diff --git a/app/pdb/font-select-cmds.c b/app/pdb/font-select-cmds.c
index 949f9baa2c..32b6a600d4 100644
--- a/app/pdb/font-select-cmds.c
+++ b/app/pdb/font-select-cmds.c
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
 
 #include "core/gimp.h"
 #include "core/gimpparamspecs.h"
+#include "text/gimp-fonts.h"
 
 #include "gimppdb.h"
 #include "gimpprocedure.h"
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ fonts_popup_invoker (GimpProcedure         *procedure,
     {
       if (gimp->no_interface ||
           ! gimp_pdb_lookup_procedure (gimp->pdb, font_callback) ||
+          ! gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, error)                        ||
           ! gimp_pdb_dialog_new (gimp, context, progress, gimp->fonts,
                                  popup_title, font_callback, initial_font,
                                  NULL))
@@ -110,6 +112,7 @@ fonts_set_popup_invoker (GimpProcedure         *procedure,
     {
       if (gimp->no_interface ||
           ! gimp_pdb_lookup_procedure (gimp->pdb, font_callback) ||
+          ! gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, error)                        ||
           ! gimp_pdb_dialog_set (gimp, gimp->fonts, font_callback, font_name,
                                  NULL))
         success = FALSE;
diff --git a/app/pdb/fonts-cmds.c b/app/pdb/fonts-cmds.c
index c170d9ec8d..18ca3ce777 100644
--- a/app/pdb/fonts-cmds.c
+++ b/app/pdb/fonts-cmds.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ fonts_refresh_invoker (GimpProcedure         *procedure,
                        GError               **error)
 {
   gimp_fonts_load (gimp, error);
+  gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, NULL);
 
   return gimp_procedure_get_return_values (procedure, TRUE, NULL);
 }
@@ -69,8 +70,14 @@ fonts_get_list_invoker (GimpProcedure         *procedure,
 
   if (success)
     {
-      font_list = gimp_container_get_filtered_name_array (gimp->fonts,
-                                                          filter, &num_fonts);
+      if (! gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, error))
+        success = FALSE;
+
+      if (success)
+        {
+          font_list = gimp_container_get_filtered_name_array (gimp->fonts,
+                                                              filter, &num_fonts);
+        }
     }
 
   return_vals = gimp_procedure_get_return_values (procedure, success,
diff --git a/app/pdb/text-tool-cmds.c b/app/pdb/text-tool-cmds.c
index 0052998036..bdb3a47e8c 100644
--- a/app/pdb/text-tool-cmds.c
+++ b/app/pdb/text-tool-cmds.c
@@ -127,7 +127,8 @@ text_get_extents_fontname_invoker (GimpProcedure         *procedure,
     {
       gchar *real_fontname = g_strdup_printf ("%s %d", fontname, (gint) size);
 
-      success = text_get_extents (real_fontname, text,
+      success = text_get_extents (gimp,
+                                  real_fontname, text,
                                   &width, &height,
                                   &ascent, &descent);
 
diff --git a/app/text/gimptext-compat.c b/app/text/gimptext-compat.c
index 9eb602692e..49b248086d 100644
--- a/app/text/gimptext-compat.c
+++ b/app/text/gimptext-compat.c
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "core/gimpimage-undo.h"
 #include "core/gimplayer-floating-selection.h"
 
+#include "gimp-fonts.h"
 #include "gimptext.h"
 #include "gimptext-compat.h"
 #include "gimptextlayer.h"
@@ -70,6 +71,9 @@ text_render (GimpImage    *image,
   g_return_val_if_fail (fontname != NULL, NULL);
   g_return_val_if_fail (text != NULL, NULL);
 
+  if (! gimp_fonts_wait (image->gimp, NULL))
+    return NULL;
+
   if (border < 0)
     border = 0;
 
@@ -133,7 +137,8 @@ text_render (GimpImage    *image,
 }
 
 gboolean
-text_get_extents (const gchar *fontname,
+text_get_extents (Gimp        *gimp,
+                  const gchar *fontname,
                   const gchar *text,
                   gint        *width,
                   gint        *height,
@@ -146,9 +151,13 @@ text_get_extents (const gchar *fontname,
   PangoFontMap         *fontmap;
   PangoRectangle        rect;
 
+  g_return_val_if_fail (GIMP_IS_GIMP (gimp), FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (fontname != NULL, FALSE);
   g_return_val_if_fail (text != NULL, FALSE);
 
+  if (! gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, NULL))
+    return FALSE;
+
   fontmap = pango_cairo_font_map_new_for_font_type (CAIRO_FONT_TYPE_FT);
   if (! fontmap)
     g_error ("You are using a Pango that has been built against a cairo "
diff --git a/app/text/gimptext-compat.h b/app/text/gimptext-compat.h
index 6f36fdc687..2ca6d5ab41 100644
--- a/app/text/gimptext-compat.h
+++ b/app/text/gimptext-compat.h
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ GimpLayer * text_render      (GimpImage    *image,
                               const gchar  *text,
                               gint          border,
                               gboolean      antialias);
-gboolean    text_get_extents (const gchar  *fontname,
+gboolean    text_get_extents (Gimp         *gimp,
+                              const gchar  *fontname,
                               const gchar  *text,
                               gint         *width,
                               gint         *height,
diff --git a/app/text/gimptextlayer.c b/app/text/gimptextlayer.c
index e68c2c2384..d321e8b6e5 100644
--- a/app/text/gimptextlayer.c
+++ b/app/text/gimptextlayer.c
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 
 #include "core/gimp.h"
 #include "core/gimp-utils.h"
-#include "core/gimpasyncset.h"
 #include "core/gimpcontext.h"
 #include "core/gimpcontainer.h"
 #include "core/gimpimage.h"
@@ -49,6 +48,7 @@
 #include "core/gimpitemtree.h"
 #include "core/gimpparasitelist.h"
 
+#include "gimp-fonts.h"
 #include "gimptext.h"
 #include "gimptextlayer.h"
 #include "gimptextlayer-transform.h"
@@ -629,14 +629,9 @@ gimp_text_layer_render (GimpTextLayer *layer)
   item     = GIMP_ITEM (layer);
   image    = gimp_item_get_image (item);
 
-  if (! gimp_async_set_is_empty (image->gimp->fonts_async_set))
-    {
-      gimp_message_literal (image->gimp, NULL, GIMP_MESSAGE_ERROR,
-                            _("Fonts are still loading (this may take a while), "
-                              "text functionality is not available yet."));
-      return FALSE;
-    }
-  else if (gimp_container_is_empty (image->gimp->fonts))
+  gimp_fonts_wait (image->gimp, NULL);
+
+  if (gimp_container_is_empty (image->gimp->fonts))
     {
       gimp_message_literal (image->gimp, NULL, GIMP_MESSAGE_ERROR,
                             _("Due to lack of any fonts, "
diff --git a/pdb/groups/font_select.pdb b/pdb/groups/font_select.pdb
index 5ec44fa32a..3fc233a9d3 100644
--- a/pdb/groups/font_select.pdb
+++ b/pdb/groups/font_select.pdb
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ sub fonts_popup {
 {
   if (gimp->no_interface ||
       ! gimp_pdb_lookup_procedure (gimp->pdb, font_callback) ||
+      ! gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, error)                        ||
       ! gimp_pdb_dialog_new (gimp, context, progress, gimp->fonts,
                              popup_title, font_callback, initial_font,
                              NULL))
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ sub fonts_set_popup {
 {
   if (gimp->no_interface ||
       ! gimp_pdb_lookup_procedure (gimp->pdb, font_callback) ||
+      ! gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, error)                        ||
       ! gimp_pdb_dialog_set (gimp, gimp->fonts, font_callback, font_name,
                              NULL))
     success = FALSE;
@@ -95,7 +97,8 @@ CODE
 }
 
 
-@headers = qw("core/gimp.h");
+@headers = qw("core/gimp.h"
+              "text/gimp-fonts.h");
 
 @procs = qw(fonts_popup
             fonts_close_popup
diff --git a/pdb/groups/fonts.pdb b/pdb/groups/fonts.pdb
index a5fb6187c2..c9c73f571b 100644
--- a/pdb/groups/fonts.pdb
+++ b/pdb/groups/fonts.pdb
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ HELP
 	code => <<'CODE'
 {
   gimp_fonts_load (gimp, error);
+  gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, NULL);
 }
 CODE
     );
@@ -61,8 +62,14 @@ HELP
         headers => [ qw("core/gimpcontainer-filter.h") ],
 	code => <<'CODE'
 {
-  font_list = gimp_container_get_filtered_name_array (gimp->fonts,
-                                                      filter, &num_fonts);
+  if (! gimp_fonts_wait (gimp, error))
+    success = FALSE;
+
+  if (success)
+    {
+      font_list = gimp_container_get_filtered_name_array (gimp->fonts,
+                                                          filter, &num_fonts);
+    }
 }
 CODE
     );
diff --git a/pdb/groups/text_tool.pdb b/pdb/groups/text_tool.pdb
index 3b0c78cb00..15ec9f24ca 100644
--- a/pdb/groups/text_tool.pdb
+++ b/pdb/groups/text_tool.pdb
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@ HELP
 {
   gchar *real_fontname = g_strdup_printf ("%s %d", fontname, (gint) size);
 
-  success = text_get_extents (real_fontname, text,
+  success = text_get_extents (gimp,
+                              real_fontname, text,
                               &width, &height,
                               &ascent, &descent);