diff --git a/src/font/mod.rs b/src/font/mod.rs
index 5899aacf0..85c222561 100644
--- a/src/font/mod.rs
+++ b/src/font/mod.rs
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ impl Default for FontSystemSelection {
     }
 }
 
+thread_local! {
+    static DEFAULT_FONT_SYSTEM: RefCell<FontSystemSelection> = RefCell::new(Default::default());
+}
+
 impl FontSystemSelection {
     fn new_font_system(self) -> Rc<FontSystem> {
         match self {
@@ -100,6 +104,16 @@ impl FontSystemSelection {
             "CoreText",
         ]
     }
+
+    pub fn set_default(self) {
+        DEFAULT_FONT_SYSTEM.with(|def| {
+            *def.borrow_mut() = self;
+        });
+    }
+
+    pub fn get_default() -> Self {
+        DEFAULT_FONT_SYSTEM.with(|def| *def.borrow())
+    }
 }
 
 impl std::str::FromStr for FontSystemSelection {
diff --git a/src/gliumwindows.rs b/src/gliumwindows.rs
index 4efad080a..870d7e840 100644
--- a/src/gliumwindows.rs
+++ b/src/gliumwindows.rs
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ impl HostHelper for Host {
         &self,
         func: F,
     ) {
-        GuiEventLoop::with_window(&self.event_loop, self.display.gl_window().id(), func);
+        self.event_loop
+            .with_window(self.display.gl_window().id(), func);
     }
 
     fn toggle_full_screen(&mut self) {
@@ -623,11 +624,7 @@ impl GliumTerminalWindow {
             match event.state {
                 ElementState::Pressed => {
                     if mods == KeyModifiers::SUPER && key == KeyCode::Char('n') {
-                        GuiEventLoop::schedule_spawn_new_window(
-                            &self.event_loop,
-                            &self.host.config,
-                            &self.host.fonts,
-                        );
+                        self.event_loop.schedule_spawn_new_window(&self.host.config);
                         return Ok(());
                     }
 
diff --git a/src/guiloop/glutinloop.rs b/src/guiloop/glutinloop.rs
index 782064e51..7f31e49c1 100644
--- a/src/guiloop/glutinloop.rs
+++ b/src/guiloop/glutinloop.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use super::GuiSystem;
 use crate::config::Config;
-use crate::font::FontConfiguration;
+use crate::font::{FontConfiguration, FontSystemSelection};
 use crate::futurecore;
 use crate::gliumwindows;
 pub use crate::gliumwindows::GliumTerminalWindow;
@@ -239,15 +239,14 @@ impl GuiEventLoop {
         events.add_window(window)
     }
 
-    pub fn schedule_spawn_new_window(
-        events: &Rc<Self>,
-        config: &Arc<Config>,
-        fonts: &Rc<FontConfiguration>,
-    ) {
-        let myself = Rc::clone(events);
+    pub fn schedule_spawn_new_window(&self, config: &Arc<Config>) {
         let config = Arc::clone(config);
-        let fonts = Rc::clone(fonts);
-        events.core.spawn(futures::future::poll_fn(move || {
+        self.core.spawn(futures::future::poll_fn(move || {
+            let myself = Self::get().expect("to be called on gui thread");
+            let fonts = Rc::new(FontConfiguration::new(
+                Arc::clone(&config),
+                FontSystemSelection::get_default(),
+            ));
             Self::do_spawn_new_window(&myself, &config, &fonts)
                 .map(futures::Async::Ready)
                 .map_err(|_| ())
@@ -255,13 +254,13 @@ impl GuiEventLoop {
     }
 
     pub fn with_window<F: Send + 'static + Fn(&mut TerminalWindow) -> Result<(), Error>>(
-        events: &Rc<Self>,
+        &self,
         window_id: WindowId,
         func: F,
     ) {
         Future::with_executor(
             GlutinGuiExecutor {
-                tx: events.gui_tx.clone(),
+                tx: self.gui_tx.clone(),
             },
             move || {
                 let myself = Self::get().expect("to be called on gui thread");
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 89d899288..dbb09797e 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ fn main() -> Result<(), Error> {
     println!("Using configuration: {:#?}\nopts: {:#?}", config, opts);
 
     let font_system = opts.font_system.unwrap_or(config.font_system);
+    font_system.set_default();
+
     let fontconfig = Rc::new(FontConfiguration::new(Arc::clone(&config), font_system));
 
     let cmd = if !opts.prog.is_empty() {