diff --git a/ext/pango/gsttextoverlay.c b/ext/pango/gsttextoverlay.c
index 3111a02eaf..54a260f5c1 100644
--- a/ext/pango/gsttextoverlay.c
+++ b/ext/pango/gsttextoverlay.c
@@ -519,7 +519,6 @@ gst_text_overlay_class_init (GstTextOverlayClass * klass)
       g_param_spec_boolean ("vertical-render", "vertical render",
           "Vertical Render.", DEFAULT_PROP_VERTICAL_RENDER,
           G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
-
 }
 
 static void
@@ -643,23 +642,6 @@ gst_text_overlay_init (GstTextOverlay * overlay, GstTextOverlayClass * klass)
   overlay->text_linked = FALSE;
   overlay->cond = g_cond_new ();
   gst_segment_init (&overlay->segment, GST_FORMAT_TIME);
-
-  /* FIXME: this is a hack to initialize the pango engine
-   * see http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=412678
-   * and http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=642960
-   */
-  {
-    PangoRectangle ink_rect, logical_rect;
-    static gsize init_cookie = 0;
-
-    if (g_once_init_enter (&init_cookie)) {
-      pango_layout_set_width (overlay->layout, -1);
-      pango_layout_set_markup (overlay->layout, " ", 1);
-      pango_layout_get_pixel_extents (overlay->layout, &ink_rect,
-          &logical_rect);
-      g_once_init_leave (&init_cookie, (gsize) 1);
-    }
-  }
 }
 
 static void