diff -u -r wine/dlls/gdi32/freetype.c wine-ft281/dlls/gdi32/freetype.c
--- wine/dlls/gdi32/freetype.c	2017-10-04 18:01:36.000000000 +0200
+++ wine-ft281/dlls/gdi32/freetype.c	2017-10-10 10:29:17.506632615 +0200
@@ -996,18 +996,23 @@
 
 static BOOL is_subpixel_rendering_enabled( void )
 {
-#ifdef FT_LCD_FILTER_H
     static int enabled = -1;
     if (enabled == -1)
     {
-        enabled = (pFT_Library_SetLcdFilter &&
-                   pFT_Library_SetLcdFilter( NULL, 0 ) != FT_Err_Unimplemented_Feature);
+        /* >= 2.8.1 provides LCD rendering without filters */
+        if (FT_Version.major > 2 ||
+            FT_Version.major == 2 && FT_Version.minor > 8 ||
+            FT_Version.major == 2 && FT_Version.minor == 8 && FT_Version.patch >= 1)
+            enabled = TRUE;
+#ifdef FT_LCD_FILTER_H
+        else if (pFT_Library_SetLcdFilter &&
+                 pFT_Library_SetLcdFilter( NULL, 0 ) != FT_Err_Unimplemented_Feature)
+            enabled = TRUE;
+#endif
+        else enabled = FALSE;
         TRACE("subpixel rendering is %senabled\n", enabled ? "" : "NOT ");
     }
     return enabled;
-#else
-    return FALSE;
-#endif
 }
 
 
@@ -7271,7 +7276,6 @@
     case WINE_GGO_HBGR_BITMAP:
     case WINE_GGO_VRGB_BITMAP:
     case WINE_GGO_VBGR_BITMAP:
-#ifdef FT_LCD_FILTER_H
       {
         switch (ft_face->glyph->format)
         {
@@ -7357,8 +7361,11 @@
             if ( needsTransform )
                 pFT_Outline_Transform (&ft_face->glyph->outline, &transMatTategaki);
 
+#ifdef FT_LCD_FILTER_H
             if ( pFT_Library_SetLcdFilter )
                 pFT_Library_SetLcdFilter( library, FT_LCD_FILTER_DEFAULT );
+#endif
+
             pFT_Render_Glyph (ft_face->glyph, render_mode);
 
             src = ft_face->glyph->bitmap.buffer;
@@ -7439,9 +7446,6 @@
 
         break;
       }
-#else
-      return GDI_ERROR;
-#endif
 
     case GGO_NATIVE:
       {