diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index fcba36ac..240577f1 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -5,29 +5,29 @@ PATH := ./node_modules/.bin:$(PATH)
 
 all: index.js base.js
 
-src/opentype/shapers/data.trie:
+src/opentype/shapers/trie.json:
 	babel-node src/opentype/shapers/generate-data.js
 
-src/opentype/shapers/use.trie:
+src/opentype/shapers/trieUse.json:
 	babel-node src/opentype/shapers/gen-use.js
 
-src/opentype/shapers/indic.trie:
+src/opentype/shapers/trieIndic.json:
 	babel-node src/opentype/shapers/gen-indic.js
 
-data.trie: src/opentype/shapers/data.trie
-	cp src/opentype/shapers/data.trie data.trie
+trie.json: src/opentype/shapers/trie.json
+	cp src/opentype/shapers/trie.json trie.json
 
-use.trie: src/opentype/shapers/use.trie
-	cp src/opentype/shapers/use.trie use.trie
+trieUse.json: src/opentype/shapers/trieUse.json
+	cp src/opentype/shapers/trieUse.json trieUse.json
 
-indic.trie: src/opentype/shapers/indic.trie
-	cp src/opentype/shapers/indic.trie indic.trie
+trieIndic.json: src/opentype/shapers/trieIndic.json
+	cp src/opentype/shapers/trieIndic.json trieIndic.json
 
-index.js: $(SOURCES) data.trie use.trie indic.trie
+index.js: $(SOURCES) trie.json trieUse.json trieIndic.json
 	rollup -c -m -i src/index.js -o index.js
 
-base.js: $(SOURCES) data.trie use.trie indic.trie
+base.js: $(SOURCES) trie.json trieUse.json trieIndic.json
 	rollup -c -m -i src/base.js -o base.js
 
 clean:
-	rm -f index.js base.js data.trie indic.trie use.trie src/opentype/shapers/data.trie src/opentype/shapers/use.trie src/opentype/shapers/use.json src/opentype/shapers/indic.trie src/opentype/shapers/indic.json
+	rm -f index.js base.js trie.json trieIndic.json trieUse.json src/opentype/shapers/trie.json src/opentype/shapers/trieUse.json src/opentype/shapers/use.json src/opentype/shapers/trieIndic.json src/opentype/shapers/indic.json
diff --git a/src/base.js b/src/base.js
index e224180d..c437c237 100644
--- a/src/base.js
+++ b/src/base.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import r from 'restructure';
-const fs = require('fs');
+// const fs = require('fs');
 
 var fontkit = {};
 export default fontkit;
@@ -11,31 +11,31 @@ fontkit.registerFormat = function(format) {
   formats.push(format);
 };
 
-fontkit.openSync = function(filename, postscriptName) {
-  let buffer = fs.readFileSync(filename);
-  return fontkit.create(buffer, postscriptName);
-};
-
-fontkit.open = function(filename, postscriptName, callback) {
-  if (typeof postscriptName === 'function') {
-    callback = postscriptName;
-    postscriptName = null;
-  }
-
-  fs.readFile(filename, function(err, buffer) {
-    if (err) { return callback(err); }
-
-    try {
-      var font = fontkit.create(buffer, postscriptName);
-    } catch (e) {
-      return callback(e);
-    }
-
-    return callback(null, font);
-  });
-
-  return;
-};
+// fontkit.openSync = function(filename, postscriptName) {
+//   let buffer = fs.readFileSync(filename);
+//   return fontkit.create(buffer, postscriptName);
+// };
+//
+// fontkit.open = function(filename, postscriptName, callback) {
+//   if (typeof postscriptName === 'function') {
+//     callback = postscriptName;
+//     postscriptName = null;
+//   }
+//
+//   fs.readFile(filename, function(err, buffer) {
+//     if (err) { return callback(err); }
+//
+//     try {
+//       var font = fontkit.create(buffer, postscriptName);
+//     } catch (e) {
+//       return callback(e);
+//     }
+//
+//     return callback(null, font);
+//   });
+//
+//   return;
+// };
 
 fontkit.create = function(buffer, postscriptName) {
   for (let i = 0; i < formats.length; i++) {
diff --git a/src/opentype/shapers/ArabicShaper.js b/src/opentype/shapers/ArabicShaper.js
index 2ccbbd29..ed50d32c 100644
--- a/src/opentype/shapers/ArabicShaper.js
+++ b/src/opentype/shapers/ArabicShaper.js
@@ -2,7 +2,12 @@ import DefaultShaper from './DefaultShaper';
 import unicode from 'unicode-properties';
 import UnicodeTrie from 'unicode-trie';
 
-const trie = new UnicodeTrie(require('fs').readFileSync(__dirname + '/data.trie'));
+// Trie is serialized as a Buffer in node, but here
+// we may be running in a browser so we make an Uint8Array
+const trieBuffer = require('./trieData.json');
+const trieData = new Uint8Array(trieBuffer.data);
+const trie = new UnicodeTrie(trieData);
+// const trie = new UnicodeTrie(require('fs').readFileSync(__dirname + '/data.trie'));
 const FEATURES = ['isol', 'fina', 'fin2', 'fin3', 'medi', 'med2', 'init'];
 
 const ShapingClasses = {
diff --git a/src/opentype/shapers/IndicShaper.js b/src/opentype/shapers/IndicShaper.js
index 53a57148..bce32db9 100644
--- a/src/opentype/shapers/IndicShaper.js
+++ b/src/opentype/shapers/IndicShaper.js
@@ -16,7 +16,13 @@ import {
 } from './indic-data';
 
 const {decompositions} = useData;
-const trie = new UnicodeTrie(require('fs').readFileSync(__dirname + '/indic.trie'));
+
+// Trie is serialized as a Buffer in node, but here
+// we may be running in a browser so we make an Uint8Array
+const trieBuffer = require('./trieIndic.json');
+const trieData = new Uint8Array(trieBuffer.data);
+const trie = new UnicodeTrie(trieData);
+// const trie = new UnicodeTrie(require('fs').readFileSync(__dirname + '/indic.trie'));
 const stateMachine = new StateMachine(indicMachine);
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/opentype/shapers/UniversalShaper.js b/src/opentype/shapers/UniversalShaper.js
index bd8679a2..3246fa2e 100644
--- a/src/opentype/shapers/UniversalShaper.js
+++ b/src/opentype/shapers/UniversalShaper.js
@@ -5,7 +5,13 @@ import GlyphInfo from '../GlyphInfo';
 import useData from './use.json';
 
 const {categories, decompositions} = useData;
-const trie = new UnicodeTrie(require('fs').readFileSync(__dirname + '/use.trie'));
+
+// Trie is serialized as a Buffer in node, but here
+// we may be running in a browser so we make an Uint8Array
+const trieBuffer = require('./trieUse.json');
+const trieData = new Uint8Array(trieBuffer.data);
+const trie = new UnicodeTrie(trieData);
+// const trie = new UnicodeTrie(require('fs').readFileSync(__dirname + '/use.trie'));
 const stateMachine = new StateMachine(useData);
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/opentype/shapers/gen-indic.js b/src/opentype/shapers/gen-indic.js
index 805fb85b..1fd0b761 100644
--- a/src/opentype/shapers/gen-indic.js
+++ b/src/opentype/shapers/gen-indic.js
@@ -200,7 +200,10 @@ for (let i = 0; i < codepoints.length; i++) {
   }
 }
 
-fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/indic.trie', trie.toBuffer());
+// Trie is serialized suboptimally as JSON so it can be loaded via require,
+// allowing unicode-properties to work in the browser
+fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/trieIndic.json', JSON.stringify(trie.toBuffer()));
+// fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/indic.trie', trie.toBuffer());
 
 let stateMachine = compile(fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/indic.machine', 'utf8'), symbols);
 fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/indic.json', JSON.stringify(stateMachine));
diff --git a/src/opentype/shapers/gen-use.js b/src/opentype/shapers/gen-use.js
index b7cb944e..57dd077f 100644
--- a/src/opentype/shapers/gen-use.js
+++ b/src/opentype/shapers/gen-use.js
@@ -274,7 +274,10 @@ function decompose(code) {
   return decomposition;
 }
 
-fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/use.trie', trie.toBuffer());
+// Trie is serialized suboptimally as JSON so it can be loaded via require,
+// allowing unicode-properties to work in the browser
+fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/trieUse.json', JSON.stringify(trie.toBuffer()));
+// fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/use.trie', trie.toBuffer());
 
 let stateMachine = compile(fs.readFileSync(__dirname + '/use.machine', 'utf8'), symbols);
 let json = Object.assign({
diff --git a/src/opentype/shapers/generate-data.js b/src/opentype/shapers/generate-data.js
index f07dcd2f..3aaa615d 100644
--- a/src/opentype/shapers/generate-data.js
+++ b/src/opentype/shapers/generate-data.js
@@ -30,4 +30,7 @@ for (let i = 0; i < codepoints.length; i++) {
   }
 }
 
-fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/data.trie', trie.toBuffer());
+// Trie is serialized suboptimally as JSON so it can be loaded via require,
+// allowing unicode-properties to work in the browser
+fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/trie.json', JSON.stringify(trie.toBuffer()));
+// fs.writeFileSync(__dirname + '/data.trie', trie.toBuffer());