diff --git a/desktop/src/app.rs b/desktop/src/app.rs
index 0d4db144d..c1436e641 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app.rs
+++ b/desktop/src/app.rs
@@ -49,12 +49,16 @@ impl App {
             .build(&event_loop)?;
         let window = Rc::new(window);
 
-        let mut gui = GuiController::new(window.clone(), &event_loop, &opt)?;
+        let mut font_database = fontdb::Database::default();
+        font_database.load_system_fonts();
+
+        let mut gui = GuiController::new(window.clone(), &event_loop, &opt, &font_database)?;
 
         let mut player = PlayerController::new(
             event_loop.create_proxy(),
             window.clone(),
             gui.descriptors().clone(),
+            font_database,
         );
 
         if let Some(movie_url) = movie_url {
diff --git a/desktop/src/backends/ui.rs b/desktop/src/backends/ui.rs
index c65025489..18f281c1a 100644
--- a/desktop/src/backends/ui.rs
+++ b/desktop/src/backends/ui.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use anyhow::{Context, Error};
 use arboard::Clipboard;
 use chrono::{DateTime, Utc};
+use fontdb::Family;
 use rfd::{
     AsyncFileDialog, FileHandle, MessageButtons, MessageDialog, MessageDialogResult, MessageLevel,
 };
@@ -120,12 +121,17 @@ pub struct DesktopUiBackend {
     language: LanguageIdentifier,
     preferred_cursor: MouseCursor,
     open_url_mode: OpenURLMode,
+    font_database: Rc<fontdb::Database>,
     /// Is a dialog currently open
     dialog_open: bool,
 }
 
 impl DesktopUiBackend {
-    pub fn new(window: Rc<Window>, open_url_mode: OpenURLMode) -> Result<Self, Error> {
+    pub fn new(
+        window: Rc<Window>,
+        open_url_mode: OpenURLMode,
+        font_database: Rc<fontdb::Database>,
+    ) -> Result<Self, Error> {
         let preferred_language = get_locale();
         let language = preferred_language
             .and_then(|l| l.parse().ok())
@@ -138,6 +144,7 @@ impl DesktopUiBackend {
             preferred_cursor: MouseCursor::Arrow,
             open_url_mode,
             dialog_open: false,
+            font_database,
         })
     }
 
@@ -249,11 +256,52 @@ impl UiBackend for DesktopUiBackend {
 
     fn load_device_font(
         &self,
-        _name: &str,
-        _is_bold: bool,
-        _is_italic: bool,
-        _register: &mut dyn FnMut(FontDefinition),
+        name: &str,
+        is_bold: bool,
+        is_italic: bool,
+        register: &mut dyn FnMut(FontDefinition),
     ) {
+        let query = fontdb::Query {
+            families: &[Family::Name(name)],
+            weight: if is_bold {
+                fontdb::Weight::BOLD
+            } else {
+                fontdb::Weight::NORMAL
+            },
+            style: if is_italic {
+                fontdb::Style::Italic
+            } else {
+                fontdb::Style::Normal
+            },
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+
+        // It'd be nice if we can get the full list of candidates... Feature request?
+        if let Some(id) = self.font_database.query(&query) {
+            if let Some(face) = self.font_database.face(id) {
+                tracing::info!("Loading device font \"{}\" for \"{name}\" (italic: {is_italic}, bold: {is_bold})", face.post_script_name);
+
+                match &face.source {
+                    fontdb::Source::File(path) => match std::fs::read(path) {
+                        Ok(bytes) => register(FontDefinition::FontFile {
+                            name: name.to_owned(),
+                            is_bold,
+                            is_italic,
+                            data: bytes,
+                        }),
+                        Err(e) => error!("Couldn't read font file at {path:?}: {e}"),
+                    },
+                    fontdb::Source::Binary(bin) | fontdb::Source::SharedFile(_, bin) => {
+                        register(FontDefinition::FontFile {
+                            name: name.to_owned(),
+                            is_bold,
+                            is_italic,
+                            data: bin.as_ref().as_ref().to_vec(),
+                        })
+                    }
+                };
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     // Unused on desktop
diff --git a/desktop/src/gui/controller.rs b/desktop/src/gui/controller.rs
index cb2a98c7d..d371d8931 100644
--- a/desktop/src/gui/controller.rs
+++ b/desktop/src/gui/controller.rs
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ impl GuiController {
         window: Rc<Window>,
         event_loop: &EventLoop<RuffleEvent>,
         opt: &Opt,
+        font_database: &Database,
     ) -> anyhow::Result<Self> {
         let backend: wgpu::Backends = opt.graphics.into();
         if wgpu::Backends::SECONDARY.contains(backend) {
@@ -104,7 +105,8 @@ impl GuiController {
         let egui_renderer = egui_wgpu::Renderer::new(&descriptors.device, surface_format, None, 1);
         let event_loop = event_loop.create_proxy();
         let gui = RuffleGui::new(event_loop, opt.movie_url.clone(), PlayerOptions::from(opt));
-        let system_fonts = load_system_fonts(gui.locale.to_owned()).unwrap_or_default();
+        let system_fonts =
+            load_system_fonts(font_database, gui.locale.to_owned()).unwrap_or_default();
         egui_ctx.set_fonts(system_fonts);
 
         egui_extras::install_image_loaders(&egui_ctx);
@@ -330,10 +332,10 @@ impl GuiController {
 }
 
 // try to load known unicode supporting fonts to draw cjk characters in egui
-fn load_system_fonts(locale: LanguageIdentifier) -> anyhow::Result<egui::FontDefinitions> {
-    let mut font_database = Database::default();
-    font_database.load_system_fonts();
-
+fn load_system_fonts(
+    font_database: &Database,
+    locale: LanguageIdentifier,
+) -> anyhow::Result<egui::FontDefinitions> {
     let mut families = Vec::new();
     if let Some(windows_font) = match locale.language.as_str() {
         "ja" => Some(Family::Name("MS UI Gothic")),
diff --git a/desktop/src/player.rs b/desktop/src/player.rs
index 53ebe3f49..7ad0c0ce5 100644
--- a/desktop/src/player.rs
+++ b/desktop/src/player.rs
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ impl ActivePlayer {
         window: Rc<Window>,
         descriptors: Arc<Descriptors>,
         movie_view: MovieView,
+        font_database: Rc<fontdb::Database>,
     ) -> Self {
         let mut builder = PlayerBuilder::new();
 
@@ -152,7 +153,7 @@ impl ActivePlayer {
                 window: window.clone(),
             }))
             .with_ui(
-                DesktopUiBackend::new(window.clone(), opt.open_url_mode)
+                DesktopUiBackend::new(window.clone(), opt.open_url_mode, font_database)
                     .expect("Couldn't create ui backend"),
             )
             .with_autoplay(true)
@@ -207,6 +208,7 @@ pub struct PlayerController {
     event_loop: EventLoopProxy<RuffleEvent>,
     window: Rc<Window>,
     descriptors: Arc<Descriptors>,
+    font_database: Rc<fontdb::Database>,
 }
 
 impl PlayerController {
@@ -214,12 +216,14 @@ impl PlayerController {
         event_loop: EventLoopProxy<RuffleEvent>,
         window: Rc<Window>,
         descriptors: Arc<Descriptors>,
+        font_database: fontdb::Database,
     ) -> Self {
         Self {
             player: None,
             event_loop,
             window,
             descriptors,
+            font_database: Rc::new(font_database),
         }
     }
 
@@ -231,6 +235,7 @@ impl PlayerController {
             self.window.clone(),
             self.descriptors.clone(),
             movie_view,
+            self.font_database.clone(),
         ));
     }