diff --git a/src/hb-common.cc b/src/hb-common.cc
index 6ad834635..be48eace6 100644
--- a/src/hb-common.cc
+++ b/src/hb-common.cc
@@ -991,7 +991,11 @@ static bool
 parse_variation_value (const char **pp, const char *end, hb_variation_t *variation)
 {
   parse_char (pp, end, '='); /* Optional. */
-  return hb_parse_float (pp, end, &variation->value);
+  double v;
+  if (unlikely (!hb_parse_double (pp, end, &v))) return false;
+
+  variation->value = v;
+  return true;
 }
 
 static bool
diff --git a/src/hb-number.cc b/src/hb-number.cc
index fc67dc0a7..bf6eca756 100644
--- a/src/hb-number.cc
+++ b/src/hb-number.cc
@@ -131,16 +131,16 @@ get_C_locale ()
 #endif /* USE_XLOCALE */
 
 bool
-hb_parse_float (const char **pp, const char *end, float *pv,
-		bool whole_buffer)
+hb_parse_double (const char **pp, const char *end, double *pv,
+		 bool whole_buffer)
 {
-  return _parse_number<float> (pp, end, pv, whole_buffer,
-			       [] (const char *p, char **end)
-			       {
+  return _parse_number<double> (pp, end, pv, whole_buffer,
+				[] (const char *p, char **end)
+				{
 #ifdef USE_XLOCALE
-				 return strtod_l (p, end, get_C_locale ());
+				  return strtod_l (p, end, get_C_locale ());
 #else
-				 return strtod (p, end);
+				  return strtod (p, end);
 #endif
-			       });
+				});
 }
diff --git a/src/hb-number.hh b/src/hb-number.hh
index 561620db0..14d1260aa 100644
--- a/src/hb-number.hh
+++ b/src/hb-number.hh
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ hb_parse_uint (const char **pp, const char *end, unsigned int *pv,
 	       bool whole_buffer = false, int base = 10);
 
 HB_INTERNAL bool
-hb_parse_float (const char **pp, const char *end, float *pv,
-		bool whole_buffer = false);
+hb_parse_double (const char **pp, const char *end, double *pv,
+		 bool whole_buffer = false);
 
 #endif /* HB_NUMBER_HH */
diff --git a/src/test-number.cc b/src/test-number.cc
index 80d9850c3..fb0c831af 100644
--- a/src/test-number.cc
+++ b/src/test-number.cc
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     const char *pp = str;
     const char *end = str + ARRAY_LENGTH (str);
 
-    float pv;
-    assert (hb_parse_float (&pp, end, &pv));
-    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.f) == 123);
+    double pv;
+    assert (hb_parse_double (&pp, end, &pv));
+    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.) == 123);
     assert (pp - str == 4);
     assert (end - pp == 1);
   }
@@ -152,9 +152,9 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     const char *pp = str;
     const char *end = str + ARRAY_LENGTH (str) - 1;
 
-    float pv;
-    assert (hb_parse_float (&pp, end, &pv));
-    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.f) == 123);
+    double pv;
+    assert (hb_parse_double (&pp, end, &pv));
+    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.) == 123);
     assert (pp - str == 5);
     assert (end - pp == 0);
   }
@@ -164,9 +164,9 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     const char *pp = str;
     const char *end = str + ARRAY_LENGTH (str) - 1;
 
-    float pv;
-    assert (hb_parse_float (&pp, end, &pv));
-    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.f) == 123);
+    double pv;
+    assert (hb_parse_double (&pp, end, &pv));
+    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.) == 123);
     assert (pp - str == 7);
     assert (end - pp == 0);
   }
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     const char *pp = str;
     const char *end = str + ARRAY_LENGTH (str) - 1;
 
-    float pv;
-    assert (hb_parse_float (&pp, end, &pv));
-    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.f) == 123);
+    double pv;
+    assert (hb_parse_double (&pp, end, &pv));
+    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.) == 123);
     assert (pp - str == 6);
     assert (end - pp == 0);
   }
@@ -188,9 +188,9 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     const char *pp = str;
     const char *end = str + ARRAY_LENGTH (str) - 1;
 
-    float pv;
-    assert (hb_parse_float (&pp, end, &pv));
-    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.f) == 123);
+    double pv;
+    assert (hb_parse_double (&pp, end, &pv));
+    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.) == 123);
     assert (pp - str == 10);
     assert (end - pp == 0);
   }
@@ -200,21 +200,21 @@ main (int argc, char **argv)
     const char *pp = str;
     const char *end = str + ARRAY_LENGTH (str) - 1;
 
-    float pv;
-    assert (hb_parse_float (&pp, end, &pv));
-    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.f) == -123);
+    double pv;
+    assert (hb_parse_double (&pp, end, &pv));
+    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.) == -123);
     assert (pp - str == 13);
     assert (end - pp == 0);
   }
 
   {
-    const char str[] = "-1.23e-1";
+    const char str[] = "-1.23E-1";
     const char *pp = str;
     const char *end = str + ARRAY_LENGTH (str) - 1;
 
-    float pv;
-    assert (hb_parse_float (&pp, end, &pv));
-    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.f) == -123);
+    double pv;
+    assert (hb_parse_double (&pp, end, &pv));
+    assert ((int) (pv * 1000.) == -123);
     assert (pp - str == 8);
     assert (end - pp == 0);
   }