diff --git a/src/hb-subset-input.cc b/src/hb-subset-input.cc
index c4003dd3ad171e4ab6010f9215739b34b68b23dd..5aa50883e50b9e6cc5db49e99c87ddf403e72d76 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset-input.cc
+++ b/src/hb-subset-input.cc
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ hb_subset_input_create_or_fail (void)
 
   input->unicodes = hb_set_create ();
   input->glyphs = hb_set_create ();
+  input->drop_ot_layout = true;
 
   return input;
 }
@@ -117,3 +118,19 @@ hb_subset_input_drop_hints (hb_subset_input_t *subset_input)
 {
   return &subset_input->drop_hints;
 }
+
+/**
+ * hb_subset_input_drop_ot_layout:
+ * @subset_input: a subset_input.
+ *
+ * If enabled ot layout tables will be dropped as part of
+ * the subsetting operation. Currently this defaults to
+ * true.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.8.0
+ **/
+HB_EXTERN hb_bool_t *
+hb_subset_input_drop_ot_layout (hb_subset_input_t *subset_input)
+{
+  return &subset_input->drop_ot_layout;
+}
diff --git a/src/hb-subset-plan.cc b/src/hb-subset-plan.cc
index 7100efc87c82ee940765e878a1f94dec382410bb..53f83ee8c93607fe5d49a3176f82adffcdbd4a73 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset-plan.cc
+++ b/src/hb-subset-plan.cc
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ hb_subset_plan_create (hb_face_t           *face,
   hb_subset_plan_t *plan = hb_object_create<hb_subset_plan_t> ();
 
   plan->drop_hints = input->drop_hints;
+  plan->drop_ot_layout = input->drop_ot_layout;
   plan->unicodes = hb_set_create();
   plan->glyphs.init();
   plan->source = hb_face_reference (face);
diff --git a/src/hb-subset-plan.hh b/src/hb-subset-plan.hh
index c9904af8e401b31815dc57d1dc2ec17e21843259..f4b261df0d0e7fa78590844988afae95c6166bf9 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset-plan.hh
+++ b/src/hb-subset-plan.hh
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ struct hb_subset_plan_t
   ASSERT_POD ();
 
   hb_bool_t drop_hints;
+  hb_bool_t drop_ot_layout;
 
   // For each cp that we'd like to retain maps to the corresponding gid.
   hb_set_t *unicodes;
diff --git a/src/hb-subset-private.hh b/src/hb-subset-private.hh
index 5fa72527671bc3f81364481d714cd1b06eb1241a..6b2b207fff67113b40b098c8b618d7ceebeab4ce 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset-private.hh
+++ b/src/hb-subset-private.hh
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ struct hb_subset_input_t {
   hb_set_t *glyphs;
 
   hb_bool_t drop_hints;
+  hb_bool_t drop_ot_layout;
   /* TODO
    *
    * features
diff --git a/src/hb-subset.cc b/src/hb-subset.cc
index 6d388e29a2681f9390a9f9158c00da03cc3003b0..906327b8a0e1e9c69a51c4bd9ac5a85a153f68ad 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset.cc
+++ b/src/hb-subset.cc
@@ -302,10 +302,11 @@ _should_drop_table(hb_subset_plan_t *plan, hb_tag_t tag)
     case HB_TAG ('h', 'd', 'm', 'x'): /* hint table, fallthrough */
     case HB_TAG ('V', 'D', 'M', 'X'): /* hint table, fallthrough */
       return plan->drop_hints;
-    // Drop Layout Tables until subsetting is supported.
+    // Drop Layout Tables if requested.
     case HB_TAG ('G', 'D', 'E', 'F'): /* temporary */
     case HB_TAG ('G', 'P', 'O', 'S'): /* temporary */
     case HB_TAG ('G', 'S', 'U', 'B'): /* temporary */
+      return plan->drop_ot_layout;
     // Drop these tables below by default, list pulled
     // from fontTools:
     case HB_TAG ('B', 'A', 'S', 'E'):
diff --git a/src/hb-subset.h b/src/hb-subset.h
index 409581c76f659f51fb80f51567c062b9d9926376..f6d2ae0a01b267cd1ad851be4ed9305b7b4168b8 100644
--- a/src/hb-subset.h
+++ b/src/hb-subset.h
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ hb_subset_input_glyph_set (hb_subset_input_t *subset_input);
 HB_EXTERN hb_bool_t *
 hb_subset_input_drop_hints (hb_subset_input_t *subset_input);
 
+HB_EXTERN hb_bool_t *
+hb_subset_input_drop_ot_layout (hb_subset_input_t *subset_input);
+
 /* hb_subset() */
 HB_EXTERN hb_face_t *
 hb_subset (hb_face_t *source,