diff --git a/code/rd-common/tr_font.cpp b/code/rd-common/tr_font.cpp
index f968fdb89d..253d58fd51 100644
--- a/code/rd-common/tr_font.cpp
+++ b/code/rd-common/tr_font.cpp
@@ -1019,6 +1019,7 @@ CFontInfo::CFontInfo(const char *_fontName)
 	m_fAltSBCSFontScaleFactor = -1;
 #endif
 	m_bIsFakeAlienLanguage = !strcmp(_fontName,"aurabesh");	// dont try and make SBCS or asian overrides for this
+	m_isVariant = qfalse;
 
 	len = ri.FS_ReadFile(fontName, NULL);
 	if (len == sizeof(dfontdat_t))
diff --git a/codemp/rd-common/tr_font.cpp b/codemp/rd-common/tr_font.cpp
index 956e182f75..20f3ce8894 100644
--- a/codemp/rd-common/tr_font.cpp
+++ b/codemp/rd-common/tr_font.cpp
@@ -882,6 +882,7 @@ CFontInfo::CFontInfo(const char *_fontName)
 	m_iOriginalFontWhenSBCSOverriden = -1;
 	m_fAltSBCSFontScaleFactor = -1;
 	m_bIsFakeAlienLanguage = !strcmp(_fontName,"aurabesh");	// dont try and make SBCS or asian overrides for this
+	m_isVariant = qfalse;
 
 	len = ri.FS_ReadFile(fontName, NULL);
 	if (len == sizeof(dfontdat_t))