6 +103,11 @@ hb_buffer_add_glyph (hb_buffer_t    *buffer,
 		     unsigned int    properties,
 		     unsigned int    cluster);
 
+void
+hb_buffer_set_direction (hb_buffer_t    *buffer,
+			 hb_direction_t  direction);
+
+
 HB_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* HB_BUFFER_H */
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.h b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.h
index 5ad28a619214902d8379ebd419d61914538ee25b..619b4c47f13d82dd21036f06bbf012230dbbde4f 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gpos-private.h
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ struct CursivePosFormat1
 
     /* TODO vertical */
 
-    if (gpi->r2l)
+    if (buffer->direction == HB_DIRECTION_RTL)
     {
       POSITION (buffer->in_pos)->x_advance   = entry_x - gpi->anchor_x;
       POSITION (buffer->in_pos)->new_advance = TRUE;
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-private.h b/src/hb-ot-layout-private.h
index 326440b1b3f30e8d1a7d46a6c4f07a457d6c6987..12b1ee1cd55778760bbc5389dfe9cabeea0b7948 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-private.h
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@ struct _hb_ot_layout_t
     hb_16dot16_t x_scale, y_scale;
 
     hb_bool_t dvi;
-    hb_bool_t r2l;
 
     unsigned int last;        /* the last valid glyph--used with cursive positioning */
     hb_position_t anchor_x;   /* the coordinates of the anchor point */
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout.cc b/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
index 530e2548535dfbfd5858ac72ce5c68174aef8869..b3b0e3c836addcef91b8334db7ad0ce90b2208fb 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout.cc
@@ -114,13 +114,6 @@ hb_ot_layout_destroy (hb_ot_layout_t *layout)
   free (layout);
 }
 
-void
-hb_ot_layout_set_direction (hb_ot_layout_t *layout,
-			    hb_bool_t r2l)
-{
-  layout->gpos_info.r2l = !!r2l;
-}
-
 void
 hb_ot_layout_set_hinting (hb_ot_layout_t *layout,
 			  hb_bool_t hinted)
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout.h b/src/hb-ot-layout.h
index 20bd1e45420bd8b3739ff2c16892a4995f803e77..f1b4b45e06505326f54e0f437ef886c35152e9c7 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout.h
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout.h
@@ -53,11 +53,6 @@ hb_ot_layout_create_for_tables (const char *gdef_data,
 void
 hb_ot_layout_destroy (hb_ot_layout_t *layout);
 
-/* XXX */
-void
-hb_ot_layout_set_direction (hb_ot_layout_t *layout,
-			    hb_bool_t r2l);
-
 void
 hb_ot_layout_set_hinting (hb_ot_layout_t *layout,
 			  hb_bool_t hinted);