diff --git a/src/frontends/qt2/QPrefs.C b/src/frontends/qt2/QPrefs.C
index 879030abc6..233d94e1ab 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt2/QPrefs.C
+++ b/src/frontends/qt2/QPrefs.C
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ void setComboxFont(QComboBox * cb, string const & family, string const & foundry
 	}
 
 	QFontInfo info(font);
-	pair<string, string> tmp = parseFontName(info.family());
+	pair<string, string> tmp = parseFontName(fromqstr(info.family()));
 	string const & default_font_name = tmp.first;
 	lyxerr << "Apparent font is " << default_font_name << endl;