diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index c150a51..af1ad37 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -157,6 +157,9 @@ if (NOT BUILD_JS)
   pkg_search_module (SDL2_IMAGE REQUIRED SDL2_image)
   include_directories (${SDL2_IMAGE_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   set (planetblupi_DEPS ${planetblupi_DEPS} ${SDL2_IMAGE_STATIC_LIBRARIES})
+  pkg_search_module (SDL2_TTF REQUIRED SDL2_ttf)
+  include_directories (${SDL2_TTF_INCLUDE_DIRS})
+  set (planetblupi_DEPS ${planetblupi_DEPS} ${SDL2_TTF_STATIC_LIBRARIES})
   pkg_search_module (SDL2_MIXER REQUIRED SDL2_mixer)
   include_directories (${SDL2_MIXER_INCLUDE_DIRS})
   set (planetblupi_DEPS ${planetblupi_DEPS} ${SDL2_MIXER_STATIC_LIBRARIES})
@@ -233,6 +236,7 @@ else ()
     ${SDL2_LIBRARIES}
     ${SDL2_MIXER_LIBRARIES}
     ${SDL2_IMAGE_LIBRARIES}
+    ${SDL2_TTF_LIBRARIES}
     ${CURL_LIBRARIES}
     ${SDLKitchensink_LIBRARIES}
     pthread
diff --git a/src/blupi.cxx b/src/blupi.cxx
index e9fe1ec..56f0b8d 100644
--- a/src/blupi.cxx
+++ b/src/blupi.cxx
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@
 #include <vector>
 
 #include <SDL_image.h>
+#include <SDL_ttf.h>
 #include <argagg/argagg.hpp>
 #ifdef USE_CURL
 #include <curl/curl.h>
@@ -801,6 +802,11 @@ DoInit (int argc, char * argv[], bool & exit)
     return EXIT_FAILURE;
   }
 
+  if (TTF_Init () < 0) {
+    SDL_Log ("Couldn't initialize TTF: %s", SDL_GetError ());
+    return EXIT_FAILURE;
+  }
+
   if (!(g_settingsOverload & SETTING_LEGACY))
     Display::getDisplay ().readDisplaySize ();