diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 68b40669b638cc68cd989fde9a0d95492465779a..2292c18a24039c8533e1bd60944d3a90840d00e2 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -36,12 +36,13 @@ HBHEADERS = \
 	$(NULL)
 
 libharfbuzz_la_SOURCES = $(HBSOURCES) $(HBHEADERS)
-libharfbuzz_la_LIBADD =
+libharfbuzz_la_CPPFLAGS = -DHAVE_GLIB $(GLIB_CFLAGS)
+libharfbuzz_la_LIBADD = $(GLIB_LIBS)
 
 noinst_PROGRAMS = main
 
 main_SOURCES = main.cc
-main_CXXFLAGS = $(GLIB_CFLAGS)
+main_CPPFLAGS = -DHAVE_GLIB $(GLIB_CFLAGS)
 main_LDADD = libharfbuzz.la $(GLIB_LIBS)
 
 EXTRA_DIST = README COPYING
diff --git a/src/hb-blob.c b/src/hb-blob.c
index 910c0478542469bee7fd9cef86a859e2105fc345..428e7d0d76d5d81d4c3eaa356c0813f31bbd394b 100644
--- a/src/hb-blob.c
+++ b/src/hb-blob.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ const char *
 hb_blob_lock (hb_blob_t *blob)
 {
   if (!HB_OBJECT_IS_INERT (blob))
-    (void) _hb_reference_count_inc (blob->lock);
+    (void) hb_reference_count_inc (blob->lock);
 
 #if HB_DEBUG
 	fprintf (stderr, "%p %s (%d) -> %p\n", blob, __FUNCTION__,
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ void
 hb_blob_unlock (hb_blob_t *blob)
 {
   if (!HB_OBJECT_IS_INERT (blob)) {
-    int old_lock = _hb_reference_count_dec (blob->lock);
+    int old_lock = hb_reference_count_dec (blob->lock);
     assert (old_lock > 0);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/hb-object-private.h b/src/hb-object-private.h
index d274b29583dbcdd68215a576446ae5f155dfc446..86ab82b9fe921b200c79eb1e36210b639b15fc04 100644
--- a/src/hb-object-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-object-private.h
@@ -30,26 +30,19 @@
 #ifndef HB_REFCOUNT_PRIVATE_H
 #define HB_REFCOUNT_PRIVATE_H
 
-typedef int hb_atomic_int_t;
-
-/* XXX add real atomic ops */
-#define _hb_atomic_fetch_and_add(AI, V) ((AI) += (V), (AI)-(V))
-#define _hb_atomic_int_get(AI) ((AI)+0)
-#define _hb_atomic_int_set(AI, VALUE) HB_STMT_START { (AI) = (VALUE); } HB_STMT_END
-
 
 /* Encapsulate operations on the object's reference count */
 typedef struct {
   hb_atomic_int_t ref_count;
 } hb_reference_count_t;
 
-#define _hb_reference_count_inc(RC) _hb_atomic_fetch_and_add ((RC).ref_count, 1)
-#define _hb_reference_count_dec(RC) _hb_atomic_fetch_and_add ((RC).ref_count, -1)
+#define hb_reference_count_inc(RC) hb_atomic_fetch_and_add ((RC).ref_count, 1)
+#define hb_reference_count_dec(RC) hb_atomic_fetch_and_add ((RC).ref_count, -1)
 
 #define HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_INIT(RC, VALUE) ((RC).ref_count = (VALUE))
 
-#define HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_GET_VALUE(RC) _hb_atomic_int_get ((RC).ref_count)
-#define HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_SET_VALUE(RC, VALUE) _hb_atomic_int_set ((RC).ref_count, (VALUE))
+#define HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_GET_VALUE(RC) hb_atomic_int_get ((RC).ref_count)
+#define HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_SET_VALUE(RC, VALUE) hb_atomic_int_set ((RC).ref_count, (VALUE))
 
 #define HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_INVALID_VALUE ((hb_atomic_int_t) -1)
 #define HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_INVALID {HB_REFERENCE_COUNT_INVALID_VALUE}
@@ -85,7 +78,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int old_count; \
     if (HB_UNLIKELY (!(obj) || HB_OBJECT_IS_INERT (obj))) \
       return obj; \
-    old_count = _hb_reference_count_inc (obj->ref_count); \
+    old_count = hb_reference_count_inc (obj->ref_count); \
     assert (old_count > 0); \
     return obj; \
   } HB_STMT_END
@@ -102,7 +95,7 @@ typedef struct {
     int old_count; \
     if (HB_UNLIKELY (!(obj) || HB_OBJECT_IS_INERT (obj))) \
       return; \
-    old_count = _hb_reference_count_dec (obj->ref_count); \
+    old_count = hb_reference_count_dec (obj->ref_count); \
     assert (old_count > 0); \
     if (old_count != 1) \
       return; \
diff --git a/src/hb-private.h b/src/hb-private.h
index ab3af855d63012a470d336570d70e88d7ea28085..fe13b7e2cc4bf914816d4d2e7a499f65e624c583 100644
--- a/src/hb-private.h
+++ b/src/hb-private.h
@@ -46,6 +46,32 @@
 
 #include "hb-common.h"
 
+#define hb_be_uint8
+#define hb_be_int8
+#define hb_be_uint16(v)			((uint16_t) hb_be_int16 ((uint16_t) v))
+#define hb_be_uint32(v)			((uint32_t) hb_be_int32 ((uint32_t) v))
+
+typedef int hb_atomic_int_t;
+
+/* We need external help for these */
+
+#if HAVE_GLIB
+
+#include <glib.h>
+
+/* Macros to convert to/from BigEndian */
+#define hb_be_int16(v)	GINT16_FROM_BE (v)
+#define hb_be_int32(v)	GINT32_FROM_BE (v)
+
+#define hb_atomic_fetch_and_add(AI, V)	g_atomic_int_exchange_and_add (&(AI), V)
+#define hb_atomic_int_get(AI)		g_atomic_int_get (&(AI))
+#define hb_atomic_int_set(AI, V)	g_atomic_int_set (&(AI), V)
+
+#else
+#error "Could not find any system to define platform macros, see hb-private.h"
+#endif
+
+
 /* Basics */
 
 #undef MIN
@@ -146,25 +172,6 @@ _hb_popcount32 (uint32_t mask)
 #endif
 }
 
-static HB_GNUC_UNUSED inline uint16_t
-_hb_be_uint16 (uint16_t v)
-{
-  return (v>>8) + (v<<8);
-}
-static HB_GNUC_UNUSED inline uint32_t
-_hb_be_uint32 (uint32_t v)
-{
-  return _hb_be_uint16 (v>>16) + (_hb_be_uint16 (v) <<16);
-}
-
-/* Macros to convert to/from BigEndian */
-#define hb_be_uint8
-#define hb_be_int8
-#define hb_be_uint16(v)	_hb_be_uint16 (v)
-#define hb_be_int16(v)	((int16_t) hb_be_uint16 (v))
-#define hb_be_uint32(v)	_hb_be_uint32 (v)
-#define hb_be_int32(v)	((int32_t) hb_be_uint32 (v))
-
 
 #include "hb-object-private.h"