diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 8aa4a39e4..33c2b1cd0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 ### Changed
 * Replaced `simple-get ` with ` Node.js builtin` `fetch` (#2309)
 * `ctx.font` has a new C++ parser and is 2x-400x faster. Please file an issue if you experience different results, as caching has been removed.
+* The restriction of registering fonts before a canvas is created has been removed. You can now register a font as late as right before the `fillText` call ([#1921](https://github.com/Automattic/node-canvas/issues/1921))
 
 ### Added
 * Support for accessibility and links in PDFs
diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 4cb17701c..d0429c520 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ const myimg = await loadImage('http://server.com/image.png')
 > registerFont(path: string, { family: string, weight?: string, style?: string }) => void
 > ```
 
-To use a font file that is not installed as a system font, use `registerFont()` to register the font with Canvas. *This must be done before the Canvas is created.*
+To use a font file that is not installed as a system font, use `registerFont()` to register the font with Canvas.
 
 ```js
 const { registerFont, createCanvas } = require('canvas')
diff --git a/src/Canvas.cc b/src/Canvas.cc
index 7b208bec2..b4fe25120 100644
--- a/src/Canvas.cc
+++ b/src/Canvas.cc
@@ -38,7 +38,10 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
-std::vector<FontFace> font_face_list;
+std::vector<FontFace> Canvas::font_face_list;
+
+// Increases each time a font is (de)registered
+int Canvas::fontSerial = 1;
 
 /*
  * Initialize Canvas.
@@ -734,6 +737,7 @@ Canvas::RegisterFont(const Napi::CallbackInfo& info) {
   free(family);
   free(weight);
   free(style);
+  fontSerial++;
 }
 
 void
@@ -749,6 +753,7 @@ Canvas::DeregisterAllFonts(const Napi::CallbackInfo& info) {
   });
 
   font_face_list.clear();
+  fontSerial++;
   if (!success) Napi::Error::New(env, "Could not deregister one or more fonts").ThrowAsJavaScriptException();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Canvas.h b/src/Canvas.h
index eb19843e5..3883c5137 100644
--- a/src/Canvas.h
+++ b/src/Canvas.h
@@ -91,9 +91,11 @@ class Canvas : public Napi::ObjectWrap<Canvas> {
     void resurface(Napi::Object This);
 
     Napi::Env env;
+    static int fontSerial;
 
   private:
     Backend* _backend;
     Napi::ObjectReference _jsBackend;
     Napi::FunctionReference ctor;
+    static std::vector<FontFace> font_face_list;
 };
diff --git a/src/CanvasRenderingContext2d.cc b/src/CanvasRenderingContext2d.cc
index d294a4b35..449f5c07f 100644
--- a/src/CanvasRenderingContext2d.cc
+++ b/src/CanvasRenderingContext2d.cc
@@ -2450,8 +2450,24 @@ get_text_scale(PangoLayout *layout, double maxWidth) {
   }
 }
 
+/*
+ * Make sure the layout's font list is up-to-date
+ */
+void
+Context2d::checkFonts() {
+  // If fonts have been registered, the PangoContext is using an outdated FontMap
+  if (canvas()->fontSerial != fontSerial) {
+    pango_context_set_font_map(
+      pango_layout_get_context(_layout),
+      pango_cairo_font_map_get_default()
+    );
+
+    fontSerial = canvas()->fontSerial;
+  }
+}
+
 void
-Context2d::paintText(const Napi::CallbackInfo&info, bool stroke) {
+Context2d::paintText(const Napi::CallbackInfo& info, bool stroke) {
   int argsNum = info.Length() >= 4 ? 3 : 2;
 
   if (argsNum == 3 && info[3].IsUndefined())
@@ -2472,6 +2488,7 @@ Context2d::paintText(const Napi::CallbackInfo&info, bool stroke) {
 
   PangoLayout *layout = this->layout();
 
+  checkFonts();
   pango_layout_set_text(layout, str.c_str(), -1);
   pango_cairo_update_layout(context(), layout);
 
@@ -2775,6 +2792,7 @@ Context2d::MeasureText(const Napi::CallbackInfo& info) {
   PangoFontMetrics *metrics;
   PangoLayout *layout = this->layout();
 
+  checkFonts();
   pango_layout_set_text(layout, str.Utf8Value().c_str(), -1);
   pango_cairo_update_layout(ctx, layout);
 
diff --git a/src/CanvasRenderingContext2d.h b/src/CanvasRenderingContext2d.h
index 16cd42d34..6b29b60f0 100644
--- a/src/CanvasRenderingContext2d.h
+++ b/src/CanvasRenderingContext2d.h
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ class Context2d : public Napi::ObjectWrap<Context2d> {
     void _setFillPattern(Napi::Value arg);
     void _setStrokeColor(Napi::Value arg);
     void _setStrokePattern(Napi::Value arg);
+    void checkFonts();
     void paintText(const Napi::CallbackInfo&, bool);
     Napi::Reference<Napi::Value> _fillStyle;
     Napi::Reference<Napi::Value> _strokeStyle;
@@ -227,4 +228,5 @@ class Context2d : public Napi::ObjectWrap<Context2d> {
     cairo_t *_context = nullptr;
     cairo_path_t *_path;
     PangoLayout *_layout = nullptr;
+    int fontSerial = 1;
 };