diff --git a/kcms/fonts/fonts.cpp b/kcms/fonts/fonts.cpp
--- a/kcms/fonts/fonts.cpp
+++ b/kcms/fonts/fonts.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,27 @@
     if (dbase.isSmoothlyScalable(family, style) && result.pointSize() == floor(size)) {
         result.setPointSizeF(size);
     }
-    return result;
+
+    bool sameFont = font.toString() == result.toString();
+    // A "Regular" font will have an empty styleName e.g. "DejaVu Sans,12,-1,5,50,0,0,0,0,0"
+    // so that setBold(true) can work (we deliberately clear the styleName for "Regular"-like
+    // font styles when saving via KConfig, see: writeEntryGui() from kconfiggroupgui.cpp).
+    // Here in this method we could end up with a "result" font that's using a Regular style
+    // and that has the styleName set, so the the original "font" param. and "result" are
+    // actually the same font
+    if (!sameFont) {
+        if (font.weight() == QFont::Normal && font.styleName().isEmpty()
+            && result.weight() == QFont::Normal
+            && (result.styleName() == QLatin1String("Regular")
+                || result.styleName() == QLatin1String("Normal")
+                || result.styleName() == QLatin1String("Book")
+                || result.styleName() == QLatin1String("Roman"))) {
+            result.setStyleName(QString());
+            sameFont = font.toString() == result.toString();
+        }
+    }
+
+    return sameFont ? font : result;
 }
 
 /**** FontAASettings ****/
@@ -549,12 +569,35 @@
 
 void KFonts::setNearestExistingFonts()
 {
-    m_settings->setFont(nearestExistingFont(m_settings->font()));
-    m_settings->setFixed(nearestExistingFont(m_settings->fixed()));
-    m_settings->setSmallestReadableFont(nearestExistingFont(m_settings->smallestReadableFont()));
-    m_settings->setToolBarFont(nearestExistingFont(m_settings->toolBarFont()));
-    m_settings->setMenuFont(nearestExistingFont(m_settings->menuFont()));
-    m_settings->setActiveFont(nearestExistingFont(m_settings->activeFont()));
+    const QFont font = nearestExistingFont(m_settings->font());
+    if (m_settings->font() != font) {
+        m_settings->setFont(font);
+    }
+
+    const QFont fixed = nearestExistingFont(m_settings->fixed());
+    if (m_settings->fixed() != fixed) {
+        m_settings->setFixed(fixed);
+    }
+
+    const QFont smallest = nearestExistingFont(m_settings->smallestReadableFont());
+    if (m_settings->smallestReadableFont() != smallest) {
+        m_settings->setSmallestReadableFont(smallest);
+    }
+
+    const QFont toolBar = nearestExistingFont(m_settings->toolBarFont());
+    if (m_settings->toolBarFont() != toolBar) {
+        m_settings->setToolBarFont(toolBar);
+    }
+
+    const QFont menu = nearestExistingFont(m_settings->menuFont());
+    if (m_settings->menuFont() != menu) {
+        m_settings->setMenuFont(menu);
+    }
+
+    const QFont active = nearestExistingFont(m_settings->activeFont());
+    if (m_settings->activeFont() != active) {
+        m_settings->setActiveFont(active);
+    }
 }
 
 void KFonts::load()
@@ -571,9 +614,6 @@
     // otherwise AA settings will be reset in process of loading
     // previews
     engine()->addImageProvider("preview", new PreviewImageProvider(m_settings->font()));
-
-    // KCM expect save state to be false at this point (can be true because of setNearestExistingFonts
-    setNeedsSave(false);
 }
 
 void KFonts::save()