diff --git a/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks.factor b/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks.factor
index 10bc235805..0524825d43 100644
--- a/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks.factor
+++ b/basis/unicode/breaks/breaks.factor
@@ -4,8 +4,7 @@ USING: combinators.short-circuit unicode.categories kernel math
 combinators splitting sequences math.parser io.files io assocs
 arrays namespaces make math.ranges unicode.normalize.private values
 io.encodings.ascii unicode.syntax unicode.data compiler.units fry
-alien.syntax sets accessors interval-maps memoize locals words
-strings hints ;
+alien.syntax sets accessors interval-maps memoize locals words ;
 IN: unicode.breaks
 
 <PRIVATE
@@ -212,25 +211,21 @@ to: word-table
             [ dupd walk-up wNumeric property-not= ] }
         { check-number-before
             [ dupd walk-down wNumeric property-not= ] }
-    } case ; inline
+    } case ;
 
 :: word-break-next ( old-class new-char i str -- next-class ? )
     new-char dup format/extended?
     [ drop old-class dup { 1 2 3 } member? ] [
         word-break-prop old-class over word-table-nth
         i str word-break?
-    ] if ; inline
+    ] if ;
 
 PRIVATE>
 
 : first-word ( str -- i )
     [ unclip-slice word-break-prop over <enum> ] keep
     '[ swap _ word-break-next ] assoc-find 2drop
-    nip swap length or 1+ ; inline
-
-HINTS: first-word string ;
+    nip swap length or 1+ ;
 
 : >words ( str -- words )
     [ first-word ] >pieces ;
-
-HINTS: >words string ;
diff --git a/basis/unicode/collation/collation.factor b/basis/unicode/collation/collation.factor
index 90b280ee09..5718ae12a7 100644
--- a/basis/unicode/collation/collation.factor
+++ b/basis/unicode/collation/collation.factor
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ io.encodings.ascii kernel values splitting accessors math.parser
 ascii io assocs strings math namespaces make sorting combinators
 math.order arrays unicode.normalize unicode.data locals
 unicode.syntax macros sequences.deep words unicode.breaks
-quotations ;
+quotations combinators.short-circuit ;
 IN: unicode.collation
 
 <PRIVATE
@@ -71,12 +71,12 @@ ducet insert-helpers
     building get empty? [ 0 ] [ building get peek peek ] if ;
 
 : blocked? ( char -- ? )
-    combining-class [
-        last combining-class =
-    ] [ last combining-class ] if* ;
+    combining-class dup { 0 f } member?
+    [ drop last non-starter? ]
+    [ last combining-class = ] if ;
 
 : possible-bases ( -- slice-of-building )
-    building get dup [ first combining-class not ] find-last
+    building get dup [ first non-starter? not ] find-last
     drop [ 0 ] unless* tail-slice ;
 
 :: ?combine ( char slice i -- ? )