diff --git a/headers/private/servers/app/FontFamily.h b/headers/private/servers/app/FontFamily.h
index 6d61ad3aa7..b513a9c73f 100644
--- a/headers/private/servers/app/FontFamily.h
+++ b/headers/private/servers/app/FontFamily.h
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ class FontKey : public Hashable {
 	FontStyle objects help abstract a lot of the font engine details while
 	still offering plenty of information the style in question.
 */
-class FontStyle : public ReferenceCounting, public Hashable, public BLocker {
+class FontStyle : public ReferenceCounting, public Hashable/*, public BLocker*/ {
 	public:
 						FontStyle(node_ref& nodeRef, const char* path, FT_Face face);
 		virtual			~FontStyle();
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ class FontStyle : public ReferenceCounting, public Hashable, public BLocker {
 
 		const node_ref& NodeRef() const { return fNodeRef; }
 
+		bool			Lock();
+		void			Unlock();
+
 /*!
 	\fn bool FontStyle::IsFixedWidth(void)
 	\brief Determines whether the font's character width is fixed
diff --git a/src/servers/app/FontFamily.cpp b/src/servers/app/FontFamily.cpp
index d8da5e2893..6db6d3baf8 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/FontFamily.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/FontFamily.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 const uint32 kInvalidFamilyFlags = ~0UL;
 
+static BLocker sFontLock("font lock");
+
 
 static int
 font_score(const FontStyle* style)
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ compare_font_styles(const FontStyle* a, const FontStyle* b)
 	\param face FreeType handle for the font file after it is loaded - it will be kept open until the FontStyle is destroied
 */
 FontStyle::FontStyle(node_ref& nodeRef, const char* path, FT_Face face)
-	: BLocker(BString("FontStyle_").Append(face->style_name).String()),
+	: //BLocker(BString("FontStyle_").Append(face->style_name).String()),
 	fFreeTypeFace(face),
 	fName(face->style_name),
 	fPath(path),
@@ -107,6 +109,20 @@ FontStyle::CompareTo(Hashable& other) const
 }
 
 
+bool
+FontStyle::Lock()
+{
+	return sFontLock.Lock();
+}
+
+
+void
+FontStyle::Unlock()
+{
+	return sFontLock.Unlock();
+}
+
+
 void
 FontStyle::GetHeight(float size, font_height& height) const
 {
@@ -171,7 +187,7 @@ FontStyle::PreservedFace(uint16 face) const
 status_t
 FontStyle::UpdateFace(FT_Face face)
 {
-	if (!IsLocked()) {
+	if (!sFontLock.IsLocked()) {
 		debugger("UpdateFace() called without having locked FontStyle!");
 		return B_ERROR;
 	}