diff --git a/include/wx/font.h b/include/wx/font.h
index b6826df56d..ec64650c14 100644
--- a/include/wx/font.h
+++ b/include/wx/font.h
@@ -208,6 +208,9 @@ public:
     float GetFractionalPointSize() const { return m_pointSize; }
     int GetPointSize() const { return ToIntPointSize(m_pointSize); }
     wxSize GetPixelSize() const { return m_pixelSize; }
+
+    // If face name is not empty, it has priority, otherwise use family.
+    bool HasFaceName() const { return !m_faceName.empty(); }
     wxFontFamily GetFamily() const { return m_family; }
     const wxString& GetFaceName() const { return m_faceName; }
 
diff --git a/src/gtk/font.cpp b/src/gtk/font.cpp
index db8100333c..d023e6db79 100644
--- a/src/gtk/font.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/font.cpp
@@ -86,11 +86,10 @@ wxFontRefData::wxFontRefData(const wxFontInfo& info)
     m_nativeFontInfo.description = pango_font_description_new();
 
     // And set its values
-    const wxString& faceName = info.GetFaceName();
-    if (!faceName.empty())
+    if ( info.HasFaceName() )
     {
         pango_font_description_set_family( m_nativeFontInfo.description,
-                                           wxGTK_CONV_SYS(faceName) );
+                                           wxGTK_CONV_SYS(info.GetFaceName()) );
     }
     else
     {
diff --git a/src/msw/font.cpp b/src/msw/font.cpp
index 15f618ce23..6fa270c79e 100644
--- a/src/msw/font.cpp
+++ b/src/msw/font.cpp
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ wxFontRefData::wxFontRefData(const wxFontInfo& info)
 
     // set the family/facename
     SetFamily(info.GetFamily());
-    if ( !info.GetFaceName().empty() )
+    if ( info.HasFaceName() )
         SetFaceName(info.GetFaceName());
 
     // deal with encoding now (it may override the font family and facename
diff --git a/src/osx/carbon/font.cpp b/src/osx/carbon/font.cpp
index 177b3d62f1..c677301481 100644
--- a/src/osx/carbon/font.cpp
+++ b/src/osx/carbon/font.cpp
@@ -255,9 +255,8 @@ wxFontRefData::wxFontRefData(const wxFontInfo& info)
 {
     m_info.Init();
 
-    const wxString& faceName = info.GetFaceName();
-    if ( !faceName.empty() )
-        SetFaceName(faceName);
+    if ( info.HasFaceName() )
+        SetFaceName(info.GetFaceName());
     else
         SetFamily(info.GetFamily());