diff --git a/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp b/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
index 8378b2737..d5e725241 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/map/map.hpp
@@ -3,12 +3,11 @@
 
 #include <mbgl/map/transform.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/renderer/painter.hpp>
-
+#include <mbgl/geometry/glyph_atlas.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/noncopyable.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/time.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/uv.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/util/ptr.hpp>
-
 #include <cstdint>
 #include <atomic>
 #include <iosfwd>
@@ -17,7 +16,6 @@
 
 namespace mbgl {
 
-class GlyphAtlas;
 class GlyphStore;
 class LayerDescription;
 class SpriteAtlas;
@@ -131,7 +129,7 @@ public:
     inline const TransformState &getState() const { return state; }
     inline util::ptr<FileSource> getFileSource() const { return fileSource; }
     inline util::ptr<Style> getStyle() const { return style; }
-    inline util::ptr<GlyphAtlas> getGlyphAtlas() { return glyphAtlas; }
+    inline GlyphAtlas & getGlyphAtlas() { return glyphAtlas; }
     inline util::ptr<GlyphStore> getGlyphStore() { return glyphStore; }
     inline util::ptr<SpriteAtlas> getSpriteAtlas() { return spriteAtlas; }
     util::ptr<Sprite> getSprite();
@@ -203,7 +201,7 @@ private:
     util::ptr<FileSource> fileSource;
 
     util::ptr<Style> style;
-    util::ptr<GlyphAtlas> glyphAtlas;
+    GlyphAtlas glyphAtlas;
     util::ptr<GlyphStore> glyphStore;
     util::ptr<SpriteAtlas> spriteAtlas;
     util::ptr<Sprite> sprite;
diff --git a/include/mbgl/map/raster_tile_data.hpp b/include/mbgl/map/raster_tile_data.hpp
index 14833c0d8..8ae898f98 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/map/raster_tile_data.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/map/raster_tile_data.hpp
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public:
 
     virtual void parse();
     virtual void render(Painter &painter, util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc, const mat4 &matrix);
-    virtual bool hasData(util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc) const;
+    virtual bool hasData(StyleLayer const& layer_desc) const;
 
 protected:
     StyleBucketRaster properties;
diff --git a/include/mbgl/map/tile_data.hpp b/include/mbgl/map/tile_data.hpp
index 07cf19c5c..b83f0316e 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/map/tile_data.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/map/tile_data.hpp
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ public:
     virtual void parse() = 0;
     virtual void afterParse();
     virtual void render(Painter &painter, util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc, const mat4 &matrix) = 0;
-    virtual bool hasData(util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc) const = 0;
+    virtual bool hasData(StyleLayer const& layer_desc) const = 0;
 
 
 public:
diff --git a/include/mbgl/map/tile_parser.hpp b/include/mbgl/map/tile_parser.hpp
index ddb4b9882..383c2929e 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/map/tile_parser.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/map/tile_parser.hpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class TileParser {
 public:
     TileParser(const std::string &data, VectorTileData &tile,
                const util::ptr<const Style> &style,
-               const util::ptr<GlyphAtlas> &glyphAtlas,
+               GlyphAtlas & glyphAtlas,
                const util::ptr<GlyphStore> &glyphStore,
                const util::ptr<SpriteAtlas> &spriteAtlas,
                const util::ptr<Sprite> &sprite);
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ private:
 
     // Cross-thread shared data.
     util::ptr<const Style> style;
-    util::ptr<GlyphAtlas> glyphAtlas;
+    GlyphAtlas & glyphAtlas;
     util::ptr<GlyphStore> glyphStore;
     util::ptr<SpriteAtlas> spriteAtlas;
     util::ptr<Sprite> sprite;
diff --git a/include/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.hpp b/include/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.hpp
index 9de666c84..1fbacab3d 100644
--- a/include/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.hpp
+++ b/include/mbgl/map/vector_tile_data.hpp
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public:
     virtual void parse();
     virtual void afterParse();
     virtual void render(Painter &painter, util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc, const mat4 &matrix);
-    virtual bool hasData(util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc) const;
+    virtual bool hasData(StyleLayer const& layer_desc) const;
 
 protected:
     // Holds the actual geometries in this tile.
diff --git a/src/map/map.cpp b/src/map/map.cpp
index fd5468d4e..e3aca9ee6 100644
--- a/src/map/map.cpp
+++ b/src/map/map.cpp
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ Map::Map(View& view_)
       main_thread(uv_thread_self()),
 #endif
       transform(view_),
-      glyphAtlas(std::make_shared<GlyphAtlas>(1024, 1024)),
+      glyphAtlas(1024, 1024),
       spriteAtlas(std::make_shared<SpriteAtlas>(512, 512)),
       texturepool(std::make_shared<Texturepool>()),
-      painter(*spriteAtlas, *glyphAtlas) {
+      painter(*spriteAtlas, glyphAtlas) {
 
     view.initialize(this);
 
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ Map::~Map() {
     sprite.reset();
     spriteAtlas.reset();
     glyphStore.reset();
-    glyphAtlas.reset();
     style.reset();
     fileSource.reset();
     workers.reset();
diff --git a/src/map/raster_tile_data.cpp b/src/map/raster_tile_data.cpp
index 99ca327fe..fbef805f2 100644
--- a/src/map/raster_tile_data.cpp
+++ b/src/map/raster_tile_data.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@ void RasterTileData::render(Painter &painter, util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc,
     bucket.render(painter, layer_desc, id, matrix);
 }
 
-bool RasterTileData::hasData(util::ptr<StyleLayer> /*layer_desc*/) const {
+bool RasterTileData::hasData(StyleLayer const& /*layer_desc*/) const {
     return bucket.hasData();
 }
diff --git a/src/map/tile_parser.cpp b/src/map/tile_parser.cpp
index 235151cd4..6e505b7de 100644
--- a/src/map/tile_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/map/tile_parser.cpp
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ TileParser::~TileParser() = default;
 
 TileParser::TileParser(const std::string &data, VectorTileData &tile_,
                        const util::ptr<const Style> &style_,
-                       const util::ptr<GlyphAtlas> &glyphAtlas_,
+                       GlyphAtlas& glyphAtlas_,
                        const util::ptr<GlyphStore> &glyphStore_,
                        const util::ptr<SpriteAtlas> &spriteAtlas_,
                        const util::ptr<Sprite> &sprite_)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ TileParser::TileParser(const std::string &data, VectorTileData &tile_,
       collision(std::make_unique<Collision>(tile.id.z, 4096, tile.source->tile_size, tile.depth)) {
     assert(&tile != nullptr);
     assert(style);
-    assert(glyphAtlas);
+    //assert(glyphAtlas);
     assert(glyphStore);
     assert(spriteAtlas);
     assert(sprite);
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ std::unique_ptr<Bucket> TileParser::createLineBucket(const VectorTileLayer& laye
 
 std::unique_ptr<Bucket> TileParser::createSymbolBucket(const VectorTileLayer& layer, const FilterExpression &filter, const StyleBucketSymbol &symbol) {
     std::unique_ptr<SymbolBucket> bucket = std::make_unique<SymbolBucket>(symbol, *collision);
-    bucket->addFeatures(layer, filter, tile.id, *spriteAtlas, *sprite, *glyphAtlas, *glyphStore);
+    bucket->addFeatures(layer, filter, tile.id, *spriteAtlas, *sprite, glyphAtlas, *glyphStore);
     return obsolete() ? nullptr : std::move(bucket);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/map/vector_tile_data.cpp b/src/map/vector_tile_data.cpp
index b94bc66de..4d9d2a544 100644
--- a/src/map/vector_tile_data.cpp
+++ b/src/map/vector_tile_data.cpp
@@ -14,15 +14,12 @@ VectorTileData::VectorTileData(Tile::ID id_, Map &map_, const util::ptr<SourceIn
 }
 
 VectorTileData::~VectorTileData() {
-    util::ptr<GlyphAtlas> glyphAtlas = map.getGlyphAtlas();
-    if (glyphAtlas) {
-        glyphAtlas->removeGlyphs(id.to_uint64());
-    }
+    map.getGlyphAtlas().removeGlyphs(id.to_uint64());
 }
 
 void VectorTileData::beforeParse() {
-
-    parser = std::make_unique<TileParser>(data, *this, map.getStyle(), map.getGlyphAtlas(), map.getGlyphStore(), map.getSpriteAtlas(), map.getSprite());
+    parser = std::make_unique<TileParser>(data, *this, map.getStyle(), map.getGlyphAtlas(),
+                                          map.getGlyphStore(), map.getSpriteAtlas(), map.getSprite());
 }
 
 void VectorTileData::parse() {
@@ -62,9 +59,9 @@ void VectorTileData::render(Painter &painter, util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc,
     }
 }
 
-bool VectorTileData::hasData(util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc) const {
-    if (state == State::parsed && layer_desc->bucket) {
-        auto databucket_it = buckets.find(layer_desc->bucket->name);
+bool VectorTileData::hasData(StyleLayer const& layer_desc) const {
+    if (state == State::parsed && layer_desc.bucket) {
+        auto databucket_it = buckets.find(layer_desc.bucket->name);
         if (databucket_it != buckets.end()) {
             assert(databucket_it->second);
             return databucket_it->second->hasData();
diff --git a/src/renderer/painter.cpp b/src/renderer/painter.cpp
index 6abd51390..07428a698 100644
--- a/src/renderer/painter.cpp
+++ b/src/renderer/painter.cpp
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ void Painter::renderLayer(util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc, const Tile::ID* id,
 
 void Painter::renderTileLayer(const Tile& tile, util::ptr<StyleLayer> layer_desc, const mat4 &matrix) {
     assert(tile.data);
-    if (tile.data->hasData(layer_desc) || layer_desc->type == StyleLayerType::Raster) {
+    if (tile.data->hasData(*layer_desc) || layer_desc->type == StyleLayerType::Raster) {
         gl::group group(util::sprintf<32>("render %d/%d/%d\n", tile.id.z, tile.id.y, tile.id.z));
         prepareTile(tile);
         tile.data->render(*this, layer_desc, matrix);
diff --git a/src/renderer/symbol_bucket.cpp b/src/renderer/symbol_bucket.cpp
index 1fe91bffe..542c109db 100644
--- a/src/renderer/symbol_bucket.cpp
+++ b/src/renderer/symbol_bucket.cpp
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ std::vector<SymbolFeature> SymbolBucket::processFeatures(const VectorTileLayer &
 
 void SymbolBucket::addFeatures(const VectorTileLayer &layer, const FilterExpression &filter,
                                const Tile::ID &id, SpriteAtlas &spriteAtlas, Sprite &sprite,
-                               GlyphAtlas &glyphAtlas, GlyphStore &glyphStore) {
+                               GlyphAtlas & glyphAtlas, GlyphStore &glyphStore) {
 
     const std::vector<SymbolFeature> features = processFeatures(layer, filter, glyphStore, sprite);