diff --git a/src/config/font.rs b/src/config/font.rs
index 186fc1d81..122664c24 100644
--- a/src/config/font.rs
+++ b/src/config/font.rs
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ impl Default for FontAntiAliasing {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
 pub struct FontAttributes {
     /// The font family name
     pub family: String,
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ impl Default for FontAttributes {
 }
 
 /// Represents textual styling.
-#[derive(Debug, Deserialize, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
 pub struct TextStyle {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub font: Vec<FontAttributes>,
diff --git a/src/config/mod.rs b/src/config/mod.rs
index f23073457..5645d1a0e 100644
--- a/src/config/mod.rs
+++ b/src/config/mod.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ use crate::keyassignment::KeyAssignment;
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Error};
 use lazy_static::lazy_static;
 use portable_pty::{CommandBuilder, PtySize};
-use serde::Deserialize;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 use std;
 use std::collections::HashMap;
 use std::convert::TryInto;
diff --git a/src/scripting/mod.rs b/src/scripting/mod.rs
index a3cf7a161..fd9e3d7a2 100644
--- a/src/scripting/mod.rs
+++ b/src/scripting/mod.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 use anyhow::anyhow;
-use mlua::{Lua, Table};
+use mlua::{Lua, Table, Value};
 use std::path::Path;
 
 mod serde_lua;
@@ -122,17 +122,20 @@ fn hostname<'lua>(_: &'lua Lua, _: ()) -> mlua::Result<String> {
 fn font_family<'lua>(
     lua: &'lua Lua,
     (family, map_defaults): (String, Option<Table<'lua>>),
-) -> mlua::Result<Table<'lua>> {
-    let font_array = lua.create_table()?;
-    let font = lua.create_table()?;
-    font.set("family", family)?;
-    font_array.set(1, font)?;
+) -> mlua::Result<Value<'lua>> {
+    use crate::config::{FontAttributes, TextStyle};
 
-    let font_map = match map_defaults {
-        Some(tbl) => tbl,
-        None => lua.create_table()?,
+    let mut text_style: TextStyle = match map_defaults {
+        Some(def) => from_lua_value(Value::Table(def))?,
+        None => TextStyle::default(),
     };
 
-    font_map.set("font", font_array)?;
-    Ok(font_map)
+    text_style.font.clear();
+    text_style.font.push(FontAttributes {
+        family,
+        bold: false,
+        italic: false,
+    });
+
+    Ok(to_lua_value(lua, text_style)?)
 }
diff --git a/src/scripting/serde_lua/mod.rs b/src/scripting/serde_lua/mod.rs
index a5e913acc..8f51e177a 100644
--- a/src/scripting/serde_lua/mod.rs
+++ b/src/scripting/serde_lua/mod.rs
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ impl SerdeDeError for Error {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<Error> for mlua::Error {
+    fn from(e: Error) -> mlua::Error {
+        mlua::Error::external(e)
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug)]
 struct ValueWrapper<'lua>(Value<'lua>);
 
diff --git a/src/scripting/serde_lua/ser.rs b/src/scripting/serde_lua/ser.rs
index 570f6368e..cfbfc596c 100644
--- a/src/scripting/serde_lua/ser.rs
+++ b/src/scripting/serde_lua/ser.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ impl Error {
     }
 }
 
+impl From<Error> for mlua::Error {
+    fn from(e: Error) -> mlua::Error {
+        mlua::Error::external(e)
+    }
+}
+
 impl SerError for Error {
     fn custom<T: std::fmt::Display>(msg: T) -> Self {
         Error::Custom {