diff --git a/src/cairo-ft-font.c b/src/cairo-ft-font.c
--- a/src/cairo-ft-font.c
+++ b/src/cairo-ft-font.c
@@ -526,18 +526,20 @@ _cairo_ft_unscaled_font_destroy (void *a
 
     _cairo_hash_table_remove (font_map->hash_table,
 			      &unscaled->base.hash_entry);
 
     if (unscaled->from_face) {
 	/* See comments in _ft_font_face_destroy about the "zombie" state
 	 * for a _ft_font_face.
 	 */
-	if (unscaled->faces && !unscaled->faces->unscaled)
+	if (unscaled->faces && !unscaled->faces->unscaled) {
+	    assert (!unscaled->faces->next);
 	    cairo_font_face_destroy (&unscaled->faces->base);
+	}
     } else {
 	_font_map_release_face_lock_held (font_map, unscaled);
     }
     unscaled->face = NULL;
 
     _cairo_ft_unscaled_font_map_unlock ();
 
     _cairo_ft_unscaled_font_fini (unscaled);
@@ -2218,32 +2220,35 @@ _cairo_ft_font_face_destroy (void *abstr
     cairo_ft_font_face_t *font_face = abstract_face;
 
     cairo_ft_font_face_t *tmp_face = NULL;
     cairo_ft_font_face_t *last_face = NULL;
 
     if (font_face == NULL)
 	return;
 
-    /* When destroying the face created by cairo_ft_font_face_create_for_ft_face,
+    /* When destroying a face created by cairo_ft_font_face_create_for_ft_face,
      * we have a special "zombie" state for the face when the unscaled font
-     * is still alive but there are no public references to the font face.
+     * is still alive but there are no other references to a font face with
+     * the same FT_Face.
      *
      * We go from:
      *
      *   font_face ------> unscaled
      *        <-....weak....../
      *
      * To:
      *
      *    font_face <------- unscaled
      */
 
     if (font_face->unscaled &&
 	font_face->unscaled->from_face &&
+	!font_face->next &&
+	font_face->unscaled->faces == font_face &&
 	CAIRO_REFERENCE_COUNT_GET_VALUE (&font_face->unscaled->base.ref_count) > 1)
     {
 	cairo_font_face_reference (&font_face->base);
 
 	_cairo_unscaled_font_destroy (&font_face->unscaled->base);
 	font_face->unscaled = NULL;
 
 	return;
@@ -2380,16 +2385,25 @@ _cairo_ft_font_face_create (cairo_ft_uns
     for (font_face = unscaled->faces, prev_font_face = &unscaled->faces;
 	 font_face;
 	 prev_font_face = &font_face->next, font_face = font_face->next)
     {
 	if (font_face->ft_options.load_flags == ft_options->load_flags &&
 	    font_face->ft_options.extra_flags == ft_options->extra_flags &&
 	    cairo_font_options_equal (&font_face->ft_options.base, &ft_options->base))
 	{
+	    if (!font_face->unscaled) {
+		/* Resurrect this "zombie" font_face (from
+		 * _cairo_ft_font_face_destroy), switching its unscaled_font
+		 * from owner to ownee. */
+		font_face->unscaled = unscaled;
+		_cairo_unscaled_font_reference (&unscaled->base);
+		return &font_face->base;
+	    }
+
 	    if (font_face->base.status == CAIRO_STATUS_SUCCESS)
 		return cairo_font_face_reference (&font_face->base);
 
 	    /* The font_face has been left in an error state, abandon it. */
 	    *prev_font_face = font_face->next;
 	    break;
 	}
     }
@@ -2401,16 +2415,24 @@ _cairo_ft_font_face_create (cairo_ft_uns
 	return (cairo_font_face_t *)&_cairo_font_face_nil;
     }
 
     font_face->unscaled = unscaled;
     _cairo_unscaled_font_reference (&unscaled->base);
 
     font_face->ft_options = *ft_options;
 
+    if (unscaled->faces && !unscaled->faces->unscaled) {
+	/* This "zombie" font_face (from _cairo_ft_font_face_destroy)
+	 * is no longer needed. */
+	assert (unscaled->from_face && !unscaled->faces->next);
+	cairo_font_face_destroy (&unscaled->faces->base);
+	unscaled->faces = NULL;
+    }
+
     font_face->next = unscaled->faces;
     unscaled->faces = font_face;
 
 #if CAIRO_HAS_FC_FONT
     font_face->pattern = NULL;
 #endif
 
     _cairo_font_face_init (&font_face->base, &_cairo_ft_font_face_backend);