diff --git a/include/mapnik/symbolizer.hpp b/include/mapnik/symbolizer.hpp
index 2623bc137..f7b359a10 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/symbolizer.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/symbolizer.hpp
@@ -289,7 +289,6 @@ struct evaluate_expression_wrapper<mapnik::color>
     mapnik::color operator() (T1 const& expr, T2 const& feature, T3 const& vars) const
     {
         mapnik::value_type val = util::apply_visitor(mapnik::evaluate<T2,mapnik::value_type,T3>(feature,vars), expr);
-        // FIXME - throw instead?
         if (val.is_null()) return mapnik::color(255,192,203); // pink
         return mapnik::color(val.to_string());
     }
@@ -314,7 +313,6 @@ struct evaluate_expression_wrapper<mapnik::dash_array>
     mapnik::dash_array operator() (T1 const& expr, T2 const& feature, T3 const& vars) const
     {
         mapnik::value_type val = util::apply_visitor(mapnik::evaluate<T2,mapnik::value_type,T3>(feature,vars), expr);
-        // FIXME - throw?
         if (val.is_null()) return dash_array();
         dash_array dash;
         std::vector<double> buf;
@@ -327,17 +325,16 @@ struct evaluate_expression_wrapper<mapnik::dash_array>
     }
 };
 
-// mapnik::font_feature_settings_ptr
+// mapnik::font_feature_settings
 template <>
-struct evaluate_expression_wrapper<mapnik::font_feature_settings_ptr>
+struct evaluate_expression_wrapper<mapnik::font_feature_settings>
 {
     template <typename T1, typename T2, typename T3>
-    mapnik::font_feature_settings_ptr operator() (T1 const& expr, T2 const& feature, T3 const& vars) const
+    mapnik::font_feature_settings operator() (T1 const& expr, T2 const& feature, T3 const& vars) const
     {
         mapnik::value_type val = util::apply_visitor(mapnik::evaluate<T2, mapnik::value_type, T3>(feature, vars), expr);
-        // FIXME - throw instead?
-        if (val.is_null()) return std::make_shared<mapnik::font_feature_settings>();
-        return std::make_shared<mapnik::font_feature_settings>(val.to_string());
+        if (val.is_null()) return mapnik::font_feature_settings();
+        return mapnik::font_feature_settings(val.to_string());
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/include/mapnik/symbolizer_base.hpp b/include/mapnik/symbolizer_base.hpp
index 4b8cd724d..55472fa97 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/symbolizer_base.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/symbolizer_base.hpp
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ using value_base_type = util::variant<value_bool,
                                       dash_array,
                                       raster_colorizer_ptr,
                                       group_symbolizer_properties_ptr,
-                                      font_feature_settings_ptr>;
+                                      font_feature_settings>;
 
 struct strict_value : value_base_type
 {
diff --git a/include/mapnik/text/font_feature_settings.hpp b/include/mapnik/text/font_feature_settings.hpp
index ba8b2c4e6..03cfa5e0e 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text/font_feature_settings.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text/font_feature_settings.hpp
@@ -52,12 +52,16 @@ public:
 
     const font_feature* get_features() const { return features_.data(); }
     feature_vector::size_type count() const { return features_.size(); }
+    feature_vector const& features() const { return features_; }
 
 private:
     feature_vector features_;
 };
 
-using font_feature_settings_ptr = std::shared_ptr<font_feature_settings>;
+inline bool operator==(font_feature_settings const& lhs, font_feature_settings const& rhs)
+{
+    return (lhs.features() == rhs.features());
+}
 
 constexpr unsigned int font_feature_range_global_start = 0u;
 static const unsigned int font_feature_range_global_end = std::numeric_limits<unsigned int>::max();
diff --git a/include/mapnik/text/harfbuzz_shaper.hpp b/include/mapnik/text/harfbuzz_shaper.hpp
index 888a0b0ec..055910bb7 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text/harfbuzz_shaper.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text/harfbuzz_shaper.hpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ static void shape_text(text_line & line,
     hb_buffer_pre_allocate(buffer.get(), length);
     mapnik::value_unicode_string const& text = itemizer.text();
 
-    font_feature_settings_ptr features = list.front().format->font_feature_settings;
+    font_feature_settings features = list.front().format->font_feature_settings;
 
     for (auto const& text_item : list)
     {
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ static void shape_text(text_line & line,
             hb_buffer_set_direction(buffer.get(), (text_item.rtl == UBIDI_RTL)?HB_DIRECTION_RTL:HB_DIRECTION_LTR);
             hb_buffer_set_script(buffer.get(), _icu_script_to_script(text_item.script));
             hb_font_t *font(hb_ft_font_create(face->get_face(), nullptr));
-            hb_shape(font, buffer.get(), features->get_features(), features->count());
+            hb_shape(font, buffer.get(), features.get_features(), features.count());
             hb_font_destroy(font);
 
             unsigned num_glyphs = hb_buffer_get_length(buffer.get());
diff --git a/include/mapnik/text/text_properties.hpp b/include/mapnik/text/text_properties.hpp
index a8ff014c3..fc66ae04c 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/text/text_properties.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/text/text_properties.hpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ struct evaluated_format_properties
       fill(0,0,0),
       halo_fill(0,0,0),
       halo_radius(0.0),
-      font_feature_settings(std::make_shared<mapnik::font_feature_settings>()) {}
+      font_feature_settings() {}
     std::string face_name;
     boost::optional<font_set> fontset;
     double text_size;
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ struct evaluated_format_properties
     color fill;
     color halo_fill;
     double halo_radius;
-    font_feature_settings_ptr font_feature_settings;
+    font_feature_settings font_feature_settings;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/include/mapnik/xml_attribute_cast.hpp b/include/mapnik/xml_attribute_cast.hpp
index 95880e03f..40bf9de27 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/xml_attribute_cast.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/xml_attribute_cast.hpp
@@ -201,13 +201,13 @@ struct do_xml_attribute_cast<mapnik::expression_ptr>
     }
 };
 
-// specialization for mapnik::font_feature_settings_ptr
+// specialization for mapnik::font_feature_settings
 template <>
-struct do_xml_attribute_cast<mapnik::font_feature_settings_ptr>
+struct do_xml_attribute_cast<mapnik::font_feature_settings>
 {
-    static inline boost::optional<mapnik::font_feature_settings_ptr> xml_attribute_cast_impl(xml_tree const& tree, std::string const& source)
+    static inline boost::optional<mapnik::font_feature_settings> xml_attribute_cast_impl(xml_tree const& tree, std::string const& source)
     {
-        return std::make_shared<font_feature_settings>(source);
+        return font_feature_settings(source);
     }
 };
 
diff --git a/src/text/formatting/format.cpp b/src/text/formatting/format.cpp
index 75374c28c..0c7789917 100644
--- a/src/text/formatting/format.cpp
+++ b/src/text/formatting/format.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ node_ptr format_node::from_xml(xml_node const& xml, fontset_map const& fontsets)
     set_property_from_xml<color>(n->fill, "fill", xml);
     set_property_from_xml<color>(n->halo_fill, "halo-fill", xml);
     set_property_from_xml<text_transform_e>(n->text_transform, "text-transform", xml);
-    set_property_from_xml<font_feature_settings_ptr>(n->font_feature_settings, "font-feature-settings", xml);
+    set_property_from_xml<font_feature_settings>(n->font_feature_settings, "font-feature-settings", xml);
 
     boost::optional<std::string> face_name = xml.get_opt_attr<std::string>("face-name");
     if (face_name)
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ void format_node::apply(evaluated_format_properties_ptr p, feature_impl const& f
     if (fill) new_properties->fill = util::apply_visitor(extract_value<color>(feature,attrs), *fill);
     if (halo_fill) new_properties->halo_fill = util::apply_visitor(extract_value<color>(feature,attrs), *halo_fill);
     if (text_transform) new_properties->text_transform = util::apply_visitor(extract_value<text_transform_enum>(feature,attrs), *text_transform);
-    if (font_feature_settings) new_properties->font_feature_settings = util::apply_visitor(extract_value<font_feature_settings_ptr>(feature,attrs), *font_feature_settings);
+    if (font_feature_settings) new_properties->font_feature_settings = util::apply_visitor(extract_value<font_feature_settings>(feature,attrs), *font_feature_settings);
 
     if (fontset)
     {
diff --git a/src/text/properties_util.cpp b/src/text/properties_util.cpp
index ba0620167..41e5d6093 100644
--- a/src/text/properties_util.cpp
+++ b/src/text/properties_util.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ struct property_serializer : public util::static_visitor<>
         node_.put("<xmlattr>." + name_, str);
     }
 
-    void operator() (font_feature_settings_ptr const& val) const
+    void operator() (font_feature_settings const& val) const
     {
         std::string str = val->to_string();
         node_.put("<xmlattr>." + name_, str);
diff --git a/src/text/text_properties.cpp b/src/text/text_properties.cpp
index 7e88fecc8..57eeb7168 100644
--- a/src/text/text_properties.cpp
+++ b/src/text/text_properties.cpp
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void text_symbolizer_properties::process(text_layout & output, feature_impl cons
         format->face_name = format_defaults.face_name;
         format->fontset = format_defaults.fontset;
 
-        format->font_feature_settings = util::apply_visitor(extract_value<font_feature_settings_ptr>(feature,attrs), format_defaults.font_feature_settings);
+        format->font_feature_settings = util::apply_visitor(extract_value<font_feature_settings>(feature,attrs), format_defaults.font_feature_settings);
         // Turn off ligatures if character_spacing > 0.
         if (format->character_spacing > .0 && format->font_feature_settings->count() == 0)
         {
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ void format_properties::from_xml(xml_node const& node, fontset_map const& fontse
     set_property_from_xml<color>(fill, "fill", node);
     set_property_from_xml<color>(halo_fill, "halo-fill", node);
     set_property_from_xml<text_transform_e>(text_transform,"text-transform", node);
-    set_property_from_xml<font_feature_settings_ptr>(font_feature_settings, "font-feature-settings", node);
+    set_property_from_xml<font_feature_settings>(font_feature_settings, "font-feature-settings", node);
 
     optional<std::string> face_name_ = node.get_opt_attr<std::string>("face-name");
     if (face_name_) face_name = *face_name_;
diff --git a/src/xml_tree.cpp b/src/xml_tree.cpp
index 9583247d3..b03dd915a 100644
--- a/src/xml_tree.cpp
+++ b/src/xml_tree.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ DEFINE_NAME_TRAIT( mapnik::value_integer, "int" )
 DEFINE_NAME_TRAIT( std::string, "string" )
 DEFINE_NAME_TRAIT( color, "color" )
 DEFINE_NAME_TRAIT( expression_ptr, "expression_ptr" )
-DEFINE_NAME_TRAIT( font_feature_settings_ptr, "font-feature-settings" )
+DEFINE_NAME_TRAIT( font_feature_settings, "font-feature-settings" )
 
 template <typename ENUM, int MAX>
 struct name_trait< mapnik::enumeration<ENUM, MAX> >
@@ -429,7 +429,7 @@ compile_get_opt_attr(justify_alignment_e);
 compile_get_opt_attr(text_upright_e);
 compile_get_opt_attr(halo_rasterizer_e);
 compile_get_opt_attr(expression_ptr);
-compile_get_opt_attr(font_feature_settings_ptr);
+compile_get_opt_attr(font_feature_settings);
 compile_get_attr(std::string);
 compile_get_attr(filter_mode_e);
 compile_get_attr(point_placement_e);