diff --git a/packages/core/src/index.ts b/packages/core/src/index.ts
index 7179a672e..e1d1d3c73 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/index.ts
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ export {
 export {
   FONT_WEIGHT_NAMES,
   FontManager,
+  chooseLocalFontMatch,
   fontManager,
   styleToWeight,
   weightToFigmaStyle,
diff --git a/packages/core/src/text/fonts.ts b/packages/core/src/text/fonts.ts
index 28888480a..8638dd059 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/text/fonts.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/text/fonts.ts
@@ -22,6 +22,44 @@ export interface DownloadedFontCache {
 
 type FindLocalFontOptions = { allowVariable?: boolean }
 
+type LocalFontMatch = Pick<FontInfo, 'family' | 'style'>
+
+export function chooseLocalFontMatch<T extends LocalFontMatch>(
+  fonts: T[],
+  family: string,
+  style?: string
+): T | undefined {
+  const families = [family]
+  const normalized = normalizeFontFamily(family)
+  if (normalized !== family) families.push(normalized)
+  const requested = parseFontStyle(style)
+
+  for (const f of families) {
+    const exact = style ? fonts.find((x) => x.family === f && x.style === style) : undefined
+    if (exact) return exact
+
+    const candidates = fonts.filter((x) => x.family === f)
+    const sameStyle = candidates.find((x) => {
+      const parsed = parseFontStyle(x.style)
+      return parsed.weight === requested.weight && parsed.italic === requested.italic
+    })
+    if (sameStyle) return sameStyle
+
+    const sameSlant = candidates.filter((x) => parseFontStyle(x.style).italic === requested.italic)
+    if (sameSlant.length > 0) {
+      return sameSlant.sort(
+        (a, b) =>
+          Math.abs(parseFontStyle(a.style).weight - requested.weight) -
+          Math.abs(parseFontStyle(b.style).weight - requested.weight)
+      )[0]
+    }
+
+    if (!style && candidates.length > 0) return candidates[0]
+  }
+
+  return undefined
+}
+
 const BUNDLED_FONTS: Record<string, string> = {
   'Inter|Regular': '/Inter-Regular.ttf',
   'Inter|Medium': '/Inter-Medium.ttf',
@@ -448,17 +486,7 @@ export class FontManager {
     if (!IS_BROWSER || !window.queryLocalFonts) return null
     try {
       const fonts = await window.queryLocalFonts()
-      const families = [family]
-      const normalized = normalizeFontFamily(family)
-      if (normalized !== family) families.push(normalized)
-
-      let match: (typeof fonts)[number] | undefined
-      for (const f of families) {
-        match = style ? fonts.find((x) => x.family === f && x.style === style) : undefined
-        match ??= fonts.find((x) => x.family === f)
-        if (match) break
-      }
-
+      const match = chooseLocalFontMatch(fonts, family, style)
       if (!match) return null
       const blob: Blob = await match.blob()
       const buffer = await blob.arrayBuffer()
diff --git a/tests/engine/text/fonts/loading.test.ts b/tests/engine/text/fonts/loading.test.ts
index a4bd0fa25..f53ddacad 100644
--- a/tests/engine/text/fonts/loading.test.ts
+++ b/tests/engine/text/fonts/loading.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { describe, test, expect } from 'bun:test'
 import type { CanvasKit, TypefaceFontProvider } from 'canvaskit-wasm'
 
 import {
+  chooseLocalFontMatch,
   fontManager,
   isVariableFont,
   normalizeFontFamily,
@@ -91,6 +92,24 @@ function createRecordingProvider() {
   return { provider, registrations }
 }
 
+describe('chooseLocalFontMatch', () => {
+  const fonts = [
+    { family: 'Inter', style: 'Italic' },
+    { family: 'Inter', style: 'Regular' },
+    { family: 'Inter', style: 'Semi Bold' },
+    { family: 'Inter', style: 'Bold Italic' }
+  ]
+
+  test('prefers parsed weight and slant over first family match', () => {
+    expect(chooseLocalFontMatch(fonts, 'Inter', 'SemiBold')?.style).toBe('Semi Bold')
+    expect(chooseLocalFontMatch(fonts, 'Inter', 'Regular')?.style).toBe('Regular')
+  })
+
+  test('does not fall back from upright requests to italic when upright faces exist', () => {
+    expect(chooseLocalFontMatch(fonts, 'Inter', 'Bold')?.style).toBe('Semi Bold')
+  })
+})
+
 describe('FontManager loaded font cache', () => {
   test('marks and checks font', () => {
     const family = `TestFont_${Date.now()}`