diff --git a/src/gamedata/fonts/font.cpp b/src/gamedata/fonts/font.cpp
index b3de95197f9..e7ec668fa20 100644
--- a/src/gamedata/fonts/font.cpp
+++ b/src/gamedata/fonts/font.cpp
@@ -318,10 +318,13 @@ FFont::FFont (const char *name, const char *nametemplate, const char *filetempla
 					}
 				}
 
-				pic->SetUseType(ETextureType::FontChar);
+				Chars[i].OriginalPic = new FImageTexture(pic->GetImage(), "");
+				Chars[i].OriginalPic->SetUseType(ETextureType::FontChar);
+				Chars[i].OriginalPic->CopySize(pic);
+				TexMan.AddTexture(Chars[i].OriginalPic);
+
 				if (!noTranslate)
 				{
-					Chars[i].OriginalPic = pic;
 					Chars[i].TranslatedPic = new FImageTexture(new FFontChar1(pic->GetImage()), "");
 					Chars[i].TranslatedPic->CopySize(pic);
 					Chars[i].TranslatedPic->SetUseType(ETextureType::FontChar);
@@ -329,7 +332,7 @@ FFont::FFont (const char *name, const char *nametemplate, const char *filetempla
 				}
 				else
 				{
-					Chars[i].TranslatedPic = pic;
+					Chars[i].TranslatedPic = Chars[i].OriginalPic;
 				}
 
 				Chars[i].XMove = Chars[i].TranslatedPic->GetDisplayWidth();
@@ -444,10 +447,13 @@ void FFont::ReadSheetFont(TArray<FolderEntry> &folderdata, int width, int height
 
 			auto b = pic->Get8BitPixels(false);
 
-			Chars[i].OriginalPic = pic;
+			Chars[i].OriginalPic = new FImageTexture(pic->GetImage(), "");
+			Chars[i].OriginalPic->SetUseType(ETextureType::FontChar);
+			Chars[i].OriginalPic->CopySize(pic);
 			Chars[i].TranslatedPic = new FImageTexture(new FFontChar1(pic->GetImage()), "");
 			Chars[i].TranslatedPic->CopySize(pic);
 			Chars[i].TranslatedPic->SetUseType(ETextureType::FontChar);
+			TexMan.AddTexture(Chars[i].OriginalPic);
 			TexMan.AddTexture(Chars[i].TranslatedPic);
 		}
 		Chars[i].XMove = width;
diff --git a/src/gamedata/fonts/specialfont.cpp b/src/gamedata/fonts/specialfont.cpp
index c87c49241d4..da07568996d 100644
--- a/src/gamedata/fonts/specialfont.cpp
+++ b/src/gamedata/fonts/specialfont.cpp
@@ -102,12 +102,12 @@ FSpecialFont::FSpecialFont (const char *name, int first, int count, FTexture **l
 
 		if (charlumps[i] != nullptr)
 		{
-			// If texture is used as a sprite, do not set use type
-			// Changing it would break actors that use this sprite
-			if (charlumps[i]->GetUseType() != ETextureType::Sprite)
-				charlumps[i]->SetUseType(ETextureType::FontChar);
+			auto pic = charlumps[i];
+			Chars[i].OriginalPic = new FImageTexture(pic->GetImage(), "");
+			Chars[i].OriginalPic->SetUseType(ETextureType::FontChar);
+			Chars[i].OriginalPic->CopySize(pic);
+			TexMan.AddTexture(Chars[i].OriginalPic);
 
-			Chars[i].OriginalPic = charlumps[i];
 			if (!noTranslate)
 			{
 				Chars[i].TranslatedPic = new FImageTexture(new FFontChar1 (charlumps[i]->GetImage()), "");