diff --git a/internal/c/parts/video/font/font.cpp b/internal/c/parts/video/font/font.cpp
index 8d4193871..18cdfe7ad 100644
--- a/internal/c/parts/video/font/font.cpp
+++ b/internal/c/parts/video/font/font.cpp
@@ -822,9 +822,23 @@ int32_t FontLoad(const uint8_t *content_original, int32_t content_bytes, int32_t
     fontManager.fonts[h]->options = options; // save the options for use later
 
     if ((options & FONT_LOAD_MONOSPACE) || FT_IS_FIXED_WIDTH(fontManager.fonts[h]->face)) {
-        const uint32_t testCP = 'W'; // since W is usually the widest
+        const FT_ULong testCP = 'W'; // since W is usually the widest
+
+        // Load using monochrome rendering
+        if (FT_Load_Char(fontManager.fonts[h]->face, testCP, FT_LOAD_RENDER | FT_LOAD_MONOCHROME | FT_LOAD_TARGET_MONO)) {
+            FONT_DEBUG_PRINT("FT_Load_Char() (monochrome) failed");
+            // Retry using gray-level rendering
+            if (FT_Load_Char(fontManager.fonts[h]->face, testCP, FT_LOAD_RENDER)) {
+                FONT_DEBUG_PRINT("FT_Load_Char() (gray) failed");
+            }
+        }
 
-        fontManager.fonts[h]->monospaceWidth = fontManager.fonts[h]->GetStringPixelWidth(&testCP, 1);
+        if (fontManager.fonts[h]->face->glyph) {
+            fontManager.fonts[h]->monospaceWidth =
+                std::max(fontManager.fonts[h]->face->glyph->advance.x / 64, (FT_Pos)fontManager.fonts[h]->face->glyph->bitmap.width); // save the max width
+
+            FONT_DEBUG_PRINT("Monospace font (width = %li) requested", fontManager.fonts[h]->monospaceWidth);
+        }
 
         FONT_DEBUG_PRINT("Monospace font (width = %li) requested", fontManager.fonts[h]->monospaceWidth);
     }