diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_fonts.rc.in b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_fonts.rc.in
index 5024c7759a..2ed1a57881 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_fonts.rc.in
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/ardour3_fonts.rc.in
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ style "small_text"
 
 style "small_mono_text"
 {
-	font_name = "monospace bold @FONT_SMALL@"
+	font_name = "ArdourMono @FONT_SMALL@"
 }
 
 style "small_italic_text"
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ style "medium_text"
 
 style "medium_monospace_text"
 {
-        font_name = "monospace @FONT_SIZE_NORMAL@"
+        font_name = "ArdourMono @FONT_SIZE_NORMAL@"
 }
 
 style "red_medium_text" = "medium_text"
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/main.cc b/gtk2_ardour/main.cc
index fd03db115b..8a0cf1e857 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/main.cc
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/main.cc
@@ -50,6 +50,8 @@
 #include <gtkmm2ext/popup.h>
 #include <gtkmm2ext/utils.h>
 
+#include <fontconfig/fontconfig.h>
+
 #include "version.h"
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "ardour_ui.h"
@@ -323,6 +325,17 @@ fixup_bundle_environment (int /*argc*/, char* argv[])
 
 #endif
 
+static void load_custom_fonts() {
+	std::string ardour_mono_file;
+	if (!find_file_in_search_path (ardour_data_search_path(), "ArdourMono.ttf", ardour_mono_file)) {
+		cerr << _("Cannot find ArdourMono TrueType font") << endl;
+	}
+
+	FcConfig *config = FcInitLoadConfigAndFonts();
+	FcBool ret = FcConfigAppFontAddFile(config, reinterpret_cast<const FcChar8*>(ardour_mono_file.c_str()));
+	ret = FcConfigSetCurrent(config);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 tell_about_jack_death (void* /* ignored */)
 {
@@ -387,6 +400,8 @@ int main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	fixup_bundle_environment (argc, argv);
 
+	load_custom_fonts(); /* needs to happend before any gtk and pango init calls */
+
 	if (!Glib::thread_supported()) {
 		Glib::thread_init();
 	}
diff --git a/gtk2_ardour/wscript b/gtk2_ardour/wscript
index 43bfc562b8..df91f4103a 100644
--- a/gtk2_ardour/wscript
+++ b/gtk2_ardour/wscript
@@ -273,6 +273,7 @@ def configure(conf):
                       uselib_store='GNOMECANVASMM', atleast_version='2.16')
     autowaf.check_pkg(conf, 'ogg', uselib_store='OGG', atleast_version='1.1.2')
     autowaf.check_pkg(conf, 'x11', uselib_store='X11', atleast_version='1.1', mandatory=False)
+    autowaf.check_pkg(conf, 'fontconfig', uselib_store='FONTCONFIG')
 
     conf.write_config_header('gtk2ardour-config.h', remove=False)
 
@@ -393,7 +394,7 @@ def build(bld):
 
     obj.install_path = os.path.join(bld.env['LIBDIR'], 'ardour3')
 
-    obj.uselib       = 'UUID FLAC GLIBMM GTHREAD GTK OGG ALSA CURL DL'
+    obj.uselib       = 'UUID FLAC FONTCONFIG GLIBMM GTHREAD GTK OGG ALSA CURL DL'
     obj.uselib       += ' GTKMM GNOMECANVASMM GNOMECANVAS '
     obj.uselib       += ' AUDIOUNITS OSX GTKOSX '
     obj.use          = [ 'libpbd',
@@ -528,7 +529,7 @@ def build(bld):
                 'MASSIVE' : '60',
         }
         font_names = {
-                'BOLD_MONOSPACE' : 'monospace bold'
+                'BOLD_MONOSPACE' : 'ArdourMono'
         }
 
     # Set up font substitution dictionary
@@ -659,6 +660,7 @@ def build(bld):
     bld.install_files('${DATADIR}/ardour3/icons', bld.path.ant_glob('icons/*.png'))
     bld.install_files('${DATADIR}/ardour3/pixmaps', bld.path.ant_glob('pixmaps/*.xpm'))
     bld.install_files('${DATADIR}/ardour3', 'splash.png')
+    bld.install_files('${DATADIR}/ardour3', 'ArdourMono.ttf')
 
     # Default UI configuration
     bld.install_files('${SYSCONFDIR}/ardour3', 'ardour3_ui_default.conf')
diff --git a/tools/linux_packaging/build b/tools/linux_packaging/build
index 194a056b60..49a0bdfd6d 100755
--- a/tools/linux_packaging/build
+++ b/tools/linux_packaging/build
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@ fi
 # share stuff
 
 cp -R ../../gtk2_ardour/splash.png $Shared
+cp -R ../../gtk2_ardour/ArdourMono.ttf $Shared
 
 # go through and recursively remove any .svn dirs in the bundle
 for svndir in `find $APPDIR -name .svn -type d`; do