diff --git a/src/gtk/font.cpp b/src/gtk/font.cpp
index 23a8b2b1f0..e2eefe6335 100644
--- a/src/gtk/font.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/font.cpp
@@ -232,8 +232,15 @@ void wxFontRefData::InitFromNative()
 
     // init fields
     m_faceName = wxGTK_CONV_BACK( pango_font_description_get_family( desc ) );
+    
+    // Pango sometimes needs to have a size
+    int pango_size = pango_font_description_get_size( desc );
+    if (pango_size == 0)
+        pango_font_description_set_size( desc, 12 * PANGO_SCALE);
 
     m_pointSize = pango_font_description_get_size( desc ) / PANGO_SCALE;
+    
+    // wxPrintf( wxT("face %s m_pointSize %d\n"), m_faceName.c_str(), m_pointSize );
 
     switch (pango_font_description_get_style( desc ))
     {
diff --git a/src/gtk1/font.cpp b/src/gtk1/font.cpp
index 23a8b2b1f0..e2eefe6335 100644
--- a/src/gtk1/font.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk1/font.cpp
@@ -232,8 +232,15 @@ void wxFontRefData::InitFromNative()
 
     // init fields
     m_faceName = wxGTK_CONV_BACK( pango_font_description_get_family( desc ) );
+    
+    // Pango sometimes needs to have a size
+    int pango_size = pango_font_description_get_size( desc );
+    if (pango_size == 0)
+        pango_font_description_set_size( desc, 12 * PANGO_SCALE);
 
     m_pointSize = pango_font_description_get_size( desc ) / PANGO_SCALE;
+    
+    // wxPrintf( wxT("face %s m_pointSize %d\n"), m_faceName.c_str(), m_pointSize );
 
     switch (pango_font_description_get_style( desc ))
     {
diff --git a/src/unix/fontutil.cpp b/src/unix/fontutil.cpp
index 3474da8048..5cb29cba4f 100644
--- a/src/unix/fontutil.cpp
+++ b/src/unix/fontutil.cpp
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ bool wxNativeFontInfo::FromString( const wxString& str )
 
     description = pango_font_description_from_string( wxGTK_CONV( str ) );
     
-    // wxPrintf( L"FromString result: %s\n", ToString().c_str() );
+    // wxPrintf( L"FromString before: %s result: %s\n", str.c_str(), ToString().c_str() );
 
     return TRUE;
 }