diff --git a/include/freetype/freetype.h b/include/freetype/freetype.h
index a81eb72..a9659a2 100644
--- a/include/freetype/freetype.h
+++ b/include/freetype/freetype.h
@@ -3566,6 +3566,22 @@ FT_BEGIN_HEADER
   /*************************************************************************/
   /*                                                                       */
   /* <Function>                                                            */
+  /*    FT_Face_Option                                                     */
+  /*                                                                       */
+  /* <Return>                                                              */
+  /*    FreeType error code.  0~means success.                             */
+  /*                                                                       */
+  FT_EXPORT( FT_Error )
+  FT_Face_Option( FT_Face       face,
+		  FT_UInt       num_params,
+                  FT_Parameter* parameters);
+
+#define FT_PARAM_TAG_ENABLE_STEM_DARKENING  FT_MAKE_TAG( 'd', 'a', 'r', 'k' )
+
+
+  /*************************************************************************/
+  /*                                                                       */
+  /* <Function>                                                            */
   /*    FT_Get_Name_Index                                                  */
   /*                                                                       */
   /* <Description>                                                         */
diff --git a/include/freetype/ftmodapi.h b/include/freetype/ftmodapi.h
index b4d2758..dce17b8 100644
--- a/include/freetype/ftmodapi.h
+++ b/include/freetype/ftmodapi.h
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ FT_BEGIN_HEADER
                                               /* own hinter               */
 #define FT_MODULE_DRIVER_HINTS_LIGHTLY 0x800  /* the driver's hinter      */
                                               /* produces LIGHT hints     */
+#define FT_MODULE_DRIVER_DARKENS_STEMS 0x1000  /* the driver can darken   */
+                                               /* stems.                  */
 
 
   /* deprecated values */
diff --git a/include/freetype/internal/ftobjs.h b/include/freetype/internal/ftobjs.h
index 0eb8eaa..2f0bad7 100644
--- a/include/freetype/internal/ftobjs.h
+++ b/include/freetype/internal/ftobjs.h
@@ -362,6 +362,8 @@ FT_BEGIN_HEADER
 
     FT_Int              refcount;
 
+    FT_Bool             no_stem_darkening;
+
   } FT_Face_InternalRec;
 
 
@@ -503,6 +505,9 @@ FT_BEGIN_HEADER
 #define FT_DRIVER_HINTS_LIGHTLY( x )  ( FT_MODULE_CLASS( x )->module_flags & \
                                         FT_MODULE_DRIVER_HINTS_LIGHTLY )
 
+#define FT_DRIVER_DARKENS_STEMS( x )  ( FT_MODULE_CLASS( x )->module_flags & \
+                                        FT_MODULE_DRIVER_DARKENS_STEMS )
+
 
   /*************************************************************************/
   /*                                                                       */
diff --git a/src/autofit/afloader.c b/src/autofit/afloader.c
index 26bba06..d7ad0db 100644
--- a/src/autofit/afloader.c
+++ b/src/autofit/afloader.c
@@ -98,8 +98,6 @@
                     FT_UInt    glyph_index,
                     FT_Int32   load_flags )
   {
-    AF_Module  module = loader->globals->module;
-
     FT_Error          error;
     FT_Face           face     = loader->face;
     AF_StyleMetrics   metrics  = loader->metrics;
@@ -135,7 +133,7 @@
      * must therefore be recomputed for each size and
      * `standard_{vertical,horizontal}_width' change.
      */
-    if ( !module->no_stem_darkening )
+    if ( !face->internal->no_stem_darkening )
     {
       AF_FaceGlobals         globals = loader->globals;
       AF_WritingSystemClass  writing_system_class;
diff --git a/src/base/ftobjs.c b/src/base/ftobjs.c
index 9006b59..b5d91f5 100644
--- a/src/base/ftobjs.c
+++ b/src/base/ftobjs.c
@@ -627,8 +627,21 @@
     library = driver->root.library;
     hinter  = library->auto_hinter;
 
-    /* resolve load flags dependencies */
+    /* If the face has the stem darkening property set, we currently need to
+     * force the autohinter unless we're dealing with CFFs, since stem
+     * darkening is currently only implemented in the CFF driver (with and
+     * without hinting) and the autohinter. */
+    if ( !face->internal->no_stem_darkening &&
+         !( load_flags & FT_RENDER_MODE_LIGHT ) )
+    {
+      load_flags &= ~FT_LOAD_TARGET_MODE( load_flags );
+      load_flags |= FT_LOAD_TARGET_LIGHT;
+
+      if ( !FT_DRIVER_DARKENS_STEMS( driver ) )
+        autohint = TRUE;
+    }
 
+    /* resolve load flags dependencies */
     if ( load_flags & FT_LOAD_NO_RECURSE )
       load_flags |= FT_LOAD_NO_SCALE         |
                     FT_LOAD_IGNORE_TRANSFORM;
@@ -2349,8 +2362,11 @@
       internal->transform_delta.y = 0;
 
       internal->refcount = 1;
+
+      internal->no_stem_darkening = TRUE;
     }
 
+
     if ( aface )
       *aface = face;
     else
@@ -3501,6 +3517,41 @@
   }
 
 
+  FT_EXPORT_DEF( FT_Error )
+  FT_Face_Option( FT_Face       face,
+                  FT_UInt       num_params,
+                  FT_Parameter* parameters)
+  {
+    FT_Error   error = FT_Err_Ok;
+
+
+    if ( num_params > 0 && !parameters )
+    {
+      error = FT_THROW( Invalid_Argument );
+      goto Exit;
+    }
+
+    for ( ; num_params > 0; num_params-- )
+    {
+      if ( parameters->tag == FT_PARAM_TAG_ENABLE_STEM_DARKENING )
+      {
+        if ( parameters->data == 0)
+          face->internal->no_stem_darkening = 1;
+        else
+          face->internal->no_stem_darkening = 0;
+      }
+
+      if ( error )
+        break;
+
+      parameters++;
+    }
+
+Exit:
+    return error;
+  }
+
+
   /* documentation is in freetype.h */
 
   FT_EXPORT_DEF( FT_UInt )
@@ -4145,7 +4196,7 @@
       parameters++;
     }
 
-  Exit:
+		Exit:
     return error;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/cff/cf2ft.c b/src/cff/cf2ft.c
index edbe6a7..5569b6a 100644
--- a/src/cff/cf2ft.c
+++ b/src/cff/cf2ft.c
@@ -369,7 +369,7 @@
       font->renderingFlags = 0;
       if ( hinted )
         font->renderingFlags |= CF2_FlagsHinted;
-      if ( scaled && !driver->no_stem_darkening )
+      if ( scaled && !(builder->face->root.internal->no_stem_darkening) )
         font->renderingFlags |= CF2_FlagsDarkened;
 
       font->darkenParams[0] = driver->darken_params[0];
diff --git a/src/cff/cffdrivr.c b/src/cff/cffdrivr.c
index 1d8d12e..f2127f5 100644
--- a/src/cff/cffdrivr.c
+++ b/src/cff/cffdrivr.c
@@ -955,7 +955,8 @@
       FT_MODULE_FONT_DRIVER          |
       FT_MODULE_DRIVER_SCALABLE      |
       FT_MODULE_DRIVER_HAS_HINTER    |
-      FT_MODULE_DRIVER_HINTS_LIGHTLY,
+      FT_MODULE_DRIVER_HINTS_LIGHTLY |
+      FT_MODULE_DRIVER_DARKENS_STEMS,
 
       sizeof ( CFF_DriverRec ),
       "cff",