diff --git a/src/hb-face.cc b/src/hb-face.cc
index b6c7d80c1..56ff340ff 100644
--- a/src/hb-face.cc
+++ b/src/hb-face.cc
@@ -342,6 +342,21 @@ static struct supported_face_loaders_t {
 #endif
 };
 
+static const char *get_default_loader_name ()
+{
+  static hb_atomic_ptr_t<const char> static_loader_name;
+  const char *loader_name = static_loader_name.get_acquire ();
+  if (!loader_name)
+  {
+    loader_name = getenv ("HB_FACE_LOADER");
+    if (!loader_name)
+      loader_name = "";
+    if (!static_loader_name.cmpexch (nullptr, loader_name))
+      loader_name = static_loader_name.get_acquire ();
+  }
+  return loader_name;
+}
+
 /**
  * hb_face_create_from_file_or_fail_using:
  * @file_name: A font filename
@@ -367,19 +382,9 @@ hb_face_create_from_file_or_fail_using (const char   *file_name,
 					const char   *loader_name)
 {
   bool retry = false;
-
   if (!loader_name || !*loader_name)
   {
-    static hb_atomic_ptr_t<const char> static_loader_name;
-    loader_name = static_loader_name.get_acquire ();
-    if (!loader_name)
-    {
-      loader_name = getenv ("HB_FACE_LOADER");
-      if (!loader_name)
-	loader_name = "";
-      if (!static_loader_name.cmpexch (nullptr, loader_name))
-	loader_name = static_loader_name.get_acquire ();
-    }
+    loader_name = get_default_loader_name ();
     retry = true;
   }
   if (loader_name && !*loader_name) loader_name = nullptr;
diff --git a/src/hb-font.cc b/src/hb-font.cc
index 33d71c86d..28d9ff2f5 100644
--- a/src/hb-font.cc
+++ b/src/hb-font.cc
@@ -2321,6 +2321,21 @@ static struct supported_font_funcs_t {
 #endif
 };
 
+static const char *get_default_funcs_name ()
+{
+  static hb_atomic_ptr_t<const char> static_funcs_name;
+  const char *name = static_funcs_name.get_acquire ();
+  if (!name)
+  {
+    name = getenv ("HB_FONT_FUNCS");
+    if (!name)
+      name = "";
+    if (!static_funcs_name.cmpexch (nullptr, name))
+      name = static_funcs_name.get_acquire ();
+  }
+  return name;
+}
+
 /**
  * hb_font_set_funcs_using:
  * @font: #hb_font_t to work upon
@@ -2345,16 +2360,7 @@ hb_font_set_funcs_using (hb_font_t  *font,
 
   if (!name || !*name)
   {
-    static hb_atomic_ptr_t<const char> static_funcs_name;
-    name = static_funcs_name.get_acquire ();
-    if (!name)
-    {
-      name = getenv ("HB_FONT_FUNCS");
-      if (!name)
-	name = "";
-      if (!static_funcs_name.cmpexch (nullptr, name))
-	name = static_funcs_name.get_acquire ();
-    }
+    name = get_default_funcs_name ();
     retry = true;
   }
   if (name && !*name) name = nullptr;