diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 2ed84daa1..fd54ed8a4 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -520,6 +520,7 @@ config_parse(const char *confpatharg)
         CFG_STR((char *) "text", (char *) NULL, CFGF_NONE),
         CFG_STR((char *) "fg", (char *) NULL, CFGF_NONE),
         CFG_STR((char *) "bg", (char *) NULL, CFGF_NONE),
+        CFG_STR((char *) "font", (char *) NULL, CFGF_NONE),
         CFG_END()
     };
     static cfg_opt_t widget_progressbar_opts[] =
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index b17a5dff4..f86a2302c 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ struct Widget
     int location;
     int width;
     Button *buttons;
+    XftFont *font;
     Widget *next;
 };
 
diff --git a/statusbar.c b/statusbar.c
index 098bcbedf..d5b459597 100644
--- a/statusbar.c
+++ b/statusbar.c
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ statusbar_draw(int screen)
 void
 statusbar_init(int screen)
 {
+    Widget *widget;
     XSetWindowAttributes wa;
     int phys_screen = get_phys_screen(screen);
     Area area = get_screen_area(screen,
@@ -117,6 +118,10 @@ statusbar_init(int screen)
 
     statusbar->height = globalconf.screens[screen].font->height * 1.5;
 
+    for(widget = statusbar->widgets; widget; widget = widget->next)
+        if(widget->font)
+            statusbar->height = MAX(statusbar->height, widget->font->height);
+
     if(statusbar->position == BarRight || statusbar->position == BarLeft)
         statusbar->width = area.height;
     else
diff --git a/widgets/textbox.c b/widgets/textbox.c
index 0d1869522..bea6f784e 100644
--- a/widgets/textbox.c
+++ b/widgets/textbox.c
@@ -46,17 +46,16 @@ static int
 textbox_draw(Widget *widget, DrawCtx *ctx, int offset,
              int used __attribute__ ((unused)))
 {
-    VirtScreen vscreen = globalconf.screens[widget->statusbar->screen];
     Data *d = widget->data;
 
-    widget->width = textwidth(vscreen.font, d->text);
+    widget->width = textwidth(widget->font, d->text);
     widget->location = widget_calculate_offset(widget->statusbar->width,
                                                widget->width,
                                                offset,
                                                widget->alignment);
 
     draw_text(ctx, widget->location, 0, widget->width, widget->statusbar->height,
-              vscreen.font, d->text, d->fg, d->bg);
+              widget->font, d->text, d->fg, d->bg);
 
     return widget->width;
 }
@@ -72,7 +71,7 @@ textbox_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
 {
     Widget *w;
     Data *d;
-    char *color;
+    char *buf;
 
     w = p_new(Widget, 1);
     widget_common_new(w, statusbar, config);
@@ -81,16 +80,22 @@ textbox_new(Statusbar *statusbar, cfg_t *config)
 
     w->data = d = p_new(Data, 1);
 
-    if ((color = cfg_getstr(config, "fg")))
-        d->fg = initxcolor(statusbar->screen, color);
+    if((buf = cfg_getstr(config, "fg")))
+        d->fg = initxcolor(statusbar->screen, buf);
     else
         d->fg = globalconf.screens[statusbar->screen].colors_normal[ColFG];
 
-    if ((color = cfg_getstr(config, "bg")))
-        d->bg = initxcolor(statusbar->screen, color);
+    if((buf = cfg_getstr(config, "bg")))
+        d->bg = initxcolor(statusbar->screen, buf);
     else
         d->bg = globalconf.screens[statusbar->screen].colors_normal[ColBG];
 
+    if((buf = cfg_getstr(config, "font")))
+        w->font = XftFontOpenName(globalconf.display, get_phys_screen(statusbar->screen), buf);
+
+    if(!w->font)
+        w->font = globalconf.screens[statusbar->screen].font;
+
     update(w, cfg_getstr(config, "text"));
     return w;
 }