diff --git a/docs/changelog.md b/docs/changelog.md
index b7333b1bf..4152aebf0 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.md
+++ b/docs/changelog.md
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ As features stabilize some brief notes about them will accumulate here.
 * Windows: closing a window while the debug overlay was active could
   leave a lingering wezterm-gui.exe running. #3522
 * Windows: inconsistencies with win32 input mode. Thanks to @kreudom! #2235
+* macOS: font size is zoomed or window appears empty when first launched on a
+  secondary monitor with different scaling settings from the primary monitor. #3503
 
 ### 20230408-112425-69ae8472
 
diff --git a/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs b/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs
index fb8d9ce64..872e70030 100644
--- a/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs
+++ b/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs
@@ -350,6 +350,20 @@ impl super::TermWindow {
                 self.dimensions.pixel_height as f32,
             )));
 
+        if simple_dpi_change && cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
+            // Spooky action at a distance: on macOS, NSWindow::isZoomed can falsely
+            // return YES in situations such as the current screen changing.
+            // That causes window_state to believe that we are MAXIMIZED.
+            // We cannot easily detect that in the window layer, but at this
+            // layer, if we realize that the dpi was the only thing that changed
+            // then remove the MAXIMIZED state so that the can_resize check
+            // in adjust_font_scale will not block us from adapting to the new
+            // DPI. This is gross and it would be better handled at the macOS
+            // layer.
+            // <https://github.com/wez/wezterm/issues/3503>
+            self.window_state -= WindowState::MAXIMIZED;
+        }
+
         let dpi_changed = dimensions.dpi != self.dimensions.dpi;
         let font_scale_changed = font_scale != self.fonts.get_font_scale();
         let scale_changed = dpi_changed || font_scale_changed;
diff --git a/window/src/os/macos/window.rs b/window/src/os/macos/window.rs
index 127fed723..57d7b7b04 100644
--- a/window/src/os/macos/window.rs
+++ b/window/src/os/macos/window.rs
@@ -744,10 +744,10 @@ impl WindowOps for Window {
     }
 
     fn set_inner_size(&self, width: usize, height: usize) {
-        Connection::with_window_inner(
-            self.id,
-            move |inner| Ok(inner.set_inner_size(width, height)),
-        );
+        Connection::with_window_inner(self.id, move |inner| {
+            inner.set_inner_size(width, height);
+            Ok(())
+        });
     }
 
     fn set_window_position(&self, coords: ScreenPoint) {
@@ -1149,7 +1149,7 @@ impl WindowInner {
         }
     }
 
-    fn set_inner_size(&mut self, width: usize, height: usize) -> Dimensions {
+    fn set_inner_size(&mut self, width: usize, height: usize) {
         unsafe {
             let frame = NSView::frame(*self.view as *mut _);
             let backing_frame = NSView::convertRectToBacking(*self.view as *mut _, frame);
@@ -1160,15 +1160,9 @@ impl WindowInner {
                 NSSize::new(width as f64 / scale, height as f64 / scale),
             );
 
-            let frame = NSView::frame(*self.view as *mut _);
-            let backing_frame = NSView::convertRectToBacking(*self.view as *mut _, frame);
-            let width = backing_frame.size.width;
-            let height = backing_frame.size.height;
-            Dimensions {
-                pixel_width: width as usize,
-                pixel_height: height as usize,
-                dpi: (crate::DEFAULT_DPI * (backing_frame.size.width / frame.size.width)) as usize,
-            }
+            // setContentSize_ doesn't explicitly invalidate,
+            // so we need to do it ourselves
+            self.invalidate();
         }
     }
 
@@ -2738,6 +2732,11 @@ impl WindowView {
 
             let live_resizing = inner.live_resizing;
 
+            // Note: isZoomed can falsely return YES in situations such as
+            // the current screen changing. We cannot detect that case here.
+            // There is some logic to compensate for this in
+            // wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs.
+            // <https://github.com/wez/wezterm/issues/3503>
             let is_zoomed = !is_full_screen
                 && inner.window.as_ref().map_or(false, |window| {
                     let window = window.load();