diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 7b67f613d7..511cb80c8e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -327,14 +327,23 @@ endif()
 
 set(SDL_LIB_TARGET "")
 set(SDL_TTF_LIB_TARGET "")
+set(FONTCONFIG_LIB_TARGET "")
 
 if(NOT LIBRETRO AND NOT IOS AND NOT MACOSX)
 	find_package(SDL3 REQUIRED)
 	set(SDL_LIB_TARGET SDL3::SDL3)
 	find_package(SDL3_ttf REQUIRED)
 	set(SDL_TTF_LIB_TARGET SDL3_ttf::SDL3_ttf)
+	message(STATUS "Using SDL3 and SDL3_ttf")
 	add_compile_definitions(USE_SDL3_TTF)
-	message(STATUS "Using SDL3")
+	find_package(Fontconfig QUIET)
+	if(Fontconfig_FOUND)
+		set(FONTCONFIG_LIB_TARGET Fontconfig::Fontconfig)
+		add_compile_definitions(USE_SDL3_TTF_FONTCONFIG)
+		message(STATUS "Using Fontconfig for SDL3_ttf fallback fonts")
+	else()
+		message(WARNING "Fontconfig not found - SDL3_ttf fallback fonts for missing glyphs will be limited")
+	endif()
 endif()
 
 if(MACOSX AND NOT IOS)
@@ -1528,6 +1537,9 @@ else()
 	if(SDL_TTF_LIB_TARGET)
 		list(APPEND nativeExtraLibs ${SDL_TTF_LIB_TARGET})
 	endif()
+	if(FONTCONFIG_LIB_TARGET)
+		list(APPEND nativeExtraLibs ${FONTCONFIG_LIB_TARGET})
+	endif()
 	if(APPLE)
 		list(APPEND nativeExtra
 			SDL/SDLJoystick.h