diff --git a/docs/harfbuzz-sections.txt b/docs/harfbuzz-sections.txt
index 536cf154f..650c07a98 100644
--- a/docs/harfbuzz-sections.txt
+++ b/docs/harfbuzz-sections.txt
@@ -368,6 +368,7 @@ hb_directwrite_face_create_from_file_or_fail
 hb_directwrite_face_create_from_blob_or_fail
 hb_directwrite_face_get_dw_font_face
 hb_directwrite_font_create
+hb_directwrite_font_get_dw_font_face
 hb_directwrite_font_set_funcs
 </SECTION>
 
diff --git a/src/hb-directwrite.cc b/src/hb-directwrite.cc
index e10a4125d..b1e5bf446 100644
--- a/src/hb-directwrite.cc
+++ b/src/hb-directwrite.cc
@@ -328,23 +328,19 @@ hb_directwrite_face_get_font_face (hb_face_t *face)
 
 /**
  * hb_directwrite_font_create:
- * @dw_font: a DirectWrite IDWriteFont object.
+ * @dw_font: a DirectWrite IDWriteFontFace object.
  *
- * Constructs a new font object from the specified DirectWrite IDWriteFont.
+ * Constructs a new font object from the specified DirectWrite IDWriteFontFace.
  *
  * Return value: #hb_font_t object corresponding to the given input
  *
- * Since: 10.3.0
+ * XSince: REPLACEME
  **/
 hb_font_t *
-hb_directwrite_font_create (IDWriteFont *dw_font)
+hb_directwrite_font_create (IDWriteFontFace *dw_face)
 {
-  IDWriteFontFace *dw_face = nullptr;
   IDWriteFontFace5 *dw_face5 = nullptr;
 
-  if (FAILED (dw_font->CreateFontFace (&dw_face)))
-    return hb_font_get_empty ();
-
   hb_face_t *face = hb_directwrite_face_create (dw_face);
   hb_font_t *font = hb_font_create (face);
   hb_face_destroy (face);
@@ -378,14 +374,32 @@ hb_directwrite_font_create (IDWriteFont *dw_font)
     dw_face5->Release ();
   }
 
-  dw_font->AddRef ();
-  font->data.directwrite.cmpexch (nullptr, (hb_directwrite_font_data_t *) dw_font);
+  /* Let there be dragons here... */
+  dw_face->AddRef ();
+  font->data.directwrite.cmpexch (nullptr, (hb_directwrite_font_data_t *) dw_face);
 
 done:
   dw_face->Release ();
   return font;
 }
 
+/**
+* hb_directwrite_font_get_dw_font_face:
+* @font: a #hb_font_t object
+*
+* Gets the DirectWrite IDWriteFontFace associated with @font.
+*
+* Return value: DirectWrite IDWriteFontFace object corresponding to the given input
+*
+* XSince: REPLACEME
+**/
+IDWriteFontFace *
+hb_directwrite_font_get_dw_font_face (hb_font_t *font)
+{
+  return (IDWriteFontFace *) (const void *) font->data.directwrite;
+}
+
+
 /**
 * hb_directwrite_font_get_dw_font:
 * @font: a #hb_font_t object
diff --git a/src/hb-directwrite.h b/src/hb-directwrite.h
index 8eaadc50b..a05b1a40e 100644
--- a/src/hb-directwrite.h
+++ b/src/hb-directwrite.h
@@ -46,7 +46,10 @@ HB_EXTERN IDWriteFontFace *
 hb_directwrite_face_get_dw_font_face (hb_face_t *face);
 
 HB_EXTERN hb_font_t *
-hb_directwrite_font_create (IDWriteFont *dw_font);
+hb_directwrite_font_create (IDWriteFontFace *dw_face);
+
+HB_EXTERN IDWriteFontFace *
+hb_directwrite_font_get_dw_font_face (hb_font_t *font);
 
 HB_EXTERN void
 hb_directwrite_font_set_funcs (hb_font_t *font);
diff --git a/test/api/test-directwrite.cc b/test/api/test-directwrite.cc
index c48572192..2f4ed0a9f 100644
--- a/test/api/test-directwrite.cc
+++ b/test/api/test-directwrite.cc
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ typedef HRESULT (WINAPI *t_DWriteCreateFactory)(
   IUnknown            **factory
 );
 
-IDWriteFont *
-get_dwfont (const wchar_t *family_name)
+IDWriteFontFace *
+get_dwfontface (const wchar_t *family_name)
 {
   HRESULT hr;
   t_DWriteCreateFactory CreateFactory;
@@ -96,48 +96,52 @@ get_dwfont (const wchar_t *family_name)
 
   factory->Release ();
 
-  return font;
+  IDWriteFontFace *dw_face = nullptr;
+  hr = font->CreateFontFace (&dw_face);
+  g_assert_true (SUCCEEDED (hr));
+
+  return dw_face;
 }
 
 static void
 test_native_directwrite_basic (void)
 {
-  IDWriteFont *dwfont;
+  IDWriteFontFace *dwfontface;
   hb_font_t *font;
-  IDWriteFont *dwfont2;
+  IDWriteFontFace *dwfontface2;
 
-  dwfont = get_dwfont (nullptr);
-  g_assert_nonnull (dwfont);
+  dwfontface = get_dwfontface (nullptr);
+  g_assert_nonnull (dwfontface);
 
-  font = hb_directwrite_font_create (dwfont);
+  font = hb_directwrite_font_create (dwfontface);
 
-  dwfont2 = hb_directwrite_font_get_dw_font (font);
+  dwfontface2 = hb_directwrite_font_get_dw_font_face (font);
 
-  g_assert_true (dwfont2 == dwfont);
+  g_assert_true (dwfontface2 == dwfontface);
 
   hb_font_destroy (font);
 
-  dwfont->Release ();
+  dwfontface->Release ();
 }
 
 
 static void
 test_native_directwrite_variations (void)
 {
-  IDWriteFont *dwfont;
+  IDWriteFontFace *dwfontface;
   hb_font_t *font;
   unsigned int length;
 
-  dwfont = get_dwfont (L"Bahnschrift");
-  g_assert_nonnull (dwfont);
+  dwfontface = get_dwfontface (L"Bahnschrift");
+  g_assert_nonnull (dwfontface);
 
-  font = hb_directwrite_font_create (dwfont);
+  font = hb_directwrite_font_create (dwfontface);
   hb_font_get_var_coords_normalized(font, &length);
   g_assert_cmpuint (length, !=, 0);
 
   hb_font_destroy (font);
 
-  dwfont->Release ();
+  dwfontface->Release ();
 }