diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_htmlarea.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_htmlarea.inc.php
index f92ab425a7..f585722f29 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_htmlarea.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_htmlarea.inc.php
@@ -35,6 +35,15 @@ class etemplate_widget_htmlarea extends etemplate_widget
 		$config = egw_ckeditor_config::get_ckeditor_config_array($this->attrs['mode'], $this->attrs['height'],
 			$this->attrs['expand_toolbar'],$this->attrs['base_href']
 		);
+		// User preferences
+		$font = $GLOBALS['egw_info']['user']['preferences']['common']['rte_font'];
+		$font_size = egw_ckeditor_config::font_size_from_prefs();
+		$font_span = '<span '.($font||$font_size?'style="':'').($font?'font-family:'.$font.'; ':'').($font_size?'font-size:'.$font_size.'; ':'').'">';
+		if (empty($font) && empty($font_size)) $font_span = '';
+		if($font_span)
+		{
+			$config['preference_style'] = $font_span;
+		}
 		self::$request->modifications[$form_name]['config'] = $config;
 	}
 
diff --git a/etemplate/js/et2_widget_htmlarea.js b/etemplate/js/et2_widget_htmlarea.js
index 1036ab4502..1c53d51535 100644
--- a/etemplate/js/et2_widget_htmlarea.js
+++ b/etemplate/js/et2_widget_htmlarea.js
@@ -136,6 +136,33 @@ var et2_htmlarea = et2_inputWidget.extend(
 				delete self.value;
 			}
 		}
+		
+		if(this.ckeditor && this.options.config.preference_style)
+		{
+			this.ckeditor.on('instanceReady', function(e) {
+
+				// Add in user font preferences
+				if (self.options.config.preference_style && !e.editor.getData())
+				{
+					e.editor.document.getBody().appendHtml(self.options.config.preference_style);
+					delete self.options.config.preference_style;
+				}
+
+				var range = e.editor.createRange();
+				range.collapse(true);
+				range.selectNodeContents(e.editor.document.getBody());
+				range.collapse(true);
+				range.select();
+
+				//this stuff is needed, as the above places the caret just before the span tag
+				var sN = range.startContainer.getNextSourceNode();
+				//FF is selecting the span with getNextSourceNode, other browsers need to fetch it with getNext
+				range.selectNodeContents(((typeof sN.getName==="function") && sN.getName()=="span"?range.startContainer.getNextSourceNode():range.startContainer.getNextSourceNode().getNext()));
+				range.collapse(true);
+				range.select();
+			});
+		}
+		
 	},
 
 	destroy: function() {