diff --git a/config/src/config.rs b/config/src/config.rs
index 5a84f5431..8f52b91e5 100644
--- a/config/src/config.rs
+++ b/config/src/config.rs
@@ -1444,21 +1444,24 @@ impl Config {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn initial_size(&self, dpi: u32) -> TerminalSize {
+    pub fn initial_size(&self, dpi: u32, cell_pixel_dims: Option<(usize, usize)>) -> TerminalSize {
+        // If we aren't passed the actual values, guess at a plausible
+        // default set of pixel dimensions.
+        // This is based on "typical" 10 point font at "normal"
+        // pixel density.
+        // This will get filled in by the gui layer, but there is
+        // an edge case where we emit an iTerm image escape in
+        // the software update banner through the mux layer before
+        // the GUI has had a chance to update the pixel dimensions
+        // when running under X11.
+        // This is a bit gross.
+        let (cell_pixel_width, cell_pixel_height) = cell_pixel_dims.unwrap_or((8, 16));
+
         TerminalSize {
             rows: self.initial_rows as usize,
             cols: self.initial_cols as usize,
-            // Guess at a plausible default set of pixel dimensions.
-            // This is based on "typical" 10 point font at "normal"
-            // pixel density.
-            // This will get filled in by the gui layer, but there is
-            // an edge case where we emit an iTerm image escape in
-            // the software update banner through the mux layer before
-            // the GUI has had a chance to update the pixel dimensions
-            // when running under X11.
-            // This is a bit gross.
-            pixel_width: 8 * self.initial_cols as usize,
-            pixel_height: 16 * self.initial_rows as usize,
+            pixel_width: cell_pixel_width * self.initial_cols as usize,
+            pixel_height: cell_pixel_height * self.initial_rows as usize,
             dpi,
         }
     }
diff --git a/lua-api-crates/mux/src/lib.rs b/lua-api-crates/mux/src/lib.rs
index 7ee755f68..b02db3a90 100644
--- a/lua-api-crates/mux/src/lib.rs
+++ b/lua-api-crates/mux/src/lib.rs
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ impl SpawnWindow {
                 cols,
                 ..Default::default()
             },
-            _ => config::configuration().initial_size(0),
+            _ => config::configuration().initial_size(0, None),
         };
 
         let (cmd_builder, cwd) = self.cmd_builder.to_command_builder();
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ impl SpawnTab {
             size = window
                 .get_by_idx(0)
                 .map(|tab| tab.get_size())
-                .unwrap_or_else(|| config::configuration().initial_size(0));
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| config::configuration().initial_size(0, None));
 
             pane = window
                 .get_active()
diff --git a/wezterm-gui/src/frontend.rs b/wezterm-gui/src/frontend.rs
index bfbe1a7c9..66c61e72a 100644
--- a/wezterm-gui/src/frontend.rs
+++ b/wezterm-gui/src/frontend.rs
@@ -279,8 +279,9 @@ impl GuiFrontEnd {
 
                 fn spawn_command(spawn: &SpawnCommand, spawn_where: SpawnWhere) {
                     let config = config::configuration();
-                    let dpi = config.dpi.unwrap_or_else(|| ::window::default_dpi()) as u32;
-                    let size = config.initial_size(dpi);
+                    let dpi = config.dpi.unwrap_or_else(|| ::window::default_dpi());
+                    let size =
+                        config.initial_size(dpi as u32, crate::cell_pixel_dims(&config, dpi).ok());
                     let term_config = Arc::new(config::TermConfig::with_config(config));
 
                     crate::spawn::spawn_command_impl(spawn, spawn_where, size, None, term_config)
diff --git a/wezterm-gui/src/main.rs b/wezterm-gui/src/main.rs
index 0a28fafc6..a8a46afe7 100644
--- a/wezterm-gui/src/main.rs
+++ b/wezterm-gui/src/main.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 use crate::customglyph::BlockKey;
 use crate::glyphcache::GlyphCache;
+use crate::utilsprites::RenderMetrics;
 use ::window::*;
 use anyhow::{anyhow, Context};
 use clap::builder::ValueParser;
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ use unicode_normalization::UnicodeNormalization;
 use wezterm_bidi::Direction;
 use wezterm_client::domain::ClientDomain;
 use wezterm_font::shaper::PresentationWidth;
+use wezterm_font::FontConfiguration;
 use wezterm_gui_subcommands::*;
 use wezterm_mux_server_impl::update_mux_domains;
 use wezterm_toast_notification::*;
@@ -328,9 +330,14 @@ async fn spawn_tab_in_domain_if_mux_is_empty(
         true
     });
 
-    let dpi = config.dpi.unwrap_or_else(|| ::window::default_dpi()) as u32;
+    let dpi = config.dpi.unwrap_or_else(|| ::window::default_dpi());
     let _tab = domain
-        .spawn(config.initial_size(dpi), cmd, None, window_id)
+        .spawn(
+            config.initial_size(dpi as u32, Some(cell_pixel_dims(&config, dpi)?)),
+            cmd,
+            None,
+            window_id,
+        )
         .await?;
     trigger_and_log_gui_attached(MuxDomain(domain.domain_id())).await;
     Ok(())
@@ -389,6 +396,15 @@ async fn trigger_and_log_gui_attached(domain: MuxDomain) {
     }
 }
 
+fn cell_pixel_dims(config: &ConfigHandle, dpi: f64) -> anyhow::Result<(usize, usize)> {
+    let fontconfig = Rc::new(FontConfiguration::new(Some(config.clone()), dpi as usize)?);
+    let render_metrics = RenderMetrics::new(&fontconfig)?;
+    Ok((
+        render_metrics.cell_size.width as usize,
+        render_metrics.cell_size.height as usize,
+    ))
+}
+
 async fn async_run_terminal_gui(
     cmd: Option<CommandBuilder>,
     opts: StartCommand,
@@ -456,9 +472,14 @@ async fn async_run_terminal_gui(
 
             domain.attach(Some(window_id)).await?;
             let config = config::configuration();
-            let dpi = config.dpi.unwrap_or_else(|| ::window::default_dpi()) as u32;
+            let dpi = config.dpi.unwrap_or_else(|| ::window::default_dpi());
             let tab = domain
-                .spawn(config.initial_size(dpi), cmd.clone(), None, window_id)
+                .spawn(
+                    config.initial_size(dpi as u32, Some(cell_pixel_dims(&config, dpi)?)),
+                    cmd.clone(),
+                    None,
+                    window_id,
+                )
                 .await?;
             let mut window = mux
                 .get_window_mut(window_id)
@@ -585,7 +606,7 @@ impl Publish {
                                 window_id,
                                 command,
                                 command_dir: None,
-                                size: config.initial_size(0),
+                                size: config.initial_size(0, None),
                                 workspace: workspace.unwrap_or(
                                     config
                                         .default_workspace
diff --git a/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/mod.rs b/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/mod.rs
index 118d8fd2c..870422229 100644
--- a/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/mod.rs
+++ b/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/mod.rs
@@ -2949,7 +2949,15 @@ impl TermWindow {
                     if !have_panes_in_domain {
                         let config = config::configuration();
                         let _tab = domain
-                            .spawn(config.initial_size(dpi), None, None, window)
+                            .spawn(
+                                config.initial_size(
+                                    dpi,
+                                    Some(crate::cell_pixel_dims(&config, dpi as f64)?),
+                                ),
+                                None,
+                                None,
+                                window,
+                            )
                             .await?;
                     }
 
diff --git a/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs b/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs
index 4e1aa64d7..a10d52094 100644
--- a/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs
+++ b/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/resize.rs
@@ -533,7 +533,13 @@ impl super::TermWindow {
     }
 
     pub fn reset_font_and_window_size(&mut self, window: &Window) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
-        let size = self.config.initial_size(self.dimensions.dpi as u32);
+        let size = self.config.initial_size(
+            self.dimensions.dpi as u32,
+            Some(crate::cell_pixel_dims(
+                &self.config,
+                self.dimensions.dpi as f64,
+            )?),
+        );
         self.set_window_size(size, window)
     }
 
diff --git a/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/spawn.rs b/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/spawn.rs
index 3404190c3..1395afc30 100644
--- a/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/spawn.rs
+++ b/wezterm-gui/src/termwindow/spawn.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,10 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 impl super::TermWindow {
     pub fn spawn_command(&self, spawn: &SpawnCommand, spawn_where: SpawnWhere) {
         let size = if spawn_where == SpawnWhere::NewWindow {
-            self.config.initial_size(self.dimensions.dpi as u32)
+            self.config.initial_size(
+                self.dimensions.dpi as u32,
+                crate::cell_pixel_dims(&self.config, self.dimensions.dpi as f64).ok(),
+            )
         } else {
             self.terminal_size
         };
diff --git a/wezterm-mux-server/src/main.rs b/wezterm-mux-server/src/main.rs
index 56dcfe9f2..3f9eac063 100644
--- a/wezterm-mux-server/src/main.rs
+++ b/wezterm-mux-server/src/main.rs
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ async fn async_run(cmd: Option<CommandBuilder>) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
 
         let _tab = mux
             .default_domain()
-            .spawn(config.initial_size(0), cmd, None, *window_id)
+            .spawn(config.initial_size(0, None), cmd, None, *window_id)
             .await?;
     }
     Ok(())
diff --git a/wezterm/src/cli/spawn_command.rs b/wezterm/src/cli/spawn_command.rs
index dbfb5fe65..0e6e490ca 100644
--- a/wezterm/src/cli/spawn_command.rs
+++ b/wezterm/src/cli/spawn_command.rs
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ impl SpawnCommand {
             )
             .to_string();
 
-        let size = config.initial_size(0);
+        let size = config.initial_size(0, None);
 
         let spawned = client
             .spawn_v2(codec::SpawnV2 {
diff --git a/window/src/os/macos/connection.rs b/window/src/os/macos/connection.rs
index 501f61ba4..b5a85d2e1 100644
--- a/window/src/os/macos/connection.rs
+++ b/window/src/os/macos/connection.rs
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ impl ConnectionOps for Connection {
         }
     }
 
+    fn default_dpi(&self) -> f64 {
+        if let Ok(screens) = self.screens() {
+            screens.active.effective_dpi.unwrap_or(crate::DEFAULT_DPI)
+        } else {
+            crate::DEFAULT_DPI
+        }
+    }
+
     fn terminate_message_loop(&self) {
         unsafe {
             // bounce via an event callback to encourage stop to apply
diff --git a/window/src/os/macos/window.rs b/window/src/os/macos/window.rs
index dac38998b..07eae2f45 100644
--- a/window/src/os/macos/window.rs
+++ b/window/src/os/macos/window.rs
@@ -452,6 +452,13 @@ impl Window {
             x,
             y,
         } = conn.resolve_geometry(geometry);
+
+        let scale_factor = (conn.default_dpi() / crate::DEFAULT_DPI) as usize;
+        let width = width / scale_factor;
+        let height = height / scale_factor;
+        let x = x.map(|x| x / scale_factor as i32);
+        let y = y.map(|y| y / scale_factor as i32);
+
         let initial_pos = match (x, y) {
             (Some(x), Some(y)) => Some(ScreenPoint::new(x as isize, y as isize)),
             _ => None,