diff --git a/src/hb-buffer-private.h b/src/hb-buffer-private.h
index 5f64bc1e03c770af44bbca5c6ad96777b72ea3c1..a648a0eb2861312f4e004d76e0818098112b16bf 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-buffer-private.h
@@ -35,15 +35,33 @@ HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 #define HB_BUFFER_GLYPH_PROPERTIES_UNKNOWN 0xFFFF
 
+
+struct _hb_buffer_t {
+  hb_reference_count_t ref_count;
+
+  unsigned int allocated;
+
+  unsigned int in_length;
+  unsigned int out_length;
+  unsigned int in_pos;
+  unsigned int out_pos;
+
+  hb_glyph_info_t     *in_string;
+  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_INTERNAL void
 _hb_buffer_swap (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
 
 HB_INTERNAL void
 _hb_buffer_clear_output (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
 
-HB_INTERNAL void
-_hb_buffer_clear_positions (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
-
 HB_INTERNAL void
 _hb_buffer_add_output_glyphs (hb_buffer_t *buffer,
 			      unsigned int num_in,
diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.c b/src/hb-buffer.c
index 89887fcb797c07ce1e6f8812d6e7af5df70b8e52..a4b92d75dcd13d610983b8d762a48c05387b7378 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.c
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.c
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 
+static hb_buffer_t _hb_buffer_nil = {
+  HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_INVALID /* ref_count */
+};
+
 /* Here is how the buffer works internally:
  *
  * There are two string pointers: in_string and out_string.  They
@@ -69,33 +73,40 @@ hb_buffer_ensure_separate (hb_buffer_t *buffer, unsigned int size)
 /* Public API */
 
 hb_buffer_t *
-hb_buffer_new (unsigned int allocation_size)
+hb_buffer_create (unsigned int pre_alloc_size)
 {
   hb_buffer_t *buffer;
 
-  buffer = calloc (1, sizeof (hb_buffer_t));
-  if (HB_UNLIKELY (!buffer))
-    return NULL;
+  if (!HB_OBJECT_DO_CREATE (buffer))
+    return &_hb_buffer_nil;
 
-  buffer->allocated = 0;
-  buffer->in_string = NULL;
-  buffer->alt_string = NULL;
-  buffer->positions = NULL;
+  if (pre_alloc_size)
+    hb_buffer_ensure(buffer, pre_alloc_size);
 
-  hb_buffer_clear (buffer);
+  return buffer;
+}
 
-  if (allocation_size)
-    hb_buffer_ensure(buffer, allocation_size);
+hb_buffer_t *
+hb_buffer_reference (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
+{
+  HB_OBJECT_DO_REFERENCE (buffer);
+}
 
-  return buffer;
+unsigned int
+hb_buffer_get_reference_count (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
+{
+  HB_OBJECT_DO_GET_REFERENCE_COUNT (buffer);
 }
 
 void
-hb_buffer_free (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
+hb_buffer_destroy (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
 {
+  HB_OBJECT_DO_DESTROY (buffer);
+
   free (buffer->in_string);
   free (buffer->alt_string);
   free (buffer->positions);
+
   free (buffer);
 }
 
@@ -185,8 +196,8 @@ _hb_buffer_clear_output (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
   buffer->out_string = buffer->in_string;
 }
 
-HB_INTERNAL void
-_hb_buffer_clear_positions (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
+void
+hb_buffer_clear_positions (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
 {
   _hb_buffer_clear_output (buffer);
 
@@ -340,3 +351,27 @@ _hb_buffer_allocate_lig_id (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
 {
   return ++buffer->max_lig_id;
 }
+
+
+unsigned int
+hb_buffer_get_len (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
+{
+  return buffer->in_length;
+}
+
+/* Return value valid as long as buffer not modified */
+hb_glyph_info_t *
+hb_buffer_get_glyph_infos (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
+{
+  return buffer->in_string;
+}
+
+/* Return value valid as long as buffer not modified */
+hb_glyph_position_t *
+hb_buffer_get_glyph_positions (hb_buffer_t *buffer)
+{
+  if (buffer->in_length && !buffer->positions)
+    hb_buffer_clear_positions (buffer);
+
+  return buffer->positions;
+}
diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.h b/src/hb-buffer.h
index 1376ad4c0b8ea8e4edceb7e152f354cdb4b2b5c3..26879bf19354176d4536e414e4ac9163f86cf471 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.h
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.h
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 
 HB_BEGIN_DECLS
 
+typedef struct _hb_buffer_t hb_buffer_t;
+
 typedef enum _hb_direction_t {
   HB_DIRECTION_LTR,
   HB_DIRECTION_RTL,
@@ -39,7 +41,7 @@ typedef enum _hb_direction_t {
   HB_DIRECTION_BTT
 } hb_direction_t;
 
-/* XXX  Hide structs? */
+/* XXX these structs need review before we can commit to them */
 
 typedef struct _hb_glyph_info_t {
   hb_codepoint_t gindex;
@@ -67,45 +69,56 @@ typedef struct _hb_glyph_position_t {
 } hb_glyph_position_t;
 
 
-typedef struct _hb_buffer_t {
-  unsigned int allocated;
+hb_buffer_t *
+hb_buffer_create (unsigned int pre_alloc_size);
 
-  unsigned int in_length;
-  unsigned int out_length;
-  unsigned int in_pos;
-  unsigned int out_pos;
+hb_buffer_t *
+hb_buffer_reference (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
 
-  hb_glyph_info_t     *in_string;
-  hb_glyph_info_t     *out_string;
-  hb_glyph_info_t     *alt_string;
-  hb_glyph_position_t *positions;
+unsigned int
+hb_buffer_get_reference_count (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
 
-  hb_direction_t       direction;
-  unsigned int         max_lig_id;
-} hb_buffer_t;
+void
+hb_buffer_destroy (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
 
-hb_buffer_t *
-hb_buffer_new (unsigned int allocation_size);
 
 void
-hb_buffer_free (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
+hb_buffer_set_direction (hb_buffer_t    *buffer,
+			 hb_direction_t  direction);
+
+hb_direction_t
+hb_buffer_get_direction (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
+
 
 void
 hb_buffer_clear (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
 
+void
+hb_buffer_clear_positions (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
+
 void
 hb_buffer_ensure (hb_buffer_t  *buffer,
 		  unsigned int  size);
 
+
 void
 hb_buffer_add_glyph (hb_buffer_t    *buffer,
 		     hb_codepoint_t  glyph_index,
 		     unsigned int    properties,
 		     unsigned int    cluster);
 
-void
-hb_buffer_set_direction (hb_buffer_t    *buffer,
-			 hb_direction_t  direction);
+
+/* Return value valid as long as buffer not modified */
+unsigned int
+hb_buffer_get_len (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
+
+/* Return value valid as long as buffer not modified */
+hb_glyph_info_t *
+hb_buffer_get_glyph_infos (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
+
+/* Return value valid as long as buffer not modified */
+hb_glyph_position_t *
+hb_buffer_get_glyph_positions (hb_buffer_t *buffer);
 
 
 HB_END_DECLS