diff --git a/src/SConstruct b/src/SConstruct
index 1663720..5cd207b 100644
--- a/src/SConstruct
+++ b/src/SConstruct
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ opts.Save(name + '.conf', env)
 
 # config
 
-libs = ['gtk+-3.0', 'glib-2.0', 'cairo', 'SDL2_mixer']
+libs = ['gtk+-3.0', 'glib-2.0', 'cairo', 'cairo-ft', 'freetype2', 'SDL2_mixer']
 
 
 # compute build options
diff --git a/src/drawing.c b/src/drawing.c
index bd4c12e..f2e244a 100644
--- a/src/drawing.c
+++ b/src/drawing.c
@@ -1,9 +1,29 @@
 
+#include <ft2build.h>
+#include FT_FREETYPE_H
+
 #include <cairo.h>
+#include <cairo-ft.h>
 
 #include "private.h"
 #include "drawing.h"
 
+
+typedef struct _HeliFontInstance {
+	char *path;
+	cairo_font_face_t *font_face;
+	int refcount;
+} HeliFontInstance;
+
+struct _Font {
+	HeliFontInstance *instance;
+};
+
+
+static int ftInitialized;
+static FT_Library ftLibrary;
+static HeliArray fontCache;
+
 static double colorBack[4] = {1, 1, 1, 1};
 static double colorFill[4] = {0.5, 0.5, 0.5, 1};
 static double colorStroke[4] = {0, 0, 0, 1};
@@ -14,7 +34,8 @@ static size_t pathAllocated;
 
 static HAlign horAlign = HALIGN_LEFT;
 static VAlign vertAlign = VALIGN_TOP;
-static char *font;
+static char *fontFamily;
+static Font font;
 static double fontSize = 24;
 
 
@@ -142,21 +163,84 @@ void moveTo(double x, double y)
 	{ resetPath(); lineTo(x, y); }
 
 
+static HeliFontInstance* loadFont(const char *path) {
+	static cairo_user_data_key_t key = {};
+	
+	HeliFontInstance *fi = calloc(1, sizeof(*fi));
+	fi->path = heliStringCopy(path);
+	
+	if (!ftInitialized) {
+		if (FT_Init_FreeType(&ftLibrary))
+			printf("Cannot initialize FreeType library");
+		ftInitialized = TRUE;
+	}
+	if (ftLibrary) {
+		FT_Face face;
+		if (FT_New_Face(ftLibrary, path, 0, &face)) {
+			printf("Cannot load font from file: %s", path);
+		} else {
+			fi->font_face = cairo_ft_font_face_create_for_ft_face(face, 0);
+			cairo_font_face_set_user_data(fi->font_face, &key, face, (cairo_destroy_func_t)FT_Done_Face);
+		}
+	}
+	
+	return fi;
+}
+
+static void unloadFont(HeliFontInstance *fi) {
+	assert(!fi->refcount);
+	free(fi->path);
+	if (fi->font_face) cairo_font_face_destroy(fi->font_face);
+	free(fi);
+}
+
+Font createFont(const char *path) {
+	Font f = calloc(1, sizeof(*f));
+	f->instance = (HeliFontInstance*)heliStringmapGet(&fontCache, path);
+	if (!f->instance) {
+		f->instance = loadFont(path);
+		heliStringmapAdd(&fontCache, path, f->instance, (HeliFreeCallback)&unloadFont);
+	}
+	++f->instance->refcount;
+	heliObjectRegister(f, (HeliFreeCallback)&fontDestroy);
+	return f;
+}
+
+void fontDestroy(Font f) {
+	heliObjectUnregister(f);
+	if (font == f) font = NULL;
+	--f->instance->refcount;
+	if (f->instance->refcount <= 0)
+		heliStringmapRemove(&fontCache, f->instance->path);
+	free(f);
+}
+
 void textAlign(HAlign hor, VAlign vert)
 	{ horAlign = hor; vertAlign = vert; }
-void textFont(const char *f)
-	{ free(font); font = heliStringCopy(f); }
+void textFontFamily(const char *family)
+	{ font = NULL; free(fontFamily); fontFamily = heliStringCopy(family); }
+void textFontDefault()
+	{ font = NULL; free(fontFamily); fontFamily = NULL; }
+void textFont(Font f)
+	{ font = f; }
 void textSize(double size)
 	{ fontSize = size; }
 
 void text(const char *text, double x, double y) {
 	resetPath();
-
+	
 	cairo_t *cr = heliCairo;
 	if (!cr) return;
 	cairo_save(cr);
-
-	if (font) cairo_select_font_face(cr, font, CAIRO_FONT_SLANT_NORMAL, CAIRO_FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL);
+	
+	if (font && font->instance->font_face) {
+		cairo_set_font_face(cr, font->instance->font_face);
+	} else
+	if (fontFamily) {
+		cairo_select_font_face(cr, fontFamily, CAIRO_FONT_SLANT_NORMAL, CAIRO_FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL);
+	} else {
+		cairo_set_font_face(cr, NULL);
+	}
 	cairo_set_font_size(cr, fontSize);
 	
 	cairo_text_extents_t extents;
@@ -172,6 +256,9 @@ void text(const char *text, double x, double y) {
 	cairo_move_to(cr, x - extents.x_bearing, y - extents.y_bearing);
 	cairo_show_text(cr, text);
 	
+	if (font && font->instance->font_face)
+		cairo_set_font_face(cr, NULL);
+	
 	cairo_restore(cr);
 }
 
@@ -192,6 +279,10 @@ void heliDrawingFinish() {
 	free(path);
 	path = NULL;
 	pathAllocated = 0;
-	free(font);
-	font = NULL;
+	free(fontFamily);
+	fontFamily = NULL;
+	heliArrayDestroy(&fontCache);
+	if (ftInitialized && ftLibrary) FT_Done_FreeType(ftLibrary);
+	ftLibrary = NULL;
+	ftInitialized = FALSE;
 }
diff --git a/src/drawing.h b/src/drawing.h
index 3fa6f4a..8eb30dc 100644
--- a/src/drawing.h
+++ b/src/drawing.h
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 
 #include "common.h"
 
+
+typedef struct _Font *Font;
+
+
 typedef enum _HAlign {
 	HALIGN_LEFT,
 	HALIGN_CENTER,
@@ -27,10 +31,6 @@ char* rgb(double r, double g, double b);
 char* rgba(double r, double g, double b, double a);
 void rect(double x, double y, double width, double height);
 void ellipse(double x, double y, double width, double height);
-void text(const char *text, double x, double y);
-void textAlign(HAlign hor, VAlign vert);
-void textFont(const char *font);
-void textSize(double size);
 void arc(double x, double y, double w, double h, double start, double stop);
 void arcPath(double x, double y, double w, double h, double start, double stop);
 void line(double x1, double y1, double x2, double y2);
@@ -43,6 +43,16 @@ void resetPath();
 void closePath();
 void strokePath();
 
+void text(const char *text, double x, double y);
+void textAlign(HAlign hor, VAlign vert);
+void textFontFamily(const char *family);
+void textFontDefault();
+void textSize(double size);
+
+Font createFont(const char *path);
+void fontDestroy(Font font);
+void textFont(Font font);
+
 
 #endif