Hi Ken, Indeed, texk/web2c/xetexdir/XeTeXFontInst.h includes ft2build.h. freetype (and ICU and harfbuzz and all that other craziness) is included in TeX Live, and when I build xetex, the TL-built .a is linked against. That was the case for Apostolos too. Because, indeed, we do not build with system libraries preferred. Best, Karl