diff --git a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/CMakeLists.txt
index 529f4a9bd..88cb8a082 100644
--- a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -105,7 +105,9 @@ LINK_LIBRARIES(${FFTW3F_LIBRARIES} -lz -lpthread ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/flt
 
 # FLTK needs X
 IF(LMMS_BUILD_LINUX)
-LINK_LIBRARIES(-lX11)
+FIND_PACKAGE(X11)
+FIND_PACKAGE(Freetype)
+LINK_LIBRARIES(${X11_LIBRARIES} ${X11_Xft_LIB} ${FREETYPE_LIBRARY})
 ENDIF(LMMS_BUILD_LINUX)
 
 # link system-libraries when on win32
diff --git a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/CMakeLists.txt
index 0fd101003..55653d0c0 100644
--- a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ ENDIF(APPLE)
 IF(UNIX)
   FIND_PACKAGE(X11)
   SET( FLTK_PLATFORM_DEPENDENT_LIBS ${X11_LIBRARIES} -lm)
+  SET( FLTK_PLATFORM_DEPENDENT_LIBS ${X11_LIBRARIES} -lm)
+  SET(USE_XFT 0)
+  IF(X11_Xft_FOUND)
+    FIND_PACKAGE(Freetype)
+    IF(FREETYPE_FOUND)
+      SET(FOUND_XFT 1)
+      SET(FLTK_PLATFORM_DEPENDENT_LIBS ${FLTK_PLATFORM_DEPENDENT_LIBS} ${X11_Xft_LIB} ${FREETYPE_LIBRARIES})
+      INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES(${FREETYPE_INCLUDE_DIRS} ${X11_Xft_INCLUDE_PATH})
+    ENDIF(FREETYPE_FOUND)
+  ENDIF(X11_Xft_FOUND)
 ENDIF(UNIX)
 
 IF(APPLE AND NOT FLTK_APPLE_X11)
diff --git a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/FL/x.H b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/FL/x.H
index 88802b98b..3a3139317 100644
--- a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/FL/x.H
+++ b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/FL/x.H
@@ -65,10 +65,34 @@ extern FL_EXPORT int fl_screen;
 extern FL_EXPORT XVisualInfo *fl_visual;
 extern FL_EXPORT Colormap fl_colormap;
 
+#if USE_XFT
+// access to core fonts
+FL_EXPORT XFontStruct* fl_xxfont();
+class Fl_XFont_On_Demand
+{
+public:
+  Fl_XFont_On_Demand(XFontStruct* p = NULL) : ptr(p) { }
+  Fl_XFont_On_Demand& operator=(const Fl_XFont_On_Demand& x)
+    { ptr = x.ptr;  return *this; }
+  Fl_XFont_On_Demand& operator=(XFontStruct* p)
+    { ptr = p;  return *this; }
+  XFontStruct* value() { if (!ptr) { ptr = fl_xxfont(); }  return ptr; }
+  operator XFontStruct*() { return value(); }
+  XFontStruct& operator*() { return *value(); }
+  XFontStruct* operator->() { return value(); }
+  bool operator==(const Fl_XFont_On_Demand& x) { return ptr == x.ptr; }
+  bool operator!=(const Fl_XFont_On_Demand& x) { return ptr != x.ptr; }
+private:
+  XFontStruct* ptr;
+};
+extern FL_EXPORT Fl_XFont_On_Demand fl_xfont;
+#else
+extern FL_EXPORT XFontStruct* fl_xfont;
+#endif
+
 // drawing functions:
 extern FL_EXPORT GC fl_gc;
 extern FL_EXPORT Window fl_window;
-extern FL_EXPORT XFontStruct* fl_xfont;
 extern FL_EXPORT void *fl_xftfont;
 FL_EXPORT ulong fl_xpixel(Fl_Color i);
 FL_EXPORT ulong fl_xpixel(uchar r, uchar g, uchar b);
diff --git a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/configh.cmake.in b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/configh.cmake.in
index 1be52e526..e3ffc70fb 100644
--- a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/configh.cmake.in
+++ b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/configh.cmake.in
@@ -80,8 +80,12 @@
  * Use the new Xft library to draw anti-aliased text.
  */
 
+#cmakedefine FOUND_XFT
+#ifdef FOUND_XFT
+#define USE_XFT 1
+#else
 #define USE_XFT 0
-
+#endif
 /*
  * HAVE_XDBE:
  *
diff --git a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/src/fl_font_x.cxx b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/src/fl_font_x.cxx
index be1be0a6f..5701c45f6 100644
--- a/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/src/fl_font_x.cxx
+++ b/plugins/zynaddsubfx/fltk/src/fl_font_x.cxx
@@ -195,7 +195,9 @@ static Fl_FontSize* find(int fnum, int size) {
 
 int fl_font_ = 0;
 int fl_size_ = 0;
+#if USE_XFT != 1
 XFontStruct* fl_xfont = 0;
+#endif
 void *fl_xftfont = 0;
 static GC font_gc;