diff -up a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -6,6 +6,12 @@
  * font: see http://freedesktop.org/software/fontconfig/fontconfig-user.html
  */
 static char *font = "Liberation Mono:pixelsize=12:antialias=true:autohint=true";
+
+/* disable bold, italic and roman fonts globally */
+int disablebold = 0;
+int disableitalic = 0;
+int disableroman = 0;
+
 static int borderpx = 2;
 
 /*
diff -up a/x.c b/x.c
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -231,6 +231,11 @@ static char *usedfont = NULL;
 static double usedfontsize = 0;
 static double defaultfontsize = 0;
 
+/* declared in config.h */
+extern int disablebold;
+extern int disableitalic;
+extern int disableroman;
+
 static char *opt_alpha = NULL;
 static char *opt_class = NULL;
 static char **opt_cmd  = NULL;
@@ -979,7 +984,10 @@ xloadfonts(char *fontstr, double fontsiz
 	win.cyo = ceilf(dc.font.height * (chscale - 1) / 2);
 
 	FcPatternDel(pattern, FC_SLANT);
-	FcPatternAddInteger(pattern, FC_SLANT, FC_SLANT_ITALIC);
+	if (!disableitalic)
+		FcPatternAddInteger(pattern, FC_SLANT, FC_SLANT_ITALIC);
+	if (!disableroman)
+		FcPatternAddInteger(pattern, FC_SLANT, FC_SLANT_ROMAN);
 	if (xloadfont(&dc.ifont, pattern))
 		die("can't open font %s\n", fontstr);