diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f.py
index b88df1b92..fe2a0bb1e 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f.py
@@ -1432,7 +1432,8 @@ class GlyphComponent(object):
 
 class GlyphCoordinates(object):
 
-	def __init__(self, iterable=[], typecode="h"):
+	def __init__(self, iterable=[], typecode='i'):
+		if typecode == 'h': typecode = 'i'
 		self._a = array.array(typecode)
 		self.extend(iterable)
 
@@ -1451,9 +1452,6 @@ class GlyphCoordinates(object):
 	def _checkFloat(self, p):
 		if self.isFloat():
 			return p
-		if any(v > 0x7FFF or v < -0x8000 for v in p):
-			self._ensureFloat()
-			return p
 		if any(isinstance(v, float) for v in p):
 			p = [int(v) if int(v) == v else v for v in p]
 			if any(isinstance(v, float) for v in p):
@@ -1508,7 +1506,7 @@ class GlyphCoordinates(object):
 	def toInt(self, *, round=otRound):
 		if not self.isFloat():
 			return
-		a = array.array("h")
+		a = array.array("i")
 		for n in self._a:
 			a.append(round(n))
 		self._a = a
diff --git a/Tests/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f_test.py b/Tests/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f_test.py
index 531bb82aa..70560cc7b 100644
--- a/Tests/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f_test.py
+++ b/Tests/ttLib/tables/_g_l_y_f_test.py
@@ -173,10 +173,9 @@ class GlyphCoordinatesTest(object):
         assert g[0][0] == otRound(afloat)
 
     def test__checkFloat_overflow(self):
-        g = GlyphCoordinates([(1, 1)], typecode="h")
+        g = GlyphCoordinates([(1, 1)])
         g.append((0x8000, 0))
-        assert g.array.typecode == "d"
-        assert g.array == array.array("d", [1.0, 1.0, 32768.0, 0.0])
+        assert list(g.array) == [1.0, 1.0, 32768.0, 0.0]
 
 
 CURR_DIR = os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__)))