diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 182373e0..ee9c00ab 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ set(ODR_SOURCE_FILES
         "src/odr/exceptions.cpp"
         "src/odr/file.cpp"
         "src/odr/filesystem.cpp"
+        "src/odr/global_params.cpp"
         "src/odr/html.cpp"
         "src/odr/html_service.cpp"
         "src/odr/open_document_reader.cpp"
diff --git a/src/odr/global_params.cpp b/src/odr/global_params.cpp
index c1ccc5c8..981062c5 100644
--- a/src/odr/global_params.cpp
+++ b/src/odr/global_params.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 #include <odr/internal/project_info.hpp>
 
+#include <poppler/GlobalParams.h>
+
 namespace odr {
 
 GlobalParams &GlobalParams::instance() {
@@ -35,6 +37,11 @@ void GlobalParams::set_fontforge_data_path(const std::string &path) {
 
 void GlobalParams::set_poppler_data_path(const std::string &path) {
   instance().m_poppler_data_path = path;
+
+#ifdef ODR_WITH_PDF2HTMLEX
+  globalParams =
+      std::make_unique<::GlobalParams>(path.empty() ? nullptr : path.c_str());
+#endif
 }
 
 void GlobalParams::set_pdf2htmlex_data_path(const std::string &path) {
diff --git a/src/odr/internal/html/pdf2htmlex_wrapper.cpp b/src/odr/internal/html/pdf2htmlex_wrapper.cpp
index da2b8bc6..b1443227 100644
--- a/src/odr/internal/html/pdf2htmlex_wrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/odr/internal/html/pdf2htmlex_wrapper.cpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <odr/exceptions.hpp>
 #include <odr/file.hpp>
+#include <odr/global_params.hpp>
 #include <odr/html.hpp>
 
 #include <odr/internal/html/common.hpp>
@@ -13,7 +14,6 @@
 #include <pdf2htmlEX/HTMLRenderer/HTMLRenderer.h>
 #include <pdf2htmlEX/Param.h>
 
-#include <poppler/GlobalParams.h>
 #include <poppler/PDFDoc.h>
 
 namespace odr::internal::html {
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ pdf2htmlEX::Param create_params(PDFDoc &pdf_doc, const HtmlConfig &config,
   // misc
   param.clean_tmp = 1;
   param.tmp_dir = output_path;
-  param.data_dir = config.pdf2htmlex_data_path;
-  param.poppler_data_dir = config.poppler_data_path;
+  param.data_dir = odr::GlobalParams::pdf2htmlex_data_path();
+  param.poppler_data_dir = odr::GlobalParams::poppler_data_path();
   param.debug = 0;
   param.proof = 0;
   param.quiet = 1;
@@ -220,19 +220,12 @@ html::create_poppler_pdf_service(const PopplerPdfFile &pdf_file,
     }
   }
 
-  globalParams = std::make_unique<GlobalParams>(
-      !html_renderer_param->poppler_data_dir.empty()
-          ? html_renderer_param->poppler_data_dir.c_str()
-          : nullptr);
-
   // TODO not sure what the `progPath` is used for. it cannot be `nullptr`
   // TODO potentially just a cache dir?
   auto html_renderer = std::make_shared<pdf2htmlEX::HTMLRenderer>(
-      config.fontforge_data_path.c_str(), *html_renderer_param);
+      odr::GlobalParams::fontforge_data_path().c_str(), *html_renderer_param);
   html_renderer->process(&pdf_doc);
 
-  globalParams.reset();
-
   HtmlResourceLocator resource_locator =
       local_resource_locator(output_path, config);
 
@@ -259,17 +252,12 @@ Html html::translate_poppler_pdf_file(const PopplerPdfFile &pdf_file,
     }
   }
 
-  globalParams = std::make_unique<GlobalParams>(
-      !param.poppler_data_dir.empty() ? param.poppler_data_dir.c_str()
-                                      : nullptr);
-
   // TODO not sure what the `progPath` is used for. it cannot be `nullptr`
   // TODO potentially just a cache dir?
-  pdf2htmlEX::HTMLRenderer(config.fontforge_data_path.c_str(), param)
+  pdf2htmlEX::HTMLRenderer(odr::GlobalParams::fontforge_data_path().c_str(),
+                           param)
       .process(&pdf_doc);
 
-  globalParams.reset();
-
   return {FileType::portable_document_format,
           config,
           {{"document", output_path + "/document.html"}}};