diff --git a/core/src/ldml/ldml_processor.cpp b/core/src/ldml/ldml_processor.cpp
index 9c58a40d19..ff2fc60b73 100644
--- a/core/src/ldml/ldml_processor.cpp
+++ b/core/src/ldml/ldml_processor.cpp
@@ -271,10 +271,10 @@ ldml_processor::process_key_string(km_core_state *state, const std::u16string &k
   // so that we don't have to reconvert it inside the transform code.
   std::u32string key_str32 = kmx::u16string_to_u32string(key_str);
   assert(ldml::normalize_nfd_markers(key_str32)); // TODO-LDML: else fail?
-  // extract context string, in NFC
-  std::u32string old_ctxtstr_nfc;
-  (void)context_to_string(state, old_ctxtstr_nfc, false);
-  assert(ldml::normalize_nfc_markers(old_ctxtstr_nfc)); // TODO-LDML: else fail?
+  // extract context string, in NFD
+  std::u32string old_ctxtstr_nfd;
+  (void)context_to_string(state, old_ctxtstr_nfd, false);
+  assert(ldml::normalize_nfd_markers(old_ctxtstr_nfd)); // TODO-LDML: else fail?
 
   // context string in NFD
   std::u32string ctxtstr;
@@ -304,18 +304,18 @@ ldml_processor::process_key_string(km_core_state *state, const std::u16string &k
 
   // Ok. We've done all the happy manipulations.
 
-  /** NFC and no markers */
+  /** NFD and no markers */
   std::u32string ctxtstr_cleanedup = ldml::remove_markers(ctxtstr);
-  assert(ldml::normalize_nfc_markers(ctxtstr_cleanedup));
+  assert(ldml::normalize_nfd_markers(ctxtstr_cleanedup));
 
   // find common prefix.
   // For example, if the context previously had "aaBBBBB" and it is changing to "aaCCC" then we will have:
   // - old_ctxtstr_changed = "BBBBB"
   // - new_ctxtstr_changed = "CCC"
   // So the BBBBB needs to be removed and then CCC added.
-  auto ctxt_prefix = mismatch(old_ctxtstr_nfc.begin(), old_ctxtstr_nfc.end(), ctxtstr_cleanedup.begin(), ctxtstr_cleanedup.end());
+  auto ctxt_prefix = mismatch(old_ctxtstr_nfd.begin(), old_ctxtstr_nfd.end(), ctxtstr_cleanedup.begin(), ctxtstr_cleanedup.end());
   /** The part of the old string to be removed */
-  std::u32string old_ctxtstr_changed(ctxt_prefix.first,old_ctxtstr_nfc.end());
+  std::u32string old_ctxtstr_changed(ctxt_prefix.first,old_ctxtstr_nfd.end());
   /** The new context to be added */
   std::u32string new_ctxtstr_changed(ctxt_prefix.second,ctxtstr_cleanedup.end());
 
diff --git a/core/tests/unit/ldml/ldml.cpp b/core/tests/unit/ldml/ldml.cpp
index 0f5ee82bbd..546af55ef4 100644
--- a/core/tests/unit/ldml/ldml.cpp
+++ b/core/tests/unit/ldml/ldml.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@
 
 #include "ldml_test_source.hpp"
 #include "debuglog.h"
+
+#include "ldml/ldml_transforms.hpp"
+
 namespace {
 
 bool g_beep_found = false;
@@ -279,6 +282,7 @@ run_test(const km::core::path &source, const km::core::path &compiled, km::tests
 
       verify_context(text_store, test_state, test_context);
     } else if (action.type == km::tests::LDML_ACTION_CHECK_EXPECTED) {
+      assert(km::core::ldml::normalize_nfd(action.string)); // TODO-LDML: should be NFC
       std::cout << "- check expected" << std::endl;
       std::cout << "expected  : " << string_to_hex(action.string) << " [" << action.string << "]" << std::endl;
       std::cout << "text store: " << string_to_hex(text_store) << " [" << text_store << "]" << std::endl;
diff --git a/core/tests/unit/ldml/ldml_test_source.cpp b/core/tests/unit/ldml/ldml_test_source.cpp
index 9171f25163..93ddff9f7c 100644
--- a/core/tests/unit/ldml/ldml_test_source.cpp
+++ b/core/tests/unit/ldml/ldml_test_source.cpp
@@ -472,7 +472,7 @@ LdmlJsonTestSource::next_action(ldml_action &fillin) {
   if (type == "check") {
     fillin.type   = LDML_ACTION_CHECK_EXPECTED;
     fillin.string = LdmlTestSource::parse_u8_source_string(result.get<std::string>());
-    assert(km::core::ldml::normalize_nfc(fillin.string));
+    assert(km::core::ldml::normalize_nfd(fillin.string)); // TODO-LDML: should be NFC
     return;
   } else if (type == "keystroke") {
     fillin.type   = LDML_ACTION_KEY_EVENT;
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ LdmlJsonTestSource::next_action(ldml_action &fillin) {
   } else if (type == "emit") {
     fillin.type   = LDML_ACTION_EMIT_STRING;
     fillin.string = LdmlTestSource::parse_u8_source_string(to.get<std::string>());
-    assert(km::core::ldml::normalize_nfc(fillin.string));
+    assert(km::core::ldml::normalize_nfd(fillin.string)); // TODO-LDML: should be NFC
     return;
   } else if (type == "backspace") {
     // backspace is handled as a key event
@@ -507,7 +507,7 @@ int LdmlJsonTestSource::load(const nlohmann::json &data) {
   this->data        = data;  // TODO-LDML
   auto startContext = data["/startContext/to"_json_pointer];
   context = LdmlTestSource::parse_u8_source_string(startContext);
-  assert(km::core::ldml::normalize_nfc(context));
+  assert(km::core::ldml::normalize_nfd(context)); // TODO-LDML: should be NFC
   return 0;
 }