diff --git a/src/gpufont/font.hpp b/src/gpufont/font.hpp
index f5b9a77..688f78c 100644
--- a/src/gpufont/font.hpp
+++ b/src/gpufont/font.hpp
@@ -702,6 +702,7 @@ class Font {
 
             int i = 0;
             stringstream text;
+            bool useNotdef = false;
 
             for(const auto & glyphIdentity : variationText){
                 const uint32_t & charcode = glyphIdentity.charcode;
@@ -720,9 +721,31 @@ class Font {
                                      const_cast <FontVariationCoords &>(glyphIdentity.coords)); // danger?
 
                 FT_UInt glyphIndex = FT_Get_Char_Index(face, charcode);
-                if(!glyphIndex){
-                    continue;
-                }
+                // NOTE: 0 means no glyph as in '.notdef'
+                // we actually WANT the notdef glyph to render
+                // and let FreeType handle this.
+                //
+                // we leave the unwanted logic below for reference
+                // and delete it some time when we're absolutely sure
+                // we do not need it (probably yes).
+                //
+                //if(!glyphIndex){
+                //std::cout << "[font] no glyph index for character " << charcode << ": " << "" << std::endl;
+                //if(!useNotdef){
+                //glyphIndex = FT_Get_Char_Index(face, 0x110000);
+                //std::cout << "[font] no glyph index for character " << charcode << ": " << "attempt replace with notdef" << std::endl;
+                //if(!glyphIndex){
+                //glyphIndex = FT_Get_Char_Index(face, 0x25A1);
+                //std::cout << "[font] no glyph index for character " << charcode << ": " << "attempt replace with white square" << std::endl;
+                //if(!glyphIndex){
+                //std::cerr << "[font] absolutely no glyph index for character " << charcode << ": " << "" << std::endl;
+                //continue;
+                //}
+                //}
+                //useNotdef = true;
+                //}
+                //continue;
+                //}
 
                 FT_Error error = FT_Load_Glyph(face, glyphIndex, loadFlags);
                 if(error){
@@ -1318,7 +1341,16 @@ class Font {
                 }
 
                 auto glyphIt = glyphs.find(glyphIdentity);
-                Glyph & glyph = (glyphIt == glyphs.end()) ? glyphs.begin()->second : glyphIt->second; // in case we have no glyph, draw first one?
+                if(glyphIt == glyphs.end()){
+                    glyphIt = glyphs.find({0x110000, glyphIdentity.coords});
+                    if(glyphIt == glyphs.end()){
+                        glyphIt = glyphs.find({0x25A1, glyphIdentity.coords});
+                        if(glyphIt == glyphs.end()){
+                            glyphIt = glyphs.begin();
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                Glyph & glyph = glyphIt->second; // in case we have no glyph, draw first one?
                 // NOTE: should we do this?
 
                 if(previous != 0 && glyph.index != 0){