diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/__init__.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/__init__.py
index d4a098ec6..a5503d0db 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/__init__.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/__init__.py
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ from fontTools.ttLib.tables.TupleVariation import TupleVariation
 from fontTools.ttLib.tables import otTables as ot
 from fontTools.varLib import builder, designspace, models
 from fontTools.varLib.merger import VariationMerger, _all_equal
+from fontTools.varLib.mvar import MVAR_entries
 from fontTools.varLib.iup import iup_delta_optimize
 from collections import OrderedDict
 import os.path
@@ -426,48 +427,6 @@ def _add_HVAR(font, model, master_ttfs, axisTags):
 	hvar.AdvWidthMap = advanceMapping
 	hvar.LsbMap = hvar.RsbMap = None
 
-_MVAR_entries = {
-	'hasc': ('OS/2', 'sTypoAscender'),		 # horizontal ascender
-	'hdsc': ('OS/2', 'sTypoDescender'),		 # horizontal descender
-	'hlgp': ('OS/2', 'sTypoLineGap'),		 # horizontal line gap
-	'hcla': ('OS/2', 'usWinAscent'),		 # horizontal clipping ascent
-	'hcld': ('OS/2', 'usWinDescent'),		 # horizontal clipping descent
-	'vasc': ('vhea', 'ascent'),			 # vertical ascender
-	'vdsc': ('vhea', 'descent'),			 # vertical descender
-	'vlgp': ('vhea', 'lineGap'),			 # vertical line gap
-	'hcrs': ('hhea', 'caretSlopeRise'),		 # horizontal caret rise
-	'hcrn': ('hhea', 'caretSlopeRun'),		 # horizontal caret run
-	'hcof': ('hhea', 'caretOffset'),		 # horizontal caret offset
-	'vcrs': ('vhea', 'caretSlopeRise'),		 # vertical caret rise
-	'vcrn': ('vhea', 'caretSlopeRun'),		 # vertical caret run
-	'vcof': ('vhea', 'caretOffset'),		 # vertical caret offset
-	'xhgt': ('OS/2', 'sxHeight'),			 # x height
-	'cpht': ('OS/2', 'sCapHeight'),			 # cap height
-	'sbxs': ('OS/2', 'ySubscriptXSize'),		 # subscript em x size
-	'sbys': ('OS/2', 'ySubscriptYSize'),		 # subscript em y size
-	'sbxo': ('OS/2', 'ySubscriptXOffset'),		 # subscript em x offset
-	'sbyo': ('OS/2', 'ySubscriptYOffset'),		 # subscript em y offset
-	'spxs': ('OS/2', 'ySuperscriptXSize'),		 # superscript em x size
-	'spys': ('OS/2', 'ySuperscriptYSize'),		 # superscript em y size
-	'spxo': ('OS/2', 'ySuperscriptXOffset'),	 # superscript em x offset
-	'spyo': ('OS/2', 'ySuperscriptYOffset'),	 # superscript em y offset
-	'strs': ('OS/2', 'yStrikeoutSize'),		 # strikeout size
-	'stro': ('OS/2', 'yStrikeoutPosition'),		 # strikeout offset
-	'unds': ('post', 'underlineThickness'),		 # underline size
-	'undo': ('post', 'underlinePosition'),		 # underline offset
-	#'gsp0': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[0].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[0]
-	#'gsp1': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[1].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[1]
-	#'gsp2': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[2].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[2]
-	#'gsp3': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[3].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[3]
-	#'gsp4': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[4].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[4]
-	#'gsp5': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[5].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[5]
-	#'gsp6': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[6].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[6]
-	#'gsp7': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[7].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[7]
-	#'gsp8': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[8].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[8]
-	#'gsp9': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[9].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[9]
-}
-
-
 def _add_MVAR(font, model, master_ttfs, axisTags):
 
 	log.info("Generating MVAR")
@@ -479,7 +438,7 @@ def _add_MVAR(font, model, master_ttfs, axisTags):
 	lastTableTag = None
 	fontTable = None
 	tables = None
-	for tag, (tableTag, itemName) in sorted(_MVAR_entries.items(), key=lambda kv: kv[1]):
+	for tag, (tableTag, itemName) in sorted(MVAR_entries.items(), key=lambda kv: kv[1]):
 		if tableTag != lastTableTag:
 			tables = fontTable = None
 			if tableTag in font:
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mvar.py b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mvar.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d4c996f12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/varLib/mvar.py
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+from __future__ import print_function, division, absolute_import
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+from fontTools.misc.py23 import *
+
+MVAR_entries = {
+	'hasc': ('OS/2', 'sTypoAscender'),		 # horizontal ascender
+	'hdsc': ('OS/2', 'sTypoDescender'),		 # horizontal descender
+	'hlgp': ('OS/2', 'sTypoLineGap'),		 # horizontal line gap
+	'hcla': ('OS/2', 'usWinAscent'),		 # horizontal clipping ascent
+	'hcld': ('OS/2', 'usWinDescent'),		 # horizontal clipping descent
+	'vasc': ('vhea', 'ascent'),			 # vertical ascender
+	'vdsc': ('vhea', 'descent'),			 # vertical descender
+	'vlgp': ('vhea', 'lineGap'),			 # vertical line gap
+	'hcrs': ('hhea', 'caretSlopeRise'),		 # horizontal caret rise
+	'hcrn': ('hhea', 'caretSlopeRun'),		 # horizontal caret run
+	'hcof': ('hhea', 'caretOffset'),		 # horizontal caret offset
+	'vcrs': ('vhea', 'caretSlopeRise'),		 # vertical caret rise
+	'vcrn': ('vhea', 'caretSlopeRun'),		 # vertical caret run
+	'vcof': ('vhea', 'caretOffset'),		 # vertical caret offset
+	'xhgt': ('OS/2', 'sxHeight'),			 # x height
+	'cpht': ('OS/2', 'sCapHeight'),			 # cap height
+	'sbxs': ('OS/2', 'ySubscriptXSize'),		 # subscript em x size
+	'sbys': ('OS/2', 'ySubscriptYSize'),		 # subscript em y size
+	'sbxo': ('OS/2', 'ySubscriptXOffset'),		 # subscript em x offset
+	'sbyo': ('OS/2', 'ySubscriptYOffset'),		 # subscript em y offset
+	'spxs': ('OS/2', 'ySuperscriptXSize'),		 # superscript em x size
+	'spys': ('OS/2', 'ySuperscriptYSize'),		 # superscript em y size
+	'spxo': ('OS/2', 'ySuperscriptXOffset'),	 # superscript em x offset
+	'spyo': ('OS/2', 'ySuperscriptYOffset'),	 # superscript em y offset
+	'strs': ('OS/2', 'yStrikeoutSize'),		 # strikeout size
+	'stro': ('OS/2', 'yStrikeoutPosition'),		 # strikeout offset
+	'unds': ('post', 'underlineThickness'),		 # underline size
+	'undo': ('post', 'underlinePosition'),		 # underline offset
+	#'gsp0': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[0].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[0]
+	#'gsp1': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[1].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[1]
+	#'gsp2': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[2].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[2]
+	#'gsp3': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[3].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[3]
+	#'gsp4': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[4].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[4]
+	#'gsp5': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[5].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[5]
+	#'gsp6': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[6].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[6]
+	#'gsp7': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[7].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[7]
+	#'gsp8': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[8].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[8]
+	#'gsp9': ('gasp', 'gaspRange[9].rangeMaxPPEM'),	 # gaspRange[9]
+}