diff --git a/src/composite.c b/src/composite.c
index 53e6930b5f2..364d5c9316e 100644
--- a/src/composite.c
+++ b/src/composite.c
@@ -818,6 +818,11 @@ fill_gstring_body (Lisp_Object gstring)
   Lisp_Object header = AREF (gstring, 0);
   ptrdiff_t len = LGSTRING_CHAR_LEN (gstring);
   ptrdiff_t i;
+  struct font *font = NULL;
+  unsigned int code;
+
+  if (FONT_OBJECT_P (font_object))
+    font = XFONT_OBJECT (font_object);
 
   for (i = 0; i < len; i++)
     {
@@ -832,10 +837,15 @@ fill_gstring_body (Lisp_Object gstring)
       LGLYPH_SET_FROM (g, i);
       LGLYPH_SET_TO (g, i);
       LGLYPH_SET_CHAR (g, c);
-      if (FONT_OBJECT_P (font_object))
-	{
-	  font_fill_lglyph_metrics (g, font_object);
-	}
+
+      if (font != NULL)
+        code = font->driver->encode_char (font, LGLYPH_CHAR (g));
+      else
+        code = FONT_INVALID_CODE;
+      if (code != FONT_INVALID_CODE)
+        {
+	  font_fill_lglyph_metrics (g, font, code);
+        }
       else
 	{
 	  int width = XFIXNAT (CHAR_TABLE_REF (Vchar_width_table, c));
diff --git a/src/font.c b/src/font.c
index 2b90903c909..39ec1b3562a 100644
--- a/src/font.c
+++ b/src/font.c
@@ -4416,10 +4416,8 @@ DEFUN ("clear-font-cache", Fclear_font_cache, Sclear_font_cache, 0, 0, 0,
 
 
 void
-font_fill_lglyph_metrics (Lisp_Object glyph, Lisp_Object font_object)
+font_fill_lglyph_metrics (Lisp_Object glyph, struct font *font, unsigned int code)
 {
-  struct font *font = XFONT_OBJECT (font_object);
-  unsigned code = font->driver->encode_char (font, LGLYPH_CHAR (glyph));
   struct font_metrics metrics;
 
   LGLYPH_SET_CODE (glyph, code);
diff --git a/src/font.h b/src/font.h
index 633d92709c5..6f4792afe55 100644
--- a/src/font.h
+++ b/src/font.h
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ extern Lisp_Object font_update_drivers (struct frame *f, Lisp_Object list);
 extern Lisp_Object font_range (ptrdiff_t, ptrdiff_t, ptrdiff_t *,
 			       struct window *, struct face *,
 			       Lisp_Object);
-extern void font_fill_lglyph_metrics (Lisp_Object, Lisp_Object);
+extern void font_fill_lglyph_metrics (Lisp_Object, struct font *, unsigned int);
 
 extern Lisp_Object font_put_extra (Lisp_Object font, Lisp_Object prop,
                                    Lisp_Object val);