diff --git a/include/mapnik/font_engine_freetype.hpp b/include/mapnik/font_engine_freetype.hpp
index 33ac45035..73227cdbf 100644
--- a/include/mapnik/font_engine_freetype.hpp
+++ b/include/mapnik/font_engine_freetype.hpp
@@ -100,10 +100,8 @@ private:
     static font_memory_cache_type global_memory_fonts_;
 };
 
-class MAPNIK_DECL face_manager : private util::noncopyable
+class MAPNIK_DECL face_manager
 {
-    using face_ptr_cache_type = std::map<std::string, face_ptr>;
-
 public:
     face_manager(font_library & library,
                  freetype_engine::font_file_mapping_type const& font_file_mapping,
@@ -112,9 +110,13 @@ public:
     face_set_ptr get_face_set(std::string const& name);
     face_set_ptr get_face_set(font_set const& fset);
     face_set_ptr get_face_set(std::string const& name, boost::optional<font_set> fset);
-    inline stroker_ptr get_stroker() { return stroker_; }
+    stroker_ptr get_stroker() const { return stroker_; }
+
 private:
-    face_ptr_cache_type face_ptr_cache_;
+    using face_cache = std::map<std::string, face_ptr>;
+    using face_cache_ptr = std::shared_ptr<face_cache>;
+
+    face_cache_ptr face_cache_;
     font_library & library_;
     freetype_engine::font_file_mapping_type const& font_file_mapping_;
     freetype_engine::font_memory_cache_type const& font_memory_cache_;
diff --git a/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp b/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
index b0f137473..f5d713cad 100644
--- a/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
+++ b/src/font_engine_freetype.cpp
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ face_ptr freetype_engine::create_face(std::string const& family_name,
 face_manager::face_manager(font_library & library,
                            freetype_engine::font_file_mapping_type const& font_file_mapping,
                            freetype_engine::font_memory_cache_type const& font_cache)
-    : face_ptr_cache_(),
+    : face_cache_(new face_cache()),
       library_(library),
       font_file_mapping_(font_file_mapping),
       font_memory_cache_(font_cache)
@@ -376,8 +376,8 @@ face_manager::face_manager(font_library & library,
 
 face_ptr face_manager::get_face(std::string const& name)
 {
-    auto itr = face_ptr_cache_.find(name);
-    if (itr != face_ptr_cache_.end())
+    auto itr = face_cache_->find(name);
+    if (itr != face_cache_->end())
     {
         return itr->second;
     }
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ face_ptr face_manager::get_face(std::string const& name)
                                                      freetype_engine::get_cache());
         if (face)
         {
-            face_ptr_cache_.emplace(name,face);
+            face_cache_->emplace(name, face);
         }
         return face;
     }