diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index c038210e..abc390a4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -61,17 +61,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install macOS dependencies
         if: contains(matrix.os, 'macos')
         run: |
-          brew update 
-          brew install
-            autoconf automake libtool
-            gtk-doc gobject-introspection
-            cfitsio fftw giflib
-            glib libexif libgsf
-            libheif libjpeg-turbo libmatio
-            librsvg libspng libtiff
-            little-cms2 openexr openslide
-            orc pango poppler webp
-            openjpeg
+          brew update
+          brew upgrade
+          brew install autoconf automake libtool fftw fontconfig gtk-doc gobject-introspection glib libexif libgsf little-cms2 orc pango
+          brew install cfitsio imagemagick@6 libheif libjpeg-turbo libmatio librsvg libspng libtiff openexr openjpeg openslide poppler webp
 
       - name: Install Clang 10
         env:
@@ -96,7 +89,7 @@ jobs:
         if: contains(matrix.os, 'macos')
         run: |
           echo "JOBS=$(sysctl -n hw.logicalcpu)" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/opt/jpeg-turbo/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/opt/libxml2/lib/pkgconfig" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+          echo "PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/opt/jpeg-turbo/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/opt/libxml2/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/opt/imagemagick@6/lib/pkgconfig" >> $GITHUB_ENV
 
       - name: Prepare sanitizers
         if: matrix.sanitize
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 1a7c5ace..3c99ab52 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1103,6 +1103,26 @@ fi
 VIPS_CFLAGS="$VIPS_CFLAGS $PANGOCAIRO_CFLAGS"
 VIPS_LIBS="$VIPS_LIBS $PANGOCAIRO_LIBS"
 
+# font file support with fontconfig
+AC_ARG_WITH([fontconfig], 
+  AS_HELP_STRING([--without-fontconfig], 
+    [build without fontconfig (default: test)]))
+
+if test x"$with_pangocairo" != x"no" -a x"$with_fontconfig" != x"no"; then
+  PKG_CHECK_MODULES(FONTCONFIG, fontconfig,
+    [AC_DEFINE(HAVE_FONTCONFIG,1,[define if you have fontconfig installed.])
+     with_fontconfig=yes
+     PACKAGES_USED="$PACKAGES_USED fontconfig"
+    ],
+    [AC_MSG_WARN([fontconfig not found; disabling fontconfig support])
+     with_fontconfig=no
+    ]
+  )
+fi
+
+VIPS_CFLAGS="$VIPS_CFLAGS $FONTCONFIG_CFLAGS"
+VIPS_LIBS="$VIPS_LIBS $FONTCONFIG_LIBS"
+
 # look for TIFF with pkg-config ... fall back to our tester
 # pkgconfig support for libtiff starts with libtiff-4
 AC_ARG_WITH([tiff], 
@@ -1326,6 +1346,7 @@ accelerate loops with orc: $with_orc, \
 ICC profile support with lcms: $with_lcms, \
 zlib: $with_zlib, \
 text rendering with pangocairo: $with_pangocairo, \
+font file support with fontconfig: $with_fontconfig, \
 EXIF metadata support with libexif: $with_libexif, \
 JPEG load/save with libjpeg: $with_jpeg, \
 PNG load with libspng: $with_libspng, \
@@ -1428,6 +1449,7 @@ accelerate loops with orc:              $with_orc
 ICC profile support with lcms:          $with_lcms
 zlib:                                   $with_zlib
 text rendering with pangocairo:         $with_pangocairo
+font file support with fontconfig:      $with_fontconfig
 EXIF metadata support with libexif:     $with_libexif
 
 ## File format support
diff --git a/libvips/create/text.c b/libvips/create/text.c
index d09f5e5b..34782c4e 100644
--- a/libvips/create/text.c
+++ b/libvips/create/text.c
@@ -84,7 +84,10 @@
 #include <cairo.h>
 #include <pango/pango.h>
 #include <pango/pangocairo.h>
+
+#ifdef HAVE_FONTCONFIG
 #include <fontconfig/fontconfig.h>
+#endif
 
 #include "pcreate.h"
 
@@ -123,10 +126,12 @@ static GMutex *vips_text_lock = NULL;
  */
 static PangoFontMap *vips_text_fontmap = NULL;
 
+#ifdef HAVE_FONTCONFIG
 /* All the fontfiles we've loaded. fontconfig lets you add a fontfile
  * repeatedly, and we obviously don't want that.
  */
 static GHashTable *vips_text_fontfiles = NULL;
+#endif
 
 static void
 vips_text_dispose( GObject *gobject )
@@ -365,13 +370,17 @@ vips_text_build( VipsObject *object )
 
 	if( !vips_text_fontmap )
 		vips_text_fontmap = pango_cairo_font_map_new();
+
+#ifdef HAVE_FONTCONFIG
 	if( !vips_text_fontfiles )
 		vips_text_fontfiles = 
 			g_hash_table_new( g_str_hash, g_str_equal );
+#endif
 
 	text->context = pango_font_map_create_context( 
 		PANGO_FONT_MAP( vips_text_fontmap ) );
 
+#ifdef HAVE_FONTCONFIG
 	if( text->fontfile &&
 		!g_hash_table_lookup( vips_text_fontfiles, text->fontfile ) ) {
 		if( !FcConfigAppFontAddFile( NULL, 
@@ -386,6 +395,11 @@ vips_text_build( VipsObject *object )
 			text->fontfile,
 			g_strdup( text->fontfile ) );
 	}
+#else
+	if( text->fontfile )
+		g_warning( "%s",
+			_( "ignoring fontfile (no fontconfig support)" ) );
+#endif
 
 	/* If our caller set height and not dpi, we adjust dpi until 
 	 * we get a fit.