diff --git a/src/ftcrfont.c b/src/ftcrfont.c
index 3a609187a53..ac5f52eccc2 100644
--- a/src/ftcrfont.c
+++ b/src/ftcrfont.c
@@ -415,7 +415,6 @@ ftcrfont_text_extents (struct font *font,
 {
   int width, i;
 
-  block_input ();
   width = ftcrfont_glyph_extents (font, code[0], metrics);
   for (i = 1; i < nglyphs; i++)
     {
@@ -435,7 +434,6 @@ ftcrfont_text_extents (struct font *font,
 	}
       width += w;
     }
-  unblock_input ();
 
   if (metrics)
     metrics->width = width;
diff --git a/src/xftfont.c b/src/xftfont.c
index f15dbae1e7a..113c51eebe0 100644
--- a/src/xftfont.c
+++ b/src/xftfont.c
@@ -466,10 +466,8 @@ xftfont_text_extents (struct font *font, const unsigned int *code,
   struct font_info *xftfont_info = (struct font_info *) font;
   XGlyphInfo extents;
 
-  block_input ();
   XftGlyphExtents (xftfont_info->display, xftfont_info->xftfont, code, nglyphs,
 		   &extents);
-  unblock_input ();
 
   metrics->lbearing = - extents.x;
   metrics->rbearing = - extents.x + extents.width;