diff --git a/src/hb-buffer.cc b/src/hb-buffer.cc
index a45062aa5..6b05d3a6a 100644
--- a/src/hb-buffer.cc
+++ b/src/hb-buffer.cc
@@ -31,10 +31,6 @@
 #include "hb-utf-private.hh"
 
 
-#ifndef HB_DEBUG_BUFFER
-#define HB_DEBUG_BUFFER (HB_DEBUG+0)
-#endif
-
 /**
  * SECTION: hb-buffer
  * @title: Buffers
@@ -1885,6 +1881,9 @@ hb_buffer_t::sort (unsigned int start, unsigned int end, int(*compar)(const hb_g
 /**
  * hb_buffer_diff:
  *
+ * If dottedcircle_glyph is (hb_codepoint_t) -1 then %HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_DOTTED_CIRCLE_PRESENT
+ * and %HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_NOTDEF_PRESENT are never returned.  This should be used by most
+ * callers if just comparing two buffers is needed.
  *
  * Since: 1.5.0
  **/
@@ -1898,6 +1897,7 @@ hb_buffer_diff (hb_buffer_t *buffer,
     return HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_CONTENT_TYPE_MISMATCH;
 
   hb_buffer_diff_flags_t result = HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_EQUAL;
+  bool contains = dottedcircle_glyph != (hb_codepoint_t) -1;
 
   unsigned int count = reference->len;
 
@@ -1911,9 +1911,9 @@ hb_buffer_diff (hb_buffer_t *buffer,
     unsigned int i;
     for (i = 0; i < count; i++)
     {
-      if (info[i].codepoint == dottedcircle_glyph)
+      if (contains && info[i].codepoint == dottedcircle_glyph)
         result |= HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_DOTTED_CIRCLE_PRESENT;
-      else if (info[i].codepoint == 0)
+      if (contains && info[i].codepoint == 0)
         result |= HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_NOTDEF_PRESENT;
     }
     result |= HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_LENGTH_MISMATCH;
@@ -1933,9 +1933,9 @@ hb_buffer_diff (hb_buffer_t *buffer,
       result |= HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_CLUSTER_MISMATCH;
     if ((buf_info->mask & HB_GLYPH_FLAG_DEFINED) != (ref_info->mask & HB_GLYPH_FLAG_DEFINED))
       result |= HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_GLYPH_FLAGS_MISMATCH;
-    if (ref_info->codepoint == dottedcircle_glyph)
+    if (contains && ref_info->codepoint == dottedcircle_glyph)
       result |= HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_DOTTED_CIRCLE_PRESENT;
-    else if (ref_info->codepoint == 0)
+    if (contains && ref_info->codepoint == 0)
       result |= HB_BUFFER_DIFF_FLAG_NOTDEF_PRESENT;
     buf_info++;
     ref_info++;
diff --git a/test/shaping/run-tests.sh b/test/shaping/run-tests.sh
index 9c4963148..2b10e7c83 100755
--- a/test/shaping/run-tests.sh
+++ b/test/shaping/run-tests.sh
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ test "x$srcdir" = x && srcdir=.
 test "x$builddir" = x && builddir=.
 test "x$top_builddir" = x && top_builddir=../..
 
-#hb_shape="$top_builddir/util/hb-shape$EXEEXT --verify"
-hb_shape="$top_builddir/util/hb-shape$EXEEXT"
+hb_shape="$top_builddir/util/hb-shape$EXEEXT --verify"
+#hb_shape="$top_builddir/util/hb-shape$EXEEXT"
 
 fails=0
 
diff --git a/util/options.hh b/util/options.hh
index dbc4eaf94..9ad2225d5 100644
--- a/util/options.hh
+++ b/util/options.hh
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ struct shape_options_t : option_group_t
     }
 
     bool ret = true;
-    hb_buffer_diff_flags_t diff = hb_buffer_diff (buffer, reconstruction, 0, 0);
+    hb_buffer_diff_flags_t diff = hb_buffer_diff (buffer, reconstruction, (hb_codepoint_t) -1, 0);
     if (diff)
     {
       if (error)