diff --git a/src/cata_imgui.cpp b/src/cata_imgui.cpp
index b69689b05cb97..34f92db75a81d 100644
--- a/src/cata_imgui.cpp
+++ b/src/cata_imgui.cpp
@@ -366,7 +366,8 @@ static void AddGlyphRangesMisc( UNUSED ImFontGlyphRangesBuilder *b )
 }
 
 
-// Load all fonts that exist in typefaces list
+// Load the first font that exists in typefaces, falling back to unifont
+// if none of them exist.
 // - typefaces is a list of paths.
 static void load_font( ImGuiIO &io, const std::vector<font_config> &typefaces,
                        const ImWchar *ranges )
@@ -374,23 +375,21 @@ static void load_font( ImGuiIO &io, const std::vector<font_config> &typefaces,
     std::vector<font_config> io_typefaces{ typefaces };
     ensure_unifont_loaded( io_typefaces );
 
-    ImFontConfig config = ImFontConfig();
-
-    bool first = true;
     auto it = std::begin( io_typefaces );
     for( ; it != std::end( io_typefaces ); ++it ) {
         if( !file_exist( it->path ) ) {
             debugmsg( "Font file '%s' does not exist.", it->path );
-        } else {
-            config.MergeMode = !first;
-            config.FontBuilderFlags = it->imgui_config();
-            io.Fonts->AddFontFromFileTTF( it->path.c_str(), fontheight, &config, ranges );
-            first = false;
         }
+        break;
     }
-    if( first ) {
+    if( it == std::end( io_typefaces ) ) {
         debugmsg( "No fonts were found in the fontdata file." );
     }
+
+    ImFontConfig config = ImFontConfig();
+    config.FontBuilderFlags = it->imgui_config();
+
+    io.Fonts->AddFontFromFileTTF( it->path.c_str(), fontheight, &config, ranges );
 }
 
 static void check_font( const ImFont *font )