diff --git a/gtk/gtkfontchooserwidget.c b/gtk/gtkfontchooserwidget.c
index 4f9954fd64..2602935d6f 100644
--- a/gtk/gtkfontchooserwidget.c
+++ b/gtk/gtkfontchooserwidget.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include "gtkfontchooserwidget.h"
 #include "gtkfontchooserwidgetprivate.h"
+#include "gtkpangofontutilsprivate.h"
 
 #include "gtkadjustment.h"
 #include "gtkbuildable.h"
@@ -56,16 +57,19 @@
 #include "gtkgesturemultipress.h"
 #include "gtkeventcontrollerscroll.h"
 
-#if defined(HAVE_HARFBUZZ) && defined(HAVE_PANGOFT)
-#include <pango/pangofc-font.h>
-#include <hb.h>
-#include <hb-ot.h>
-#include <hb-ft.h>
-#include <ft2build.h>
-#include FT_FREETYPE_H
-#include FT_MULTIPLE_MASTERS_H
-#include "language-names.h"
-#include "script-names.h"
+#if defined(HAVE_HARFBUZZ)
+
+# include <hb.h>
+# include <hb-ot.h>
+# include <hb-ft.h>
+# include <ft2build.h>
+# include FT_FREETYPE_H
+# include FT_MULTIPLE_MASTERS_H
+
+# ifdef HAVE_PANGOFT
+#  include "language-names.h"
+#  include "script-names.h"
+# endif
 #endif
 
 #include "open-type-layout.h"
@@ -143,6 +147,8 @@ struct _GtkFontChooserWidgetPrivate
   GList *feature_items;
 
   GAction *tweak_action;
+
+  gpointer ft_extra_items;
 };
 
 enum {
@@ -870,7 +876,7 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_init (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchooser)
   /* Load data and set initial style-dependent parameters */
   gtk_font_chooser_widget_load_fonts (fontchooser, TRUE);
 
-#if defined(HAVE_HARFBUZZ) && defined(HAVE_PANGOFT)
+#if defined(HAVE_HARFBUZZ)
   gtk_font_chooser_widget_populate_features (fontchooser);
 #endif
 
@@ -1188,6 +1194,11 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_finalize (GObject *object)
 
   g_free (priv->font_features);
 
+#ifdef HAVE_HARFBUZZ
+  if (_gtk_pango_font_release_ft_items (priv->ft_extra_items))
+    g_free (priv->ft_extra_items);
+#endif
+
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (gtk_font_chooser_widget_parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }
 
@@ -1459,7 +1470,7 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_ensure_selection (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchooser)
     }
 }
 
-#if defined(HAVE_HARFBUZZ) && defined(HAVE_PANGOFT)
+#if defined(HAVE_HARFBUZZ)
 
 /* OpenType variations */
 
@@ -1610,10 +1621,14 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_variations (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchoose
 {
   GtkFontChooserWidgetPrivate *priv = fontchooser->priv;
   PangoFont *pango_font;
+ 
   FT_Face ft_face;
   FT_MM_Var *ft_mm_var;
   FT_Error ret;
+  FT_Byte *font_file_data = NULL;
   gboolean has_axis = FALSE;
+  PangoFontMap *font_map = NULL;
+  gpointer ft_extra_items = NULL;
 
   if (priv->updating_variations)
     return FALSE;
@@ -1626,7 +1641,21 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_variations (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchoose
 
   pango_font = pango_context_load_font (gtk_widget_get_pango_context (GTK_WIDGET (fontchooser)),
                                         priv->font_desc);
-  ft_face = pango_fc_font_lock_face (PANGO_FC_FONT (pango_font));
+
+  font_map = priv->font_map;
+  ft_extra_items = priv->ft_extra_items;
+
+  if (!font_map)
+    font_map = pango_cairo_font_map_get_default ();
+
+  if (!ft_extra_items)
+    {
+      ft_extra_items = _gtk_pango_font_init_extra_ft_items (pango_font);
+      if (ft_extra_items != NULL)
+        priv->ft_extra_items = ft_extra_items;
+    }
+
+  ft_face = _gtk_pango_font_get_ft_face (pango_font, font_map, ft_extra_items);
 
   ret = FT_Get_MM_Var (ft_face, &ft_mm_var);
   if (ret == 0)
@@ -1658,7 +1687,8 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_variations (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchoose
       free (ft_mm_var);
     }
 
-  pango_fc_font_unlock_face (PANGO_FC_FONT (pango_font));
+  _gtk_pango_font_release_ft_face (pango_font, ft_extra_items);
+
   g_object_unref (pango_font);
 
   return has_axis;
@@ -2130,6 +2160,8 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_features (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchooser)
   GtkFontChooserWidgetPrivate *priv = fontchooser->priv;
   PangoFont *pango_font;
   FT_Face ft_face;
+  FT_Byte *font_file_data = NULL;
+
   hb_font_t *hb_font;
   hb_tag_t script_tag;
   hb_tag_t lang_tag;
@@ -2138,6 +2170,8 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_features (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchooser)
   int i, j;
   GList *l;
   gboolean has_feature = FALSE;
+  PangoFontMap *font_map = NULL;
+  gpointer ft_extra_items = NULL;
 
   for (l = priv->feature_items; l; l = l->next)
     {
@@ -2151,7 +2185,22 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_features (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchooser)
 
   pango_font = pango_context_load_font (gtk_widget_get_pango_context (GTK_WIDGET (fontchooser)),
                                         priv->font_desc);
-  ft_face = pango_fc_font_lock_face (PANGO_FC_FONT (pango_font)),
+
+  font_map = priv->font_map;
+  ft_extra_items = priv->ft_extra_items;
+
+  if (!font_map)
+    font_map = pango_cairo_font_map_get_default ();
+
+  if (!ft_extra_items)
+    {
+      ft_extra_items = _gtk_pango_font_init_extra_ft_items (pango_font);
+      if (ft_extra_items != NULL)
+        priv->ft_extra_items = ft_extra_items;
+    }
+
+  ft_face = _gtk_pango_font_get_ft_face (pango_font, font_map, ft_extra_items);
+
   hb_font = hb_ft_font_create (ft_face, NULL);
 
   if (hb_font)
@@ -2215,7 +2264,8 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_features (GtkFontChooserWidget *fontchooser)
       hb_font_destroy (hb_font);
     }
 
-  pango_fc_font_unlock_face (PANGO_FC_FONT (pango_font));
+  _gtk_pango_font_release_ft_face (pango_font, ft_extra_items);
+
   g_object_unref (pango_font);
 
   return has_feature;
@@ -2315,7 +2365,7 @@ gtk_font_chooser_widget_merge_font_desc (GtkFontChooserWidget       *fontchooser
 
       gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_marks (fontchooser);
 
-#if defined(HAVE_HARFBUZZ) && defined(HAVE_PANGOFT)
+#if defined(HAVE_HARFBUZZ)
       if (gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_features (fontchooser))
         has_tweak = TRUE;
       if (gtk_font_chooser_widget_update_font_variations (fontchooser))
diff --git a/gtk/meson.build b/gtk/meson.build
index 76fef838f5..cb7defd69c 100644
--- a/gtk/meson.build
+++ b/gtk/meson.build
@@ -901,12 +901,20 @@ gtk_deps = [
   graphene_dep,
 ]
 
-if harfbuzz_dep.found() and pangoft_dep.found()
-  gtk_deps += [ harfbuzz_dep, pangoft_dep ]
+if build_with_harfbuzz
   gtk_sources += files([
-  'language-names.c',
-  'script-names.c',
+    'gtkpangofontutils.c',
   ])
+  gtk_deps += [ harfbuzz_dep ]
+  if pangoft_dep.found()
+    gtk_deps += [ pangoft_dep ]
+    gtk_sources += files([
+    'language-names.c',
+    'script-names.c',
+    ])
+  elif add_freetype_lib
+    gtk_deps += [ ft2_dep ]
+  endif
 endif
 
 if x11_enabled
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 711b1cbbaa..6ec954f279 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -333,7 +333,9 @@ fribidi_dep    = dependency('fribidi', version: fribidi_req,
 require_pangoft2 = wayland_enabled or x11_enabled
 pangoft_dep    = dependency('pangoft2', required: false)
 
-if pangoft_dep.found()
+ft2_dep = []
+
+if pangoft_dep.found() or os_win32
   # Need at least 2.7.1 for FT_Get_Var_Design_Coordinates()
   # We get the dependency itself from pango, but pango doesn't care
   # about ft2 version, so an extra check is needed.
@@ -428,6 +430,9 @@ if cairogobj_dep.found()
 endif
 
 cairo_libs = []
+
+add_freetype_lib = false
+
 if cc.get_id() == 'msvc'
   # Fallback depedency discovery for those on Visual Studio that do not generate
   # pkg-config files in their build systems for MSVC
@@ -455,6 +460,9 @@ if cc.get_id() == 'msvc'
   if not harfbuzz_dep.found()
     if cc.has_header('hb.h')
       harfbuzz_dep = cc.find_library('harfbuzz', required : false)
+      if harfbuzz_dep.found()
+        add_freetype_lib = true
+      endif
     endif
   endif
 endif
@@ -464,7 +472,15 @@ if not harfbuzz_dep.found()
                             fallback: ['harfbuzz', 'libharfbuzz_dep'])
 endif
 
-cdata.set('HAVE_HARFBUZZ', harfbuzz_dep.found())
+build_with_harfbuzz = false
+
+if pangoft_dep.found()
+  build_with_harfbuzz = true
+elif os_win32 and harfbuzz_dep.found() and ft2_dep.found()
+  build_with_harfbuzz = cc.has_header_symbol('hb-ft.h', 'hb_ft_face_create', dependencies : harfbuzz_dep)
+endif
+
+cdata.set('HAVE_HARFBUZZ', build_with_harfbuzz)
 cdata.set('HAVE_PANGOFT', pangoft_dep.found())
 
 atk_pkgs = ['atk']