diff --git a/vcl/inc/unx/glyphcache.hxx b/vcl/inc/unx/glyphcache.hxx
index 1e2d57c54d5b..366bd2a5d0fb 100644
--- a/vcl/inc/unx/glyphcache.hxx
+++ b/vcl/inc/unx/glyphcache.hxx
@@ -168,8 +168,7 @@ public:
     const FontCharMapRef    GetFontCharMap() const;
     bool                    GetFontCapabilities(vcl::FontCapabilities &) const;
 
-    const GlyphMetric&      GetGlyphMetric( sal_GlyphId aGlyphId )
-                            { return GetGlyphData( aGlyphId ).GetMetric(); }
+    const GlyphMetric&      GetGlyphMetric(sal_GlyphId aGlyphId);
 
 #if ENABLE_GRAPHITE
     GraphiteFaceWrapper* GetGraphiteFace() const;
@@ -201,7 +200,6 @@ private:
 
     void                    ApplyGlyphTransform( int nGlyphFlags, FT_GlyphRec_* ) const;
     void                    ApplyGSUB( const FontSelectPattern& );
-    GlyphData&              GetGlyphData( sal_GlyphId );
 
     ServerFontLayoutEngine* GetLayoutEngine();
 
diff --git a/vcl/unx/generic/glyphs/glyphcache.cxx b/vcl/unx/generic/glyphs/glyphcache.cxx
index c1b4a4e80c63..de4bb9666975 100644
--- a/vcl/unx/generic/glyphs/glyphcache.cxx
+++ b/vcl/unx/generic/glyphs/glyphcache.cxx
@@ -304,14 +304,14 @@ long FreetypeFont::Release() const
     return --mnRefCount;
 }
 
-GlyphData& FreetypeFont::GetGlyphData( sal_GlyphId aGlyphId )
+const GlyphMetric& FreetypeFont::GetGlyphMetric(sal_GlyphId aGlyphId)
 {
     // usually the GlyphData is cached
     GlyphList::iterator it = maGlyphList.find( aGlyphId );
     if( it != maGlyphList.end() ) {
         GlyphData& rGlyphData = it->second;
         GlyphCache::GetInstance().UsingGlyph( *this, rGlyphData );
-        return rGlyphData;
+        return rGlyphData.GetMetric();
     }
 
     // sometimes not => we need to create and initialize it ourselves
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ GlyphData& FreetypeFont::GetGlyphData( sal_GlyphId aGlyphId )
     mnBytesUsed += sizeof( GlyphData );
     InitGlyphData( aGlyphId, rGlyphData );
     GlyphCache::GetInstance().AddedGlyph( *this, rGlyphData );
-    return rGlyphData;
+    return rGlyphData.GetMetric();
 }
 
 void FreetypeFont::GarbageCollect( long nMinLruIndex )