diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index f7e84cf0d..fbe40665e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ if(NOT LIBMGBA_ONLY)
 	set(USE_ELF ON CACHE BOOL "Whether or not to enable ELF support")
 	set(USE_LUA ON CACHE BOOL "Whether or not to enable Lua scripting support")
 	set(USE_JSON_C ON CACHE BOOL "Whether or not to enable JSON-C support")
+	set(USE_FREETYPE ON CACHE BOOL "Whether or not to enable font rendering for scripts")
 	set(M_CORE_GBA ON CACHE BOOL "Build Game Boy Advance core")
 	set(M_CORE_GB ON CACHE BOOL "Build Game Boy core")
 	set(USE_LZMA ON CACHE BOOL "Whether or not to enable 7-Zip support")
@@ -486,6 +487,7 @@ endif()
 if(DISABLE_DEPS)
 	set(ENABLE_GDB_STUB OFF)
 	set(USE_DISCORD_RPC OFF)
+	set(USE_FREETYPE OFF)
 	set(USE_JSON_C OFF)
 	set(USE_SQLITE3 OFF)
 	set(USE_PNG OFF)
@@ -514,6 +516,7 @@ find_feature(USE_EPOXY "epoxy")
 find_feature(USE_CMOCKA "cmocka")
 find_feature(USE_SQLITE3 "SQLite3|sqlite3")
 find_feature(USE_ELF "libelf")
+find_feature(USE_FREETYPE "Freetype")
 find_feature(ENABLE_PYTHON "PythonLibs")
 
 # Features
@@ -763,6 +766,12 @@ if(USE_ELF)
 	set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "${CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS},libelf1")
 endif()
 
+if (USE_FREETYPE)
+	list(APPEND FEATURES FREETYPE)
+	list(APPEND DEPENDENCY_LIB Freetype::Freetype)
+	set(CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS "${CPACK_DEBIAN_PACKAGE_DEPENDS},libfreetype6")
+endif()
+
 if (USE_DISCORD_RPC)
 	set(CMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET "10.7")
 	add_subdirectory(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src/third-party/discord-rpc discord-rpc EXCLUDE_FROM_ALL)
@@ -1343,6 +1352,7 @@ if(NOT QUIET AND NOT LIBMGBA_ONLY)
 			message(STATUS "	Lua: ${USE_LUA}")
 		endif()
 		message(STATUS "	storage API: ${USE_JSON_C}")
+		message(STATUS "	Font rendering: ${USE_FREETYPE}")
 	endif()
 	message(STATUS "Frontends:")
 	message(STATUS "	Qt: ${BUILD_QT}")
diff --git a/include/mgba-util/image.h b/include/mgba-util/image.h
index dd135a0b4..b302ef239 100644
--- a/include/mgba-util/image.h
+++ b/include/mgba-util/image.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* Copyright (c) 2013-2015 Jeffrey Pfau
+/* Copyright (c) 2013-2025 Jeffrey Pfau
  *
  * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
  * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
@@ -101,8 +101,10 @@ struct mImage {
 	enum mColorFormat format;
 };
 
+struct mFont;
 struct mPainter {
 	struct mImage* backing;
+	struct mFont* font;
 	bool blend;
 	bool fill;
 	unsigned strokeWidth;
@@ -110,6 +112,20 @@ struct mPainter {
 	uint32_t fillColor;
 };
 
+enum mAlignment {
+	mALIGN_LEFT = 0x01,
+	mALIGN_HCENTER = 0x02,
+	mALIGN_RIGHT = 0x03,
+
+	mALIGN_TOP = 0x10,
+	mALIGN_VCENTER = 0x20,
+	mALIGN_BOTTOM = 0x30,
+	mALIGN_BASELINE = 0x40,
+
+	mALIGN_HORIZONTAL = 0x03,
+	mALIGN_VERTICAL = 0x70,
+};
+
 struct VFile;
 struct mImage* mImageCreate(unsigned width, unsigned height, enum mColorFormat format);
 struct mImage* mImageCreateWithStride(unsigned width, unsigned height, unsigned stride, enum mColorFormat format);
@@ -147,6 +163,17 @@ void mPainterDrawMask(struct mPainter*, const struct mImage* mask, int x, int y)
 uint32_t mColorConvert(uint32_t color, enum mColorFormat from, enum mColorFormat to);
 uint32_t mImageColorConvert(uint32_t color, const struct mImage* from, enum mColorFormat to);
 
+#ifdef USE_FREETYPE
+struct mFont* mFontOpen(const char* path);
+void mFontDestroy(struct mFont*);
+
+unsigned mFontSize(const struct mFont*);
+void mFontSetSize(struct mFont*, unsigned px);
+int mFontSpanWidth(struct mFont*, const char* text);
+
+void mPainterDrawText(struct mPainter*, const char* text, int x, int y, enum mAlignment);
+#endif
+
 #ifndef PYCPARSE
 static inline unsigned mColorFormatBytes(enum mColorFormat format) {
 	switch (format) {
diff --git a/src/core/flags.h.in b/src/core/flags.h.in
index 1071d42c3..e820c9d0c 100644
--- a/src/core/flags.h.in
+++ b/src/core/flags.h.in
@@ -99,6 +99,10 @@
 #cmakedefine USE_FFMPEG
 #endif
 
+#ifndef USE_FREETYPE
+#cmakedefine USE_FREETYPE
+#endif
+
 #ifndef USE_JSON_C
 #cmakedefine USE_JSON_C
 #endif
diff --git a/src/platform/qt/ReportView.cpp b/src/platform/qt/ReportView.cpp
index 2aca47663..18a951783 100644
--- a/src/platform/qt/ReportView.cpp
+++ b/src/platform/qt/ReportView.cpp
@@ -58,6 +58,10 @@
 #endif
 #endif
 
+#ifdef USE_FREETYPE
+#include <freetype/freetype.h>
+#endif
+
 #ifdef USE_LIBZIP
 #include <zip.h>
 #endif
@@ -149,6 +153,11 @@ void ReportView::generateReport() {
 #else
 	swReport << QString("FFmpeg not linked");
 #endif
+#ifdef USE_FREETYPE
+	swReport << QString("FreeType version: %1.%2.%3").arg(FREETYPE_MAJOR).arg(FREETYPE_MINOR).arg(FREETYPE_PATCH);
+#else
+	swReport << QString("FreeType not linked");
+#endif
 #ifdef USE_EDITLINE
 	swReport << QString("libedit version: %1.%2").arg(LIBEDIT_MAJOR).arg(LIBEDIT_MINOR);
 #else
diff --git a/src/script/image.c b/src/script/image.c
index 533af131f..411a95c45 100644
--- a/src/script/image.c
+++ b/src/script/image.c
@@ -124,6 +124,34 @@ void _mPainterSetStrokeColor(struct mPainter* painter, uint32_t color) {
 	painter->strokeColor = color;
 }
 
+#ifdef USE_FREETYPE
+void _mPainterLoadFont(struct mPainter* painter, const char* path) {
+	struct mFont* font = mFontOpen(path);
+	if (!font) {
+		return;
+	}
+	if (painter->font) {
+		mFontDestroy(painter->font);
+	}
+	painter->font = font;
+}
+
+void _mPainterSetFontSize(struct mPainter* painter, float pt) {
+	if (!painter->font) {
+		return;
+	}
+	mFontSetSize(painter->font, pt * 64);
+}
+
+
+float _mPainterTextSpanWidth(struct mPainter* painter, const char* text) {
+	if (!painter->font) {
+		return 0;
+	}
+	return mFontSpanWidth(painter->font, text) / 64.f;
+}
+#endif
+
 static struct mScriptValue* _mScriptPainterGet(struct mScriptPainter* painter, const char* name) {
 	struct mScriptValue val;
 	struct mScriptValue realPainter = mSCRIPT_MAKE(S(mPainter), &painter->painter);
@@ -139,6 +167,11 @@ static struct mScriptValue* _mScriptPainterGet(struct mScriptPainter* painter, c
 
 void _mScriptPainterDeinit(struct mScriptPainter* painter) {
 	mScriptValueDeref(painter->image);
+#ifdef USE_FREETYPE
+	if (painter->painter.font) {
+		mFontDestroy(painter->painter.font);
+	}
+#endif
 	free(painter);
 }
 
@@ -151,6 +184,12 @@ mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_VOID_METHOD(mPainter, drawRectangle, mPainterDrawRectangl
 mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_VOID_METHOD(mPainter, drawLine, mPainterDrawLine, 4, S32, x1, S32, y1, S32, x2, S32, y2);
 mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_VOID_METHOD(mPainter, drawCircle, mPainterDrawCircle, 3, S32, x, S32, y, S32, diameter);
 mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_VOID_METHOD(mPainter, drawMask, mPainterDrawMask, 3, CS(mImage), mask, S32, x, S32, y);
+#ifdef USE_FREETYPE
+mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_VOID_METHOD(mPainter, drawText, mPainterDrawText, 4, CHARP, text, S32, x, S32, y, S32, alignment);
+mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_VOID_METHOD(mPainter, loadFont, _mPainterLoadFont, 1, CHARP, path);
+mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_VOID_METHOD(mPainter, setFontSize, _mPainterSetFontSize, 1, U32, pt);
+mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_METHOD(mPainter, F32, textSpanWidth, _mPainterTextSpanWidth, 1, CHARP, text);
+#endif
 
 mSCRIPT_DEFINE_STRUCT(mPainter)
 	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_CLASS_DOCSTRING(
@@ -179,6 +218,16 @@ mSCRIPT_DEFINE_STRUCT(mPainter)
 		"target color and use this function to draw it into a destination image."
 	)
 	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_STRUCT_METHOD(mPainter, drawMask)
+#ifdef USE_FREETYPE
+	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_DOCSTRING("Draw text with the currently set font and fill color")
+	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_STRUCT_METHOD(mPainter, drawText)
+	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_DOCSTRING("Load a font from a given filename")
+	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_STRUCT_METHOD(mPainter, loadFont)
+	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_DOCSTRING("Set the font size")
+	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_STRUCT_METHOD(mPainter, setFontSize)
+	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_DOCSTRING("Get the pixel width of a span of text in the current font")
+	mSCRIPT_DEFINE_STRUCT_METHOD(mPainter, textSpanWidth)
+#endif
 mSCRIPT_DEFINE_END;
 
 mSCRIPT_DECLARE_STRUCT_METHOD(mScriptPainter, W(mPainter), _get, _mScriptPainterGet, 1, CHARP, name);
@@ -206,4 +255,15 @@ void mScriptContextAttachImage(struct mScriptContext* context) {
 	mScriptContextSetDocstring(context, "image.load", "Load an image from a path. Currently, only `PNG` format is supported");
 #endif
 	mScriptContextSetDocstring(context, "image.newPainter", "Create a new painter from an existing image");
+
+	mScriptContextExportConstants(context, "ALIGN", (struct mScriptKVPair[]) {
+		mSCRIPT_CONSTANT_PAIR(mALIGN, LEFT),
+		mSCRIPT_CONSTANT_PAIR(mALIGN, HCENTER),
+		mSCRIPT_CONSTANT_PAIR(mALIGN, RIGHT),
+		mSCRIPT_CONSTANT_PAIR(mALIGN, TOP),
+		mSCRIPT_CONSTANT_PAIR(mALIGN, VCENTER),
+		mSCRIPT_CONSTANT_PAIR(mALIGN, BOTTOM),
+		mSCRIPT_CONSTANT_PAIR(mALIGN, BASELINE),
+		mSCRIPT_KV_SENTINEL
+	});
 }
diff --git a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
index 8009f5ad2..6dd6ae2a4 100644
--- a/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/util/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ set(SOURCE_FILES
 	geometry.c
 	image.c
 	image/export.c
+	image/font.c
 	image/png-io.c
 	interpolator.c
 	patch.c
diff --git a/src/util/image/font.c b/src/util/image/font.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3b195fa5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/util/image/font.c
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+/* Copyright (c) 2013-2025 Jeffrey Pfau
+ *
+ * This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public
+ * License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this
+ * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
+#include <mgba-util/image.h>
+
+#ifdef USE_FREETYPE
+
+#include <mgba-util/string.h>
+
+#include <freetype/freetype.h>
+
+#define DPI 100
+
+static _Atomic size_t libraryOpen = 0;
+static FT_Library library;
+
+struct mFont {
+	FT_Face face;
+	unsigned emHeight;
+};
+
+static void _makeTemporaryImage(struct mImage* out, FT_Bitmap* in) {
+	out->data = in->buffer;
+	out->width = in->width;
+	out->height = in->rows;
+	out->palette = NULL;
+	if (in->pixel_mode == FT_PIXEL_MODE_GRAY) {
+		out->stride = in->pitch;
+		out->format = mCOLOR_L8;
+		out->depth = 1;
+	} else {
+		abort();
+	}
+}
+
+struct mFont* mFontOpen(const char* path) {
+	size_t opened = ++libraryOpen;
+	if (opened == 1) {
+		if (FT_Init_FreeType(&library)) {
+			return NULL;
+		}
+	}
+
+	FT_Face face;
+	if (FT_New_Face(library, path, 0, &face)) {
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	struct mFont* font = calloc(1, sizeof(*font));
+	font->face = face;
+	mFontSetSize(font, 8 * 64);
+	return font;
+}
+
+void mFontDestroy(struct mFont* font) {
+	FT_Done_Face(font->face);
+	free(font);
+
+	size_t opened = --libraryOpen;
+	if (opened == 0) {
+		FT_Done_FreeType(library);
+	}
+}
+
+unsigned mFontSize(const struct mFont* font) {
+	return font->emHeight;
+}
+
+void mFontSetSize(struct mFont* font, unsigned pt) {
+	font->emHeight = pt;
+	FT_Set_Char_Size(font->face, 0, pt, DPI, DPI);
+}
+
+int mFontSpanWidth(struct mFont* font, const char* text) {
+	FT_Face face = font->face;
+	uint32_t lastGlyph = 0;
+	int width = 0;
+
+	while (*text) {
+		uint32_t glyph = utf8Char((const char**) &text, NULL);
+
+		if (FT_Load_Char(face, glyph, FT_LOAD_DEFAULT)) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		if (FT_Render_Glyph(face->glyph, FT_RENDER_MODE_NORMAL)) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		FT_Vector kerning = {0};
+		FT_Get_Kerning(face, lastGlyph, glyph, FT_KERNING_DEFAULT, &kerning);
+		width += kerning.x;
+		width += face->glyph->advance.x;
+
+		lastGlyph = glyph;
+	}
+
+	return width;
+}
+
+void mPainterDrawText(struct mPainter* painter, const char* text, int x, int y, enum mAlignment alignment) {
+	FT_Face face = painter->font->face;
+	uint32_t lastGlyph = 0;
+
+	x <<= 6;
+	y <<= 6;
+
+	switch (alignment & mALIGN_VERTICAL) {
+	case mALIGN_TOP:
+		y += face->size->metrics.ascender;
+		break;
+	case mALIGN_BASELINE:
+		break;
+	case mALIGN_VCENTER:
+		y += face->size->metrics.ascender - face->size->metrics.height / 2;
+		break;
+	case mALIGN_BOTTOM:
+	default:
+		y += face->size->metrics.descender;
+		break;
+	}
+
+	switch (alignment & mALIGN_HORIZONTAL) {
+	case mALIGN_LEFT:
+	default:
+		break;
+	case mALIGN_HCENTER:
+		x -= mFontSpanWidth(painter->font, text) >> 1;
+		break;
+	case mALIGN_RIGHT:
+		x -= mFontSpanWidth(painter->font, text);
+		break;
+	}
+
+	while (*text) {
+		uint32_t glyph = utf8Char((const char**) &text, NULL);
+
+		if (FT_Load_Char(face, glyph, FT_LOAD_DEFAULT)) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		if (FT_Render_Glyph(face->glyph, FT_RENDER_MODE_NORMAL)) {
+			continue;
+		}
+
+		struct mImage image;
+		_makeTemporaryImage(&image, &face->glyph->bitmap);
+
+		FT_Vector kerning = {0};
+		FT_Get_Kerning(face, lastGlyph, glyph, FT_KERNING_DEFAULT, &kerning);
+		x += kerning.x;
+		y += kerning.y;
+
+		mPainterDrawMask(painter, &image, (x >> 6) + face->glyph->bitmap_left, (y >> 6) - face->glyph->bitmap_top);
+		x += face->glyph->advance.x;
+		y += face->glyph->advance.y;
+
+		lastGlyph = glyph;
+	}
+}
+
+#endif