diff --git a/specter/include/specter/FontCache.hpp b/specter/include/specter/FontCache.hpp
index 2b76809eb..bf2155c30 100644
--- a/specter/include/specter/FontCache.hpp
+++ b/specter/include/specter/FontCache.hpp
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ using FCharFilter = std::pair<std::string, std::function<bool(uint32_t)>>;
 
 class FontAtlas
 {
-    friend class FontCache;
     FT_Face m_face;
     std::vector<uint8_t> m_texmap;
     boo::ObjToken<boo::ITextureSA> m_tex;
@@ -128,6 +127,7 @@ public:
     FT_Fixed FT_Xscale() const {return m_ftXscale;}
     FT_UShort FT_XPPem() const {return m_ftXPpem;}
     FT_Pos FT_LineHeight() const {return m_lineHeight;}
+    bool isReady() const { return m_ready; }
     boo::ObjToken<boo::ITextureSA> texture(boo::IGraphicsDataFactory* gf) const;
     bool subpixel() const {return m_subpixel;}
 
diff --git a/specter/lib/FontCache.cpp b/specter/lib/FontCache.cpp
index cebd718e3..25f9eae72 100644
--- a/specter/lib/FontCache.cpp
+++ b/specter/lib/FontCache.cpp
@@ -721,7 +721,7 @@ FontTag FontCache::prepCustomFont(std::string_view name, FT_Face face,
             if (r.position() == 4 && magic == 'FONT')
             {
                 std::unique_ptr<FontAtlas> fa = std::make_unique<FontAtlas>(face, dpi, subpixel, filter, r);
-                if (fa->m_tex)
+                if (fa->isReady())
                 {
                     m_cachedAtlases.emplace(tag, std::move(fa));
                     return tag;