diff --git a/components/gfx/font_context.rs b/components/gfx/font_context.rs
index 5621807827f..718e64c7e91 100644
--- a/components/gfx/font_context.rs
+++ b/components/gfx/font_context.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ fn create_scaled_font(template: &Arc<FontTemplateData>, pt_size: Au) -> ScaledFo
 
 #[cfg(target_os="macos")]
 fn create_scaled_font(template: &Arc<FontTemplateData>, pt_size: Au) -> ScaledFont {
-    let cgfont = template.ctfont.as_ref().unwrap().copy_to_CGFont();
+    let cgfont = template.ctfont().as_ref().unwrap().copy_to_CGFont();
     ScaledFont::new(BackendType::Skia, &cgfont, pt_size.to_f32_px())
 }
 
diff --git a/components/gfx/platform/macos/font.rs b/components/gfx/platform/macos/font.rs
index a6e431407e1..b8474aa6da9 100644
--- a/components/gfx/platform/macos/font.rs
+++ b/components/gfx/platform/macos/font.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ impl FontHandleMethods for FontHandle {
             Some(s) => s.to_f64_px(),
             None => 0.0
         };
-        match *template.ctfont {
+        match template.ctfont() {
             Some(ref ctfont) => {
                 Ok(FontHandle {
                     font_data: template.clone(),
diff --git a/components/gfx/platform/macos/font_template.rs b/components/gfx/platform/macos/font_template.rs
index e5c0c9c194b..e84691971ac 100644
--- a/components/gfx/platform/macos/font_template.rs
+++ b/components/gfx/platform/macos/font_template.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ use serde::de::{Error, Visitor};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Deserializer, Serialize, Serializer};
 use std::borrow::ToOwned;
 use std::ops::Deref;
+use std::sync::Mutex;
 use string_cache::Atom;
 
 /// Platform specific font representation for mac.
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ pub struct FontTemplateData {
     /// When sending a `FontTemplateData` instance across processes, this will be set to `None` on
     /// the other side, because `CTFont` instances cannot be sent across processes. This is
     /// harmless, however, because it can always be recreated.
-    pub ctfont: CachedCTFont,
+    ctfont: CachedCTFont,
 
     pub identifier: Atom,
     pub font_data: Option<Vec<u8>>
@@ -52,18 +53,27 @@ impl FontTemplateData {
         };
 
         FontTemplateData {
-            ctfont: CachedCTFont(ctfont),
+            ctfont: CachedCTFont(Mutex::new(ctfont)),
             identifier: identifier.to_owned(),
             font_data: font_data
         }
     }
+
+    /// Retrieves the Core Text font instance, instantiating it if necessary.
+    pub fn ctfont(&self) -> Option<CTFont> {
+        let mut ctfont = self.ctfont.lock().unwrap();
+        if ctfont.is_none() {
+            *ctfont = core_text::font::new_from_name(self.identifier.as_slice(), 0.0).ok()
+        }
+        ctfont.as_ref().map(|ctfont| (*ctfont).clone())
+    }
 }
 
-pub struct CachedCTFont(Option<CTFont>);
+pub struct CachedCTFont(Mutex<Option<CTFont>>);
 
 impl Deref for CachedCTFont {
-    type Target = Option<CTFont>;
-    fn deref(&self) -> &Option<CTFont> {
+    type Target = Mutex<Option<CTFont>>;
+    fn deref(&self) -> &Mutex<Option<CTFont>> {
         &self.0
     }
 }
@@ -84,7 +94,7 @@ impl Deserialize for CachedCTFont {
 
             #[inline]
             fn visit_none<E>(&mut self) -> Result<CachedCTFont,E> where E: Error {
-                Ok(CachedCTFont(None))
+                Ok(CachedCTFont(Mutex::new(None)))
             }
         }