diff --git tools/shared/fontpanel/fontpanel.cpp tools/shared/fontpanel/fontpanel.cpp
index c92d09f..cdd2850 100644
--- tools/shared/fontpanel/fontpanel.cpp
+++ tools/shared/fontpanel/fontpanel.cpp
@@ -49,6 +49,11 @@
 #include <QtCore/QTimer>
 #include <QtGui/QLineEdit>
 
+#undef FONTPANEL_DEBUG
+#ifdef FONTPANEL_DEBUG
+#include <QtCore/QDebug>
+#endif
+
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 
 FontPanel::FontPanel(QWidget *parentWidget) :
@@ -124,13 +129,29 @@ void FontPanel::setSelectedFont(const QFont &f)
         m_familyComboBox->setCurrentFont(f);
     }
 
-    updateFamily(family());
+    updateFamily(family(), f.pointSize());
 
     const int pointSizeIndex = closestPointSizeIndex(f.pointSize());
     m_pointSizeComboBox->setCurrentIndex( pointSizeIndex);
 
-    const QString styleString = m_fontDatabase.styleString(f);
-    const int styleIndex = m_styleComboBox->findText(styleString);
+#ifdef FONTPANEL_DEBUG
+    QList<QPair<QString,QVariant> > items;
+    for (int i = 0 ; i < m_styleComboBox->count() ; ++i) {
+        items << QPair<QString,QVariant>(m_styleComboBox->itemText(i), m_styleComboBox->itemData(i));
+    }
+#endif
+    int styleIndex = m_styleComboBox->findData(f);
+    if (styleIndex < 0) {
+        // use the style name synonym resolution in QFontDatabase::font() to obtain the true styleName of the requested font,
+        // rather than the Qt-standardised name obtained through QFontDatabase::styleString()
+        const QString styleString = m_fontDatabase.font(family(), m_fontDatabase.styleString(f), pointSize()).styleName();
+        styleIndex = m_styleComboBox->findText(styleString);
+#ifdef FONTPANEL_DEBUG
+        qDebug() << "FontPanel::setSelectedFont" << f << "found style" << styleString << "in" << items << "@" << styleIndex;
+    } else {
+        qDebug() << "FontPanel::setSelectedFont" << f << "found in" << items << "@" << styleIndex;
+#endif
+    }
     m_styleComboBox->setCurrentIndex(styleIndex);
     slotUpdatePreviewFont();
 }
@@ -175,14 +196,19 @@ void FontPanel::slotWritingSystemChanged(int)
     delayedPreviewFontUpdate();
 }
 
-void FontPanel::slotFamilyChanged(const QFont &)
+void FontPanel::slotFamilyChanged(const QFont &f)
 {
-    updateFamily(family());
+    updateFamily(family(), f.pointSize());
     delayedPreviewFontUpdate();
 }
 
-void FontPanel::slotStyleChanged(int)
+void FontPanel::slotStyleChanged(int i)
 {
+#ifdef FONTPANEL_DEBUG
+    qDebug() << "FontPanel::slotStyleChanged" << i << styleString();
+#else
+    Q_UNUSED(i);
+#endif
     updatePointSizes(family(), styleString());
     delayedPreviewFontUpdate();
 }
@@ -204,11 +230,13 @@ void FontPanel::updateWritingSystem(QFontDatabase::WritingSystem ws)
     }
 }
 
-void FontPanel::updateFamily(const QString &family)
+void FontPanel::updateFamily(const QString &family, int ptSize)
 {
     // Update styles and trigger update of point sizes.
     // Try to maintain selection or select normal
     const QString oldStyleString = styleString();
+    // use QFontDatabase::font() to look up the style name `family` gives to `oldStyleString`
+    const QString realStyleString = m_fontDatabase.font(family, oldStyleString, pointSize()).styleName();
 
     const QStringList styles = m_fontDatabase.styles(family);
     const bool hasStyles = !styles.empty();
@@ -219,17 +247,39 @@ void FontPanel::updateFamily(const QString &family)
 
     int normalIndex = -1;
     const QString normalStyle = QLatin1String("Normal");
+    if (ptSize < 0) {
+        ptSize = pointSize();
+    }
 
     if (hasStyles) {
+#ifdef FONTPANEL_DEBUG
+        qDebug() << "FontPanel::updateFamily" << family << "matching" << realStyleString
+            << "(instead of" << oldStyleString << ") in family styles" << styles;
+#endif
         foreach (const QString &style, styles) {
             // try to maintain selection or select 'normal' preferably
             const int newIndex = m_styleComboBox->count();
-            m_styleComboBox->addItem(style);
-            if (oldStyleString == style) {
+            // create a QFont with the current style,size properties and associate it
+            // with the style name in the combo box on success.
+            QFont g = m_fontDatabase.font(family, style, ptSize);
+#ifdef FONTPANEL_DEBUG
+            qDebug() << "style" << style << "gives font" << g << "," << g.styleName();
+#endif
+            if (g.styleName() == style) {
+                m_styleComboBox->addItem(style, g);
+            } else {
+                m_styleComboBox->addItem(style, QFont());
+            }
+            if (realStyleString == style) {
                 m_styleComboBox->setCurrentIndex(newIndex);
             } else {
-                if (oldStyleString ==  normalStyle)
+                if (oldStyleString ==  normalStyle) {
+#ifdef FONTPANEL_DEBUG
+                    // this block stymies me ...
+                    qDebug() << oldStyleString << ": setting normalIndex from" << normalIndex << "to" << newIndex;
+#endif
                     normalIndex = newIndex;
+                }
             }
         }
         if (m_styleComboBox->currentIndex() == -1 && normalIndex != -1)
diff --git tools/shared/fontpanel/fontpanel.h tools/shared/fontpanel/fontpanel.h
index 7d178b7..5ba1cfc 100644
--- tools/shared/fontpanel/fontpanel.h
+++ tools/shared/fontpanel/fontpanel.h
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ private:
     int closestPointSizeIndex(int ps) const;
 
     void updateWritingSystem(QFontDatabase::WritingSystem ws);
-    void updateFamily(const QString &family);
+    void updateFamily(const QString &family, int ptSize=-1);
     void updatePointSizes(const QString &family, const QString &style);
     void delayedPreviewFontUpdate();