diff --git a/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.cpp b/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.cpp
index 5a61fd01208f..5593c2b72578 100644
--- a/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.cpp
@@ -556,8 +556,9 @@ void tpreferences::initialize_members(twindow& window)
 		set_idle_anim, set_idle_anim_rate, window);
 
 	/** FONT SCALING **/
+	// The setter is handled in post_show to avoid dynamically changing text
 	tslider& scale_slider = find_widget<tslider>(&window, "scaling_slider", false);
-	setup_single_slider("scaling_slider", font_scaling(), set_font_scaling, window);
+	scale_slider.set_value(font_scaling());
 	bind_status_label(scale_slider, "scaling_value", window, "%");
 
 	/** SELECT THEME **/
@@ -1040,4 +1041,10 @@ void tpreferences::on_tab_select(twindow& window, const std::string& widget_id)
 	set_visible_page(window, static_cast<unsigned int>(selected_row), (widget_id + "_pager"));
 }
 
+void tpreferences::post_show(twindow& window)
+{
+	// Handle the font scaling setter only once prefs is closed
+	set_font_scaling(find_widget<tslider>(&window, "scaling_slider", false).get_value());
+}
+
 } // end namespace gui2
diff --git a/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.hpp b/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.hpp
index 66637ff75b67..28a05cbb7450 100644
--- a/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.hpp
+++ b/src/gui/dialogs/preferences_dialog.hpp
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class tpreferences : public tdialog
 
 	/** Inherited from tdialog. */
 	void pre_show(CVideo& video, twindow& window);
+	void post_show(twindow& window);
 
 	/** Initializers */
 	void initialize_members(twindow& window);