diff --git a/libs/canvas/canvas/ruler.h b/libs/canvas/canvas/ruler.h
index 287df437fb..c5980b6f04 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/canvas/ruler.h
+++ b/libs/canvas/canvas/ruler.h
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ public:
 
 	void set_range (double lower, double upper);
 	void set_font_description (Pango::FontDescription);
+	void set_second_font_description (Pango::FontDescription);
 	void set_metric (const Metric&);
 
 	void render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context>) const;
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ private:
 	Gtkmm2ext::Color _divider_color_bottom;
 
 	Pango::FontDescription* _font_description;
+	Pango::FontDescription* _second_font_description;
 	mutable std::vector<Mark> marks;
 	mutable bool _need_marks;
 };
diff --git a/libs/canvas/ruler.cc b/libs/canvas/ruler.cc
index 3b807b164e..e57ac5629f 100644
--- a/libs/canvas/ruler.cc
+++ b/libs/canvas/ruler.cc
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ Ruler::Ruler (Canvas* c, const Metric& m)
 	, _upper (0)
 	, _divide_height (-1.0)
 	, _font_description (0)
+	, _second_font_description (0)
 	, _need_marks (true)
 {
 }
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ Ruler::Ruler (Canvas* c, const Metric& m, Rect const& r)
 	, _upper (0)
 	, _divide_height (-1.0)
 	, _font_description (0)
+	, _second_font_description (0)
 	, _need_marks (true)
 {
 }
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ Ruler::Ruler (Item* parent, const Metric& m)
 	, _upper (0)
 	, _divide_height (-1.0)
 	, _font_description (0)
+	, _second_font_description (0)
 	, _need_marks (true)
 {
 }
@@ -71,6 +74,7 @@ Ruler::Ruler (Item* parent, const Metric& m, Rect const& r)
 	, _upper (0)
 	, _divide_height (-1.0)
 	, _font_description (0)
+	, _second_font_description (0)
 	, _need_marks (true)
 {
 }
@@ -94,6 +98,16 @@ Ruler::set_font_description (Pango::FontDescription fd)
 	end_visual_change ();
 }
 
+void
+Ruler::set_second_font_description (Pango::FontDescription fd)
+{
+	begin_visual_change ();
+	delete _second_font_description;
+	_second_font_description = new Pango::FontDescription (fd);
+	end_visual_change ();
+}
+
+
 void
 Ruler::render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cr) const
 {
@@ -144,12 +158,12 @@ Ruler::render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cr) const
 	/* draw ticks + text */
 
 	Glib::RefPtr<Pango::Layout> layout = Pango::Layout::create (cr);
-	if (_font_description) {
-		layout->set_font_description (*_font_description);
-	}
+
+	Pango::FontDescription* last_font_description = 0;
 
 	for (vector<Mark>::const_iterator m = marks.begin(); m != marks.end(); ++m) {
 		Duple pos;
+		Pango::FontDescription* fd = _font_description;
 
 		pos.x = floor ((m->position - _lower) / _metric->units_per_pixel);
 		pos.y = self.y1; /* bottom edge */
@@ -168,6 +182,9 @@ Ruler::render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cr) const
 				} else {
 					cr->rel_line_to (0, -height);
 				}
+				if (_second_font_description) {
+					fd = _second_font_description;
+				}
 				break;
 			case Mark::Minor:
 				cr->rel_line_to (0, -height/3.0);
@@ -178,6 +195,11 @@ Ruler::render (Rect const & area, Cairo::RefPtr<Cairo::Context> cr) const
 		}
 		cr->stroke ();
 
+		if (fd != last_font_description) {
+			layout->set_font_description (*fd);
+			last_font_description = fd;
+		}
+
 		/* and the text */
 
 		if (!m->label.empty()) {