diff --git a/src/gtk/font.cpp b/src/gtk/font.cpp
index eef97f198b..cdaa71a813 100644
--- a/src/gtk/font.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk/font.cpp
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@ 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;
 
     switch (pango_font_description_get_style( desc ))
diff --git a/src/gtk1/font.cpp b/src/gtk1/font.cpp
index eef97f198b..cdaa71a813 100644
--- a/src/gtk1/font.cpp
+++ b/src/gtk1/font.cpp
@@ -241,6 +241,11 @@ 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;
 
     switch (pango_font_description_get_style( desc ))