diff --git a/include/x11/fonts.hpp b/include/x11/fonts.hpp
index 5361ef3a..37c782c4 100644
--- a/include/x11/fonts.hpp
+++ b/include/x11/fonts.hpp
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ class font_manager {
   font_manager(const font_manager& o) = delete;
   font_manager& operator=(const font_manager& o) = delete;
 
+  void set_visual(shared_ptr<Visual>&& v);
+
   void cleanup();
   bool load(const string& name, int8_t fontindex = DEFAULT_FONT_INDEX, int8_t offset_y = 0);
   void set_preferred_font(int8_t index);
diff --git a/include/x11/xlib.hpp b/include/x11/xlib.hpp
index ae4f3d4f..6a44cf77 100644
--- a/include/x11/xlib.hpp
+++ b/include/x11/xlib.hpp
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ POLYBAR_NS
 
 namespace xlib {
   shared_ptr<Display> get_display();
-  shared_ptr<Visual> get_visual(int screen = 0);
+  shared_ptr<Visual> get_visual(int screen = 0, uint8_t depth = 32);
 
   Colormap create_colormap(int screen = 0);
 
diff --git a/src/components/renderer.cpp b/src/components/renderer.cpp
index 2bdaaeec..0020d821 100644
--- a/src/components/renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/components/renderer.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ renderer::renderer(connection& conn, signal_emitter& emitter, const logger& logg
 
     if ((m_visual = m_connection.visual_type(m_connection.screen(), 24)) == nullptr) {
       m_log.err("No 24-bit TrueColor visual found, aborting...");
+      throw application_error("No matching TrueColor visual found...");
     }
 
     if (m_visual == nullptr) {
@@ -57,6 +58,8 @@ renderer::renderer(connection& conn, signal_emitter& emitter, const logger& logg
     }
 
     m_depth = 24;
+
+    m_fontmanager->set_visual(xlib::get_visual(m_connection.default_screen(), m_depth));
   }
 
   m_log.trace("renderer: Allocate colormap");
diff --git a/src/x11/fonts.cpp b/src/x11/fonts.cpp
index 4f492159..3ba187a6 100644
--- a/src/x11/fonts.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/fonts.cpp
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ font_manager::~font_manager() {
   }
 }
 
+void font_manager::set_visual(shared_ptr<Visual>&& v) {
+  m_visual = forward<decltype(v)>(v);
+}
+
 void font_manager::cleanup() {
   if (m_xftdraw != nullptr) {
     XftDrawDestroy(m_xftdraw);
diff --git a/src/x11/xlib.cpp b/src/x11/xlib.cpp
index 046d40cc..844fa703 100644
--- a/src/x11/xlib.cpp
+++ b/src/x11/xlib.cpp
@@ -15,10 +15,10 @@ namespace xlib {
     return g_display_ptr;
   }
 
-  shared_ptr<Visual> get_visual(int screen) {
+  shared_ptr<Visual> get_visual(int screen, uint8_t depth) {
     if (!g_visual_ptr) {
       XVisualInfo info{};
-      if (XMatchVisualInfo(get_display().get(), screen, 32, TrueColor, &info)) {
+      if (XMatchVisualInfo(get_display().get(), screen, depth, TrueColor, &info)) {
         g_visual_ptr = shared_ptr<Visual>(info.visual, [=](Visual* v) { XFree(v); });
       }
     }