diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 9a28d2b..77ed258 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
  * font: see http://freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html
  */
 static char *font = "Iosevka Nerd Font-10:antialias=true:autohint=true";
+static char *italicfont = "Operator Mono Medium-10:antialias=true:autohint=true";
 static int borderpx = 2;
 
 /*
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index 120e495..1fca897 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -156,7 +156,8 @@ static void xresize(int, int);
 static void xhints(void);
 static int xloadcolor(int, const char *, Color *);
 static int xloadfont(Font *, FcPattern *);
-static void xloadfonts(char *, double);
+static int xloaditalicfont(Font *, FcPattern *);
+static void xloadfonts(char *, char *, double);
 static void xunloadfont(Font *);
 static void xunloadfonts(void);
 static void xsetenv(void);
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ void
 zoomabs(const Arg *arg)
 {
 	xunloadfonts();
-	xloadfonts(usedfont, arg->f);
+	xloadfonts(usedfont, italicfont, arg->f);
 	cresize(0, 0);
 	redraw();
 	xhints();
@@ -950,9 +951,10 @@ xloadfont(Font *f, FcPattern *pattern)
 }
 
 void
-xloadfonts(char *fontstr, double fontsize)
+xloadfonts(char *fontstr, char *italicfontstr, double fontsize)
 {
 	FcPattern *pattern;
+	FcPattern *italicpattern;
 	double fontval;
 
 	if (fontstr[0] == '-')
@@ -960,13 +962,21 @@ xloadfonts(char *fontstr, double fontsize)
 	else
 		pattern = FcNameParse((FcChar8 *)fontstr);
 
-	if (!pattern)
-		die("can't open font %s\n", fontstr);
+	if (italicfontstr[0] == '-')
+		italicpattern = XftXlfdParse(italicfontstr, False, False);
+	else
+		italicpattern = FcNameParse((FcChar8 *)italicfontstr);
+
+	if (!italicpattern)
+		die("can't open font %s\n", italicfontstr);
 
 	if (fontsize > 1) {
 		FcPatternDel(pattern, FC_PIXEL_SIZE);
 		FcPatternDel(pattern, FC_SIZE);
 		FcPatternAddDouble(pattern, FC_PIXEL_SIZE, (double)fontsize);
+		FcPatternDel(italicpattern, FC_PIXEL_SIZE);
+		FcPatternDel(italicpattern, FC_SIZE);
+		FcPatternAddDouble(italicpattern, FC_PIXEL_SIZE, (double)fontsize);
 		usedfontsize = fontsize;
 	} else {
 		if (FcPatternGetDouble(pattern, FC_PIXEL_SIZE, 0, &fontval) ==
@@ -1002,9 +1012,9 @@ xloadfonts(char *fontstr, double fontsize)
 	win.ch = ceilf(dc.font.height * chscale);
 
 	FcPatternDel(pattern, FC_SLANT);
-	FcPatternAddInteger(pattern, FC_SLANT, FC_SLANT_ITALIC);
-	if (xloadfont(&dc.ifont, pattern))
-		die("can't open font %s\n", fontstr);
+	FcPatternAddInteger(italicpattern, FC_SLANT, FC_SLANT_ITALIC);
+	if (xloadfont(&dc.ifont, italicpattern))
+		die("can't open font %s\n", italicfontstr);
 
 	FcPatternDel(pattern, FC_WEIGHT);
 	FcPatternAddInteger(pattern, FC_WEIGHT, FC_WEIGHT_BOLD);
@@ -1114,7 +1124,7 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 		die("could not init fontconfig.\n");
 
 	usedfont = (opt_font == NULL)? font : opt_font;
-	xloadfonts(usedfont, 0);
+	xloadfonts(usedfont, italicfont, 0);
 
 	/* colors */
 	xw.cmap = XDefaultColormap(xw.dpy, xw.scr);