diff --git a/src/mac/carbon/textctrl.cpp b/src/mac/carbon/textctrl.cpp
index 82bf84e6df..f0893d9cb5 100644
--- a/src/mac/carbon/textctrl.cpp
+++ b/src/mac/carbon/textctrl.cpp
@@ -803,11 +803,11 @@ bool wxTextCtrl::Create(wxWindow *parent, wxWindowID id,
         if ( scrollView )
         {
             HIViewAddSubview( scrollView , textView ) ;
-            m_macControl = scrollView ;
+            m_macControl = (WXWidget) scrollView ;
         }
         else
         {
-            m_macControl = textView ;
+            m_macControl = (WXWidget) textView ;
         }
 #else
         short featurSet;
diff --git a/src/mac/carbon/window.cpp b/src/mac/carbon/window.cpp
index 563960faea..a611b10314 100644
--- a/src/mac/carbon/window.cpp
+++ b/src/mac/carbon/window.cpp
@@ -461,6 +461,8 @@ void wxWindowMac::Init()
         wxMacSetupControlBackgroundUPP = NewControlColorUPP( wxMacSetupControlBackground ) ;
     }
 
+    // we need a valid font for the encodings
+    wxWindowBase::SetFont(wxSystemSettings::GetFont(wxSYS_DEFAULT_GUI_FONT));
 }
 
 // Destructor