diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsub-table.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsub-table.hh
index 7e36e0639..b664f15a6 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsub-table.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsub-table.hh
@@ -762,7 +762,6 @@ struct Ligature
       return_trace (true);
     }
 
-    bool is_mark_ligature = false;
     unsigned int total_component_count = 0;
 
     unsigned int match_length = 0;
@@ -774,7 +773,6 @@ struct Ligature
 			      nullptr,
 			      &match_length,
 			      match_positions,
-			      &is_mark_ligature,
 			      &total_component_count)))
       return_trace (false);
 
@@ -783,7 +781,6 @@ struct Ligature
 		  match_positions,
 		  match_length,
 		  ligGlyph,
-		  is_mark_ligature,
 		  total_component_count);
 
     return_trace (true);
diff --git a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
index 5dd4c3da1..da023eab8 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
+++ b/src/hb-ot-layout-gsubgpos.hh
@@ -731,7 +731,6 @@ static inline bool match_input (hb_ot_apply_context_t *c,
 				const void *match_data,
 				unsigned int *end_offset,
 				unsigned int match_positions[HB_MAX_CONTEXT_LENGTH],
-				bool *p_is_mark_ligature = nullptr,
 				unsigned int *p_total_component_count = nullptr)
 {
   TRACE_APPLY (nullptr);
@@ -768,8 +767,6 @@ static inline bool match_input (hb_ot_apply_context_t *c,
    *     https://github.com/harfbuzz/harfbuzz/issues/545
    */
 
-  bool is_mark_ligature = _hb_glyph_info_is_mark (&buffer->cur());
-
   unsigned int total_component_count = 0;
   total_component_count += _hb_glyph_info_get_lig_num_comps (&buffer->cur());
 
@@ -836,15 +833,11 @@ static inline bool match_input (hb_ot_apply_context_t *c,
 	return_trace (false);
     }
 
-    is_mark_ligature = is_mark_ligature && _hb_glyph_info_is_mark (&buffer->info[skippy_iter.idx]);
     total_component_count += _hb_glyph_info_get_lig_num_comps (&buffer->info[skippy_iter.idx]);
   }
 
   *end_offset = skippy_iter.idx - buffer->idx + 1;
 
-  if (p_is_mark_ligature)
-    *p_is_mark_ligature = is_mark_ligature;
-
   if (p_total_component_count)
     *p_total_component_count = total_component_count;
 
@@ -855,7 +848,6 @@ static inline bool ligate_input (hb_ot_apply_context_t *c,
 				 unsigned int match_positions[HB_MAX_CONTEXT_LENGTH], /* Including the first glyph */
 				 unsigned int match_length,
 				 hb_codepoint_t lig_glyph,
-				 bool is_mark_ligature,
 				 unsigned int total_component_count)
 {
   TRACE_APPLY (nullptr);
@@ -864,11 +856,11 @@ static inline bool ligate_input (hb_ot_apply_context_t *c,
 
   buffer->merge_clusters (buffer->idx, buffer->idx + match_length);
 
-  /*
-   * - If it *is* a mark ligature, we don't allocate a new ligature id, and leave
+  /* - If all components of the ligature were marks, we call this a mark ligature.
+   *   If it *is* a mark ligature, we don't allocate a new ligature id, and leave
    *   the ligature to keep its old ligature id.  This will allow it to attach to
    *   a base ligature in GPOS.  Eg. if the sequence is: LAM,LAM,SHADDA,FATHA,HEH,
-   *   and LAM,LAM,HEH for a ligature, they will leave SHADDA and FATHA wit a
+   *   and LAM,LAM,HEH for a ligature, they will leave SHADDA and FATHA with a
    *   ligature id and component value of 2.  Then if SHADDA,FATHA form a ligature
    *   later, we don't want them to lose their ligature id/component, otherwise
    *   GPOS will fail to correctly position the mark ligature on top of the
@@ -892,6 +884,14 @@ static inline bool ligate_input (hb_ot_apply_context_t *c,
    *   https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=437633
    */
 
+  bool is_mark_ligature =  true;
+  for (unsigned int i = 0; i < count; i++)
+    if (!_hb_glyph_info_is_mark (&buffer->info[match_positions[i]]))
+    {
+      is_mark_ligature = false;
+      break;
+    }
+
   unsigned int klass = is_mark_ligature ? 0 : HB_OT_LAYOUT_GLYPH_PROPS_LIGATURE;
   unsigned int lig_id = is_mark_ligature ? 0 : _hb_allocate_lig_id (buffer);
   unsigned int last_lig_id = _hb_glyph_info_get_lig_id (&buffer->cur());