diff --git a/gfx/font_driver.c b/gfx/font_driver.c
index fc0a386284..781d7ba916 100644
--- a/gfx/font_driver.c
+++ b/gfx/font_driver.c
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 #include "font_driver.h"
 #include "../general.h"
 
+static enum font_driver_render_api selected_api;
+
 #ifdef HAVE_D3D
 static const font_renderer_t *d3d_font_backends[] = {
 #if defined(_XBOX1)
@@ -116,7 +118,10 @@ bool font_init_first(const void **font_driver, void **font_handle,
    if (font_path && !font_path[0])
       font_path = NULL;
 
-   switch (api)
+   if (selected_api != FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_DONT_CARE)
+      selected_api = api;
+
+   switch (selected_api)
    {
 #ifdef HAVE_D3D
       case FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_DIRECT3D_API:
diff --git a/menu/menu_display.c b/menu/menu_display.c
index 3af39b127a..6fcffb1137 100644
--- a/menu/menu_display.c
+++ b/menu/menu_display.c
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ bool menu_display_font_init_first(const void **font_driver,
       pkt.data.font_init.video_data  = video_data;
       pkt.data.font_init.font_path   = font_path;
       pkt.data.font_init.font_size   = font_size;
-      pkt.data.font_init.api         = FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_OPENGL_API;
+      pkt.data.font_init.api         = FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_DONT_CARE;
 
       thr->send_and_wait(thr, &pkt);
 
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ bool menu_display_font_init_first(const void **font_driver,
    }
 
    return font_init_first(font_driver, font_handle, video_data,
-         font_path, font_size, FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_OPENGL_API);
+         font_path, font_size, FONT_DRIVER_RENDER_DONT_CARE);
 }
 
 bool menu_display_font_bind_block(void *data, const void *font_data, void *userdata)