diff --git a/indra/llrender/llfontgl.cpp b/indra/llrender/llfontgl.cpp
index d327b8e4c..1c79ab2e9 100644
--- a/indra/llrender/llfontgl.cpp
+++ b/indra/llrender/llfontgl.cpp
@@ -125,31 +125,6 @@ bool findOrCreateFont(LLFontGL*& fontp, const LLFontDescriptor& desc)
 	return (fontp != NULL);
 }
 
-// static
-BOOL LLFontGL::initDefaultFonts(F32 screen_dpi, F32 x_scale, F32 y_scale,
-								const std::string& app_dir,
-								const std::vector<std::string>& xui_paths,
-								bool create_gl_textures)
-{
-	sVertDPI = (F32)llfloor(screen_dpi * y_scale);
-	sHorizDPI = (F32)llfloor(screen_dpi * x_scale);
-	sScaleX = x_scale;
-	sScaleY = y_scale;
-	sAppDir = app_dir;
-
-	// Font registry init
-	if (!sFontRegistry)
-	{
-		sFontRegistry = new LLFontRegistry(xui_paths,create_gl_textures);
-		sFontRegistry->parseFontInfo("fonts.xml");
-	}
-	else
-	{
-		sFontRegistry->reset();
-	}
-
-	return loadDefaultFonts();
-}
 
 void LLFontGL::destroyGL()
 {
@@ -956,6 +931,27 @@ void LLFontGL::removeEmbeddedChar( llwchar wc ) const
 	}
 }
 
+// static
+void LLFontGL::initClass(F32 screen_dpi, F32 x_scale, F32 y_scale, const std::string& app_dir, const std::vector<std::string>& xui_paths, bool create_gl_textures)
+{
+	sVertDPI = (F32)llfloor(screen_dpi * y_scale);
+	sHorizDPI = (F32)llfloor(screen_dpi * x_scale);
+	sScaleX = x_scale;
+	sScaleY = y_scale;
+	sAppDir = app_dir;
+
+	// Font registry init
+	if (!sFontRegistry)
+	{
+		sFontRegistry = new LLFontRegistry(xui_paths,create_gl_textures);
+		sFontRegistry->parseFontInfo("fonts.xml");
+	}
+	else
+	{
+		sFontRegistry->reset();
+	}
+}
+
 // Force standard fonts to get generated up front.
 // This is primarily for error detection purposes.
 // Don't do this during initClass because it can be slow and we want to get
diff --git a/indra/llrender/llfontgl.h b/indra/llrender/llfontgl.h
index 67821376c..fc59ce0fd 100644
--- a/indra/llrender/llfontgl.h
+++ b/indra/llrender/llfontgl.h
@@ -90,15 +90,9 @@ public:
 	LLFontGL();
 	~LLFontGL();
 
-	void init(); // Internal init, or reinitialization
+
 	void reset(); // Reset a font after GL cleanup.  ONLY works on an already loaded font.
 
-
-	static BOOL initDefaultFonts(F32 screen_dpi, F32 x_scale, F32 y_scale,
-								 const std::string& app_dir,
-								 const std::vector<std::string>& xui_paths,
-								 bool create_gl_textures = true);
-
 	void destroyGL();
 
 	/* virtual*/ BOOL loadFace(const std::string& filename, const F32 point_size, const F32 vert_dpi, const F32 horz_dpi, const S32 components, BOOL is_fallback);
@@ -173,6 +167,8 @@ public:
 	void	   addEmbeddedChar( llwchar wc, LLTexture* image, const LLWString& label) const;
 	void	   removeEmbeddedChar( llwchar wc ) const;
 
+	static void initClass(F32 screen_dpi, F32 x_scale, F32 y_scale,	 const std::string& app_dir, const std::vector<std::string>& xui_paths,	 bool create_gl_textures = true);
+
 	// Load sans-serif, sans-serif-small, etc.
 	// Slow, requires multiple seconds to load fonts.
 	static bool loadDefaultFonts();
diff --git a/indra/newview/llstartup.cpp b/indra/newview/llstartup.cpp
index 11e310cb9..7c000984e 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llstartup.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/llstartup.cpp
@@ -1987,10 +1987,18 @@ bool idle_startup()
 	if (STATE_MULTIMEDIA_INIT == LLStartUp::getStartupState())
 	{
 		LLStartUp::multimediaInit();
-		LLStartUp::setStartupState( STATE_SEED_GRANTED_WAIT );
+		LLStartUp::setStartupState( STATE_FONT_INIT );
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
+	// Loading fonts takes several seconds
+	if (STATE_FONT_INIT == LLStartUp::getStartupState())
+	{
+		LLStartUp::fontInit();
+		LLStartUp::setStartupState( STATE_SEED_GRANTED_WAIT );
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+	
 	//---------------------------------------------------------------------
 	// Wait for Seed Cap Grant
 	//---------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -3757,6 +3765,7 @@ std::string LLStartUp::startupStateToString(EStartupState state)
 		RTNENUM( STATE_LOGIN_DOWNLOADING );
 		RTNENUM( STATE_LOGIN_PROCESS_RESPONSE );
 		RTNENUM( STATE_WORLD_INIT );
+		RTNENUM( STATE_FONT_INIT );
 		RTNENUM( STATE_SEED_GRANTED_WAIT );
 		RTNENUM( STATE_SEED_CAP_GRANTED );
 		RTNENUM( STATE_WORLD_WAIT );
@@ -3831,6 +3840,15 @@ void LLStartUp::multimediaInit()
 	LLViewerParcelMedia::initClass();
 }
 
+void LLStartUp::fontInit()
+{
+	LL_DEBUGS("AppInit") << "Initializing fonts...." << LL_ENDL;
+	std::string msg = LLTrans::getString("LoginInitializingFonts");
+	set_startup_status(0.45f, msg.c_str(), gAgent.mMOTD.c_str());
+	display_startup();
+
+	LLFontGL::loadDefaultFonts();
+}
 
 void LLStartUp::initNameCache()
 {
diff --git a/indra/newview/llstartup.h b/indra/newview/llstartup.h
index 40e79b0bb..2574f0907 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llstartup.h
+++ b/indra/newview/llstartup.h
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	STATE_LOGIN_PROCESS_RESPONSE,	// Check authentication reply
 	STATE_WORLD_INIT,				// Start building the world
 	STATE_MULTIMEDIA_INIT,			// Init the rest of multimedia library
+	STATE_FONT_INIT,				// Load default fonts
 	STATE_SEED_GRANTED_WAIT,		// Wait for seed cap grant
 	STATE_SEED_CAP_GRANTED,			// Have seed cap grant 
 	STATE_WORLD_WAIT,				// Waiting for simulator
@@ -95,6 +96,8 @@ public:
 	static void multimediaInit();
 		// Initialize LLViewerMedia multimedia engine.
 
+	// Load default fonts not already loaded at start screen
+	static void fontInit();
 
 	static void initNameCache();
 	
diff --git a/indra/newview/llviewerwindow.cpp b/indra/newview/llviewerwindow.cpp
index 2d63e754d..9d984cc09 100644
--- a/indra/newview/llviewerwindow.cpp
+++ b/indra/newview/llviewerwindow.cpp
@@ -1541,14 +1541,19 @@ LLViewerWindow::LLViewerWindow(
 	LLViewerTextureManager::init() ;
 	gBumpImageList.init();
 
-	// Create container for all sub-views
-	mRootView = new LLRootView("root", mWindowRectScaled, FALSE);
-
+	// Init font system, but don't actually load the fonts yet
+	// because our window isn't onscreen and they take several
+	// seconds to parse.
 	if (!gNoRender)
 	{
-		// Init default fonts
-		initFonts();
+	LLFontGL::initClass( gSavedSettings.getF32("FontScreenDPI"),
+								mDisplayScale.mV[VX],
+								mDisplayScale.mV[VY],
+								gDirUtilp->getAppRODataDir(),
+								LLUICtrlFactory::getXUIPaths());
 	}
+	// Create container for all sub-views
+	mRootView = new LLRootView("root", mWindowRectScaled, FALSE);
 
 	// Make avatar head look forward at start
 	mCurrentMousePoint.mX = getWindowWidthScaled() / 2;
@@ -4828,11 +4833,13 @@ void LLViewerWindow::restoreGL(const std::string& progress_message)
 void LLViewerWindow::initFonts(F32 zoom_factor)
 {
 	LLFontGL::destroyAllGL();
-	LLFontGL::initDefaultFonts( gSavedSettings.getF32("FontScreenDPI"),
+	// Initialize with possibly different zoom factor
+	LLFontGL::initClass( gSavedSettings.getF32("FontScreenDPI"),
 								mDisplayScale.mV[VX] * zoom_factor,
 								mDisplayScale.mV[VY] * zoom_factor,
 								gDirUtilp->getAppRODataDir(),
 								LLUICtrlFactory::getXUIPaths());
+	LLFontGL::loadDefaultFonts();
 }
 void LLViewerWindow::toggleFullscreen(BOOL show_progress)
 {
diff --git a/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en-us/strings.xml b/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en-us/strings.xml
index 070399959..7cae0290f 100644
--- a/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en-us/strings.xml
+++ b/indra/newview/skins/default/xui/en-us/strings.xml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 	<string name="LoginPrecaching">Loading world...</string>
 	<string name="LoginInitializingBrowser">Initializing embedded web browser...</string>
 	<string name="LoginInitializingMultimedia">Initializing multimedia...</string>
+  <string name="LoginInitializingFonts">Loading fonts...</string>
 	<string name="LoginVerifyingCache">Verifying cache files (can take 60-90 seconds)...</string>
 	<string name="LoginProcessingResponse">Processing Response...</string>
 	<string name="LoginInitializingWorld">Initializing World...</string>