diff --git a/bedstead.c b/bedstead.c
index e0b12af..a875585 100644
--- a/bedstead.c
+++ b/bedstead.c
@@ -4472,12 +4472,21 @@ emit_hints(int vstems[XSIZE], int ledges[XSIZE], int redges[XSIZE],
 	enum hint_type vhints[XSIZE], hhints[YSIZE];
 	bool printed, need_cntrmask = false;
 
+	/*
+	 * We don't emit any counter hints for horizontal stems.  On
+	 * Microsoft Windows 11, such counter hints are treated as
+	 * more important than alignment zones, so when the cap height
+	 * is an even number of pixels you end up with 'B' being one
+	 * pixel smaller than 'C' to ensure that the two counters are
+	 * the same size.  This is not actually what we want.
+	 * FreeType 2.12.1 appears to entirely ignore those counter
+	 * hints, so discarding them has no effect there.
+	 */
 	select_hints(YSIZE, hstems, tedges, bedges, hhints);
 	cur = DESCENT * YPIX; printed = false;
 	for (i = 0; i < YSIZE; i++) {
 		switch (hhints[YSIZE - 1 - i]) {
 		case hint_counter_stem:
-			need_cntrmask = true;
 			if (middle_stem_tweak_wanted(hhints, YSIZE - 1 - i)) {
 				start = i * YPIX;
 				size = YPIX + 1;
@@ -4535,7 +4544,7 @@ emit_hints(int vstems[XSIZE], int ledges[XSIZE], int redges[XSIZE],
 		printf(" cntrmask ");
 		for (i = 0; i < YSIZE; i++)
 			if (hhints[i]) {
-				printf("%c", "X0100"[hhints[i]]);
+				printf("0");
 				nhints++;
 			}
 		for (i = 0; i < XSIZE; i++)