diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/afterFonts.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/afterFonts.ts
index 389b75d91e..9157e9df69 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/afterFonts.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/afterFonts.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,11 @@ export const FONT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS = 5000;
 export async function waitForFonts(): Promise<void> {
   const fonts = document.fonts;
   if (!fonts) return;
-  // Layout starts loading the faces laid-out text uses; with none loading, ready resolves at once.
+  // Layout starts the faces laid-out text uses; load() starts the rest so ready covers them too.
   void document.body?.offsetHeight;
+  for (const face of Array.from(fonts)) {
+    if (face.status === "unloaded") void face.load().catch(() => {});
+  }
   let timer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;
   const timedOut = await Promise.race([
     fonts.ready.then(() => false),
diff --git a/packages/core/src/runtime/entry.afterFonts.test.ts b/packages/core/src/runtime/entry.afterFonts.test.ts
index 01c76bb46a..9b5b2d4cfa 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/runtime/entry.afterFonts.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/runtime/entry.afterFonts.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {
 } from "../compiler/scriptRuns";
 import { FONT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS, PREVIEW_SCRIPT_SLICE_MS } from "./afterFonts";
 
-type Face = { family: string; status: FontFaceLoadStatus };
+type Face = { family: string; status: FontFaceLoadStatus; load?: () => Promise<unknown> };
 
 // jsdom runs scripts in its own global, so they report through the shared document.
 const logs = (entry: string) =>
@@ -162,6 +162,82 @@ describe("runtime entry: composition scripts after web fonts", () => {
     },
   );
 
+  it("starts loading a declared face no laid-out text uses, so scripts run once it is in", async () => {
+    let fontsLoaded = () => {};
+    let faceLoaded = () => {};
+    const scriptOnly: Face = {
+      family: "Caveat",
+      status: "unloaded",
+      load: vi.fn(() => {
+        scriptOnly.status = "loading";
+        return new Promise<void>((resolve) => (faceLoaded = resolve));
+      }),
+    };
+    const inUse: Face = { family: "Inter", status: "loaded", load: vi.fn() };
+    serveFonts(new Promise<void>((resolve) => (fontsLoaded = resolve)), [scriptOnly, inUse]);
+    mountDeferredScripts();
+
+    await parseThenLoad();
+    await Promise.resolve();
+    expect(scriptOnly.load).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(inUse.load).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(log()).toBe("");
+
+    faceLoaded();
+    scriptOnly.status = "loaded";
+    fontsLoaded();
+    await vi.waitFor(() => expect(window.__player).toBeDefined());
+    expect(log()).toBe("a in-place b ready ");
+  });
+
+  it("runs the scripts at the timeout when a declared face fails to load or never settles", async () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ["setTimeout", "clearTimeout"] });
+    const posted = vi.spyOn(window.parent, "postMessage").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    vi.spyOn(console, "warn").mockImplementation(() => {});
+    const missing: Face = {
+      family: "Missing Face",
+      status: "unloaded",
+      load: vi.fn(() => {
+        missing.status = "error";
+        return Promise.reject(new Error("404"));
+      }),
+    };
+    const silent: Face = {
+      family: "Silent Face",
+      status: "unloaded",
+      load: vi.fn(() => {
+        silent.status = "loading";
+        return new Promise(() => {});
+      }),
+    };
+    serveFonts(new Promise(() => {}), [
+      missing,
+      silent,
+      { family: "Hanken Grotesk", status: "loading" },
+    ]);
+    mountDeferredScripts();
+
+    await parseThenLoad();
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(FONT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS - 1);
+    expect(missing.load).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(silent.load).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+    expect(log()).toBe("");
+
+    await vi.advanceTimersByTimeAsync(1);
+    expect(log()).toMatch(/^a .*b /);
+    expect(posted).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        type: "diagnostic",
+        code: "runtime_font_wait_timeout",
+        details: {
+          loadingFamilies: ["Silent Face", "Hanken Grotesk"],
+          timeoutMs: FONT_WAIT_TIMEOUT_MS,
+        },
+      }),
+      "*",
+    );
+  });
+
   it("runs the scripts at the font timeout and reports the families still loading", async () => {
     vi.useFakeTimers({ toFake: ["setTimeout", "clearTimeout"] });
     const posted = vi.spyOn(window.parent, "postMessage").mockImplementation(() => {});