diff --git a/src/servo/text/font.rs b/src/servo/text/font.rs
index 4b718da4758..5bb0171f42b 100644
--- a/src/servo/text/font.rs
+++ b/src/servo/text/font.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,19 @@
-export font, create;
+export font, create_test_font;
 
-// FIXME: This probably needs to be an arc type so it can be
-// shared by layout and the renderer
+import libc::{ c_int, c_double };
+import ptr::{ null, addr_of };
+import azure::cairo::{
+    cairo_font_face_t,
+    cairo_scaled_font_t,
+    cairo_glyph_t,
+    CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS,
+};
+import azure::cairo::bindgen::{
+    cairo_font_face_destroy,
+    cairo_scaled_font_destroy,
+    cairo_scaled_font_text_to_glyphs,
+    cairo_glyph_free,
+};
 
 #[doc = "
 A font handle. Layout can use this to calculate glyph metrics
@@ -9,17 +21,210 @@ and the renderer can use it to render text.
 "]
 class font/& {
     let fontbuf: [u8];
+    let cairo_font: *cairo_scaled_font_t;
+    let font_dtor: fn@();
 
     new(+fontbuf: [u8]) {
+
+        let (cairo_font, font_dtor) = get_cairo_font(&fontbuf);
+        assert cairo_font.is_not_null();
+
         self.fontbuf = fontbuf;
+        self.cairo_font = cairo_font;
+        self.font_dtor = font_dtor;
+    }
+
+    drop {
+        self.font_dtor();
     }
 
     fn buf() -> &self.[u8] {
         &self.fontbuf
     }
+
+    fn get_glyph_idx(codepoint: char) -> option<uint> {
+        #debug("getting glyph for codepoint %u", codepoint as uint);
+        let codepoint_str = str::from_char(codepoint);
+
+        let mut glyphs: *cairo_glyph_t = null();
+        let mut num_glyphs = 0 as c_int;
+
+        let status = str::as_c_str(codepoint_str) { |codepoint_buf|
+            cairo_scaled_font_text_to_glyphs(
+                self.cairo_font,
+                0.0 as c_double, 0.0 as c_double,
+                codepoint_buf, codepoint_str.len() as c_int,
+                addr_of(glyphs), addr_of(num_glyphs),
+                null(), null(), null()
+            )
+        };
+
+        ret if status == CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS {
+
+            // This might not be true, but at least we'll know if it isn't
+            assert num_glyphs == 1 as c_int;
+
+            let glyph_index = unsafe { *glyphs }.index as uint;
+            #debug("glyph index is %?", glyph_index);
+            cairo_glyph_free(glyphs);
+            some(glyph_index)
+        } else {
+            #error("cairo did not give me a glyph for %u", codepoint as uint);
+            none
+        }
+    }
 }
 
-fn create() -> font {
+fn get_cairo_font(buf: &[u8]) -> (*cairo_scaled_font_t, fn@()) {
+
+    import libc::c_double;
+    import azure::cairo;
+    import cairo::{ cairo_matrix_t };
+    import cairo::bindgen::{
+        cairo_matrix_init_identity,
+        cairo_matrix_scale,
+        cairo_font_options_create,
+        cairo_font_options_destroy,
+        cairo_scaled_font_create,
+        cairo_scaled_font_destroy
+    };
+        
+    import cairo::bindgen::cairo_scaled_font_create;
+
+    let mut (face, dtor) = get_cairo_face(buf);
+
+    let idmatrix: cairo_matrix_t = {
+        xx: 0 as c_double,
+        yx: 0 as c_double,
+        xy: 0 as c_double,
+        yy: 0 as c_double,
+        x0: 0 as c_double,
+        y0: 0 as c_double
+    };
+    cairo_matrix_init_identity(addr_of(idmatrix));
+
+    let fontmatrix = idmatrix;
+    cairo_matrix_scale(addr_of(fontmatrix),
+                       300f as c_double, 400f as c_double);
+
+    let options = cairo_font_options_create();
+    let cfont = cairo_scaled_font_create(face, addr_of(fontmatrix),
+                                         addr_of(idmatrix), options);
+    cairo_font_options_destroy(options);
+
+    // FIXME: Need negative tests
+    if cfont.is_null() {
+        dtor();
+        fail "unable to create cairo scaled font";
+    }
+    dtor = fn@(move dtor) { cairo_scaled_font_destroy(cfont); dtor() };
+
+    (cfont, dtor)
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn get_cairo_face(buf: &[u8]) -> (*cairo_font_face_t, fn@()) {
+    import freetype = azure::freetype;
+    import freetype::{ FT_Error, FT_Library, FT_Face, FT_Long };
+    import freetype::bindgen::{
+        FT_Init_FreeType,
+        FT_Done_FreeType,
+        FT_New_Memory_Face,
+        FT_Done_Face
+    };
+    import azure::cairo_ft;
+    import cairo_ft::bindgen::cairo_ft_font_face_create_for_ft_face;
+
+    impl methods for FT_Error {
+        fn for_sure() { assert !self.failed() }
+        fn failed() -> bool { self != 0 as FT_Error }
+    }
+
+    let mut dtor = fn@() { };
+
+    let library: FT_Library = null();
+    // FIXME: Need tests for failure case
+    FT_Init_FreeType(addr_of(library)).for_sure();
+    dtor = fn@(move dtor) { FT_Done_FreeType(library).for_sure(); dtor() };
+
+    let face: FT_Face = null();
+    vec::as_buf(*buf) { |cbuf|
+        if FT_New_Memory_Face(library, cbuf, (*buf).len() as FT_Long,
+                              0 as FT_Long, addr_of(face)).failed() {
+            dtor();
+            fail "unable to create FreeType face";
+        }
+    }
+    dtor = fn@(move dtor) { FT_Done_Face(face).for_sure(); dtor() };
+
+    let cface = cairo_ft_font_face_create_for_ft_face(face, 0 as c_int);
+    if cface.is_null() {
+        // FIXME: Need tests for failure case
+        dtor();
+        fail "unable to create cairo font face";
+    }
+    dtor = fn@(move dtor) { cairo_font_face_destroy(cface); dtor() };
+
+    (cface, dtor)
+}
+
+#[cfg(target_os = "macos")]
+fn get_cairo_face(buf: &[u8]) -> (*cairo_font_face_t, fn@()) {
+    fail
+}
+
+fn create_test_font() -> font {
     let buf = #include_bin("JosefinSans-SemiBold.ttf");
     font(buf)
 }
+
+fn should_destruct_on_fail_without_leaking() {
+    #[test];
+    #[should_fail];
+
+    let _font = create_test_font();
+    fail;
+}
+
+fn should_get_glyph_indexes() {
+    #[test];
+
+    let font = create_test_font();
+    let glyph_idx = font.get_glyph_idx('w');
+    assert glyph_idx == some(40u);
+}
+
+fn should_be_threadsafe() {
+    #[test];
+
+    iter::repeat(10u) {||
+        task::spawn {||
+            create_test_font();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn get_cairo_face_should_fail_and_not_leak_if_font_cant_be_created() {
+    #[test];
+    #[should_fail];
+
+    get_cairo_face(&[0u8, 1u8, 2u8, 3u8]);
+}
+
+fn get_cairo_face_should_return_a_new_face_and_dtor() {
+    #[test];
+
+    let buf = #include_bin("JosefinSans-SemiBold.ttf");
+    let (face, dtor) = get_cairo_face(&buf);
+    assert face.is_not_null();
+    dtor();
+}
+
+fn get_cairo_font_should_return_a_new_font_and_dtor() {
+    #[test];
+
+    let buf = #include_bin("JosefinSans-SemiBold.ttf");
+    let (font, dtor) = get_cairo_font(&buf);
+    assert font.is_not_null();
+    dtor();
+}
diff --git a/src/servo/text/shaper.rs b/src/servo/text/shaper.rs
index 035a3253c1f..6e7dc8b9a55 100644
--- a/src/servo/text/shaper.rs
+++ b/src/servo/text/shaper.rs
@@ -139,6 +139,6 @@ fn hb_glyph_pos_to_servo_glyph_pos(hb_pos: hb_glyph_position_t) -> glyph_pos {
 
 #[test]
 fn test_shape_basic() {
-    let font = font::create();
+    let font = font::create_test_font();
     shape_text2(&font, "firecracker");
 }
diff --git a/src/servo/text/text_run.rs b/src/servo/text/text_run.rs
index 21dcfd10ed0..75eece7d589 100644
--- a/src/servo/text/text_run.rs
+++ b/src/servo/text/text_run.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class text_run {
         line break positions.
     "]
     fn shape() {
-        let font = font::create();
+        let font = font::create_test_font();
         self.glyphs = some(shape_text(&font, self.text));
     }
 }