diff --git a/include/winX.h b/include/winX.h
index 952ddcec4..4e97de267 100644
--- a/include/winX.h
+++ b/include/winX.h
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@ extern XFontStruct *X11_unicode_font(Display *, XFontStruct *);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef USE_XFT
-extern XftFont *X11_new_font(Widget w, boolean bold, int win_type);
+extern XftFont *X11_new_font(Widget w, unsigned attrs, int win_type);
 extern void X11_release_font(Widget w, XftFont *font);
 extern void X11_new_color(Widget w, Pixel pixel, XftColor *color);
 #endif
diff --git a/win/X11/winX.c b/win/X11/winX.c
index 4889ac74a..86691d15b 100644
--- a/win/X11/winX.c
+++ b/win/X11/winX.c
@@ -3164,7 +3164,7 @@ X11_unicode_font(Display *display, XFontStruct *font)
 /* Open a vector font for the given widget */
 
 extern XftFont *
-X11_new_font(Widget w, boolean bold, int win_type)
+X11_new_font(Widget w, unsigned attrs, int win_type)
 {
     const char *font_name = NULL;
     const char *iflags_font_name = NULL;
@@ -3247,9 +3247,10 @@ X11_new_font(Widget w, boolean bold, int win_type)
     /* Set reasonable bounds on the font size */
     font_size = min(max(font_size, 6), 50);
 
-    Snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "%.*s-%d:%s",
+    Snprintf(name, sizeof(name), "%.*s-%d%s%s",
             (int) name_len, font_name, font_size,
-            bold ? "bold" : "medium");
+            (attrs & HL_BOLD) ? ":bold" : "",
+            (attrs & HL_ITALIC) ? ":italic" : "");
 
     Display *display = XtDisplay(w);
     XftFont *font = XftFontOpenName(display, DefaultScreen(display), name);
diff --git a/win/X11/winmap.c b/win/X11/winmap.c
index 3befe1887..c6733f76c 100644
--- a/win/X11/winmap.c
+++ b/win/X11/winmap.c
@@ -1040,7 +1040,7 @@ get_char_info(struct xwindow *wp)
 #ifdef USE_XFT
     struct map_info_t *map_info = wp->map_information;
     struct text_map_info_t *text_map = &map_info->text_map;
-    XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, FALSE, NHW_MAP);
+    XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, 0, NHW_MAP);
     text_map->square_width = font->max_advance_width;
     text_map->square_height = font->height;
     text_map->square_ascent = 0;
@@ -1430,7 +1430,7 @@ map_update(struct xwindow *wp, int start_row, int stop_row, int start_col, int s
         XtGetValues(wp->w, arg, 1);
 
         XftDraw *draw = XftDrawCreate(display, XtWindow(wp->w), visual, cmap);
-        XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, FALSE, NHW_MAP);
+        XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, 0, NHW_MAP);
         XftColor bgcolor;
         X11_new_color(wp->w, bgpixel, &bgcolor);
 #endif /* USE_XFT */
diff --git a/win/X11/winmesg.c b/win/X11/winmesg.c
index 861e280d4..69df458b0 100644
--- a/win/X11/winmesg.c
+++ b/win/X11/winmesg.c
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ create_message_window(struct xwindow *wp, /* window pointer */
 
     /* Save character information for fast use later. */
 #ifdef USE_XFT
-    XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, FALSE, NHW_MESSAGE);
+    XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, 0, NHW_MESSAGE);
     mesg_info->char_width = font->max_advance_width;
     mesg_info->char_height = font->height;
     mesg_info->char_ascent = font->ascent;
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ redraw_message_window(struct xwindow *wp)
     Visual *visual = DefaultVisualOfScreen(screen);
     Colormap cmap = DefaultColormapOfScreen(screen);
     XftDraw *draw = XftDrawCreate(display, XtWindow(wp->w), visual, cmap);
-    XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, FALSE, NHW_MESSAGE);
+    XftFont *font = X11_new_font(wp->w, 0, NHW_MESSAGE);
     XftColor fgcolor;
     X11_new_color(wp->w, mesg_info->fgpixel, &fgcolor);
 #endif /* USE_XFT */
diff --git a/win/X11/winstat.c b/win/X11/winstat.c
index 024045e6f..c8e7c353e 100644
--- a/win/X11/winstat.c
+++ b/win/X11/winstat.c
@@ -779,7 +779,7 @@ tty_render_text(Widget w, const XRectangle *clip, int x, int y,
 #ifdef USE_XPM
 
     /* Get the font */
-    XftFont *font = X11_new_font(w, (attr & HL_BOLD) != 0, NHW_STATUS);
+    XftFont *font = X11_new_font(w, attr, NHW_STATUS);
 
     /* Get the drawing resources */
     Display *display = XtDisplay(w);