diff --git a/src/cata_imgui.cpp b/src/cata_imgui.cpp
index d5c45dac48187..d4e18ec1d2b25 100644
--- a/src/cata_imgui.cpp
+++ b/src/cata_imgui.cpp
@@ -280,6 +280,8 @@ void cataimgui::client::load_fonts( const Font_Ptr &cata_font,
         io.Fonts->Fonts[0]->SetFallbackStrSizeCallback( GetFallbackStrWidth );
         io.Fonts->Fonts[0]->SetFallbackCharSizeCallback( GetFallbackCharWidth );
         io.Fonts->Fonts[0]->SetRenderFallbackCharCallback( CanRenderFallbackChar );
+        io.Fonts->Build();
+        ImGui::SetCurrentFont( ImGui::GetDefaultFont() );
         ImGui_ImplSDLRenderer2_SetFallbackGlyphDrawCallback( [&]( const ImFontGlyphToDraw & glyph ) {
             std::string uni_string = std::string( glyph.uni_str );
             point p( int( glyph.pos.x ), int( glyph.pos.y - 3 ) );
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index c48f56482e84d..bbbf8c7ad7de2 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -851,6 +851,8 @@ int main( int argc, const char *argv[] )
 
 #if defined(LOCALIZE)
     if( get_option<std::string>( "USE_LANG" ).empty() && !SystemLocale::Language().has_value() ) {
+        imclient->new_frame(); // we have to prime the pump, because of reasons
+        imclient->end_frame();
         const std::string lang = select_language();
         get_options().get_option( "USE_LANG" ).setValue( lang );
         set_language_from_options();