diff --git a/common/pango.c b/common/pango.c
index abc18281f3..e8e2678d01 100644
--- a/common/pango.c
+++ b/common/pango.c
@@ -109,10 +109,9 @@ void get_text_size(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font, int *width, int *height,
 	free(buf);
 }
 
-void get_text_metrics(const char *font, int *height, int *baseline) {
+void get_text_metrics(const PangoFontDescription *description, int *height, int *baseline) {
 	cairo_t *cairo = cairo_create(NULL);
 	PangoContext *pango = pango_cairo_create_context(cairo);
-	PangoFontDescription *description = pango_font_description_from_string(font);
 	// When passing NULL as a language, pango uses the current locale.
 	PangoFontMetrics *metrics = pango_context_get_metrics(pango, description, NULL);
 
@@ -120,7 +119,6 @@ void get_text_metrics(const char *font, int *height, int *baseline) {
 	*height = *baseline + pango_font_metrics_get_descent(metrics) / PANGO_SCALE;
 
 	pango_font_metrics_unref(metrics);
-	pango_font_description_free(description);
 	g_object_unref(pango);
 	cairo_destroy(cairo);
 }
diff --git a/include/pango.h b/include/pango.h
index 93affc236f..2f14d2bba5 100644
--- a/include/pango.h
+++ b/include/pango.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ PangoLayout *get_pango_layout(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font,
 		const char *text, double scale, bool markup);
 void get_text_size(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font, int *width, int *height,
 		int *baseline, double scale, bool markup, const char *fmt, ...);
-void get_text_metrics(const char *font, int *height, int *baseline);
+void get_text_metrics(const PangoFontDescription *font, int *height, int *baseline);
 void render_text(cairo_t *cairo, const char *font,
 		double scale, bool markup, const char *fmt, ...);
 
diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index b2c79436c9..a14a35c3a1 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "sway/input/tablet.h"
 #include "sway/tree/root.h"
 #include "wlr-layer-shell-unstable-v1-protocol.h"
+#include <pango/pangocairo.h>
 
 // TODO: Refactor this shit
 
@@ -510,7 +511,8 @@ struct sway_config {
 	char *floating_scroll_right_cmd;
 	enum sway_container_layout default_orientation;
 	enum sway_container_layout default_layout;
-	char *font;
+	char *font; // Use mostly for IPC.
+	PangoFontDescription *font_description; // Used internally for rendering and validating.
 	int font_height;
 	int font_baseline;
 	bool pango_markup;
diff --git a/sway/commands/font.c b/sway/commands/font.c
index 3eda0a9c68..74bb6b9f46 100644
--- a/sway/commands/font.c
+++ b/sway/commands/font.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include "sway/config.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "stringop.h"
+#include <pango/pangocairo.h>
 
 struct cmd_results *cmd_font(int argc, char **argv) {
 	struct cmd_results *error = NULL;
@@ -22,6 +23,28 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_font(int argc, char **argv) {
 		config->font = font;
 	}
 
+	// Parse the font early so we can reject it if it's not valid for pango.
+	// Also avoids re-parsing each time we render text.
+	PangoFontDescription *font_description = pango_font_description_from_string(config->font);
+
+	const char *family = pango_font_description_get_family(font_description);
+	if (family == NULL) {
+		pango_font_description_free(font_description);
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "Invalid font family.");
+	}
+
+	const gint size = pango_font_description_get_size(font_description);
+	if (size == 0) {
+		pango_font_description_free(font_description);
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_FAILURE, "Invalid font size.");
+	}
+
+	if (config->font_description != NULL) {
+		pango_font_description_free(config->font_description);
+	}
+
+	config->font_description = font_description;
 	config_update_font_height();
+
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 040d33b100..c09e4e3cea 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ static void config_defaults(struct sway_config *config) {
 	config->default_layout = L_NONE;
 	config->default_orientation = L_NONE;
 	if (!(config->font = strdup("monospace 10"))) goto cleanup;
+	config->font_description = pango_font_description_from_string(config->font);
 	config->urgent_timeout = 500;
 	config->focus_on_window_activation = FOWA_URGENT;
 	config->popup_during_fullscreen = POPUP_SMART;
@@ -1007,7 +1008,7 @@ int workspace_output_cmp_workspace(const void *a, const void *b) {
 void config_update_font_height(void) {
 	int prev_max_height = config->font_height;
 
-	get_text_metrics(config->font, &config->font_height, &config->font_baseline);
+	get_text_metrics(config->font_description, &config->font_height, &config->font_baseline);
 
 	if (config->font_height != prev_max_height) {
 		arrange_root();