diff --git a/piker/ui/_style.py b/piker/ui/_style.py
index b6c47817..893308b0 100644
--- a/piker/ui/_style.py
+++ b/piker/ui/_style.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class DpiAwareFont:
     ) -> None:
 
         self._font_size_calc_key: str = _font_size_key
-        self._font_size: int | None = None
+        self._font_size: int|None = None
 
         # Read preferred font size from main config file if it exists
         conf, path = config.load('conf', touch_if_dne=True)
@@ -107,7 +107,22 @@ class DpiAwareFont:
 
     @property
     def px_size(self) -> int:
-        return self._qfont.pixelSize()
+        size: int = self._qfont.pixelSize()
+
+        # XXX, when no Qt app has been spawned this will always be
+        # invalid..
+        # SO, just return any conf.toml value.
+        if size == -1:
+            if (conf_size := self._font_size) is None:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f'No valid `{type(_font).__name__}.px_size` set?\n'
+                    f'\n'
+                    f'-> `ui.font_size` is NOT set in `conf.toml`\n'
+                    f'-> no Qt app is active ??\n'
+                )
+            return conf_size
+
+        return size
 
     def configure_to_dpi(self, screen: QtGui.QScreen | None = None):
         '''
@@ -221,6 +236,20 @@ def _config_fonts_to_screen() -> None:
     _font_small.configure_to_dpi()
 
 
+def get_fonts() -> tuple[
+    DpiAwareFont,
+    DpiAwareFont,
+]:
+    '''
+    Get the singleton font pair (of instances) from which all other
+    UI/UX should be "scaled around".
+
+    See `DpiAwareFont` for (internal) deats.
+
+    '''
+    return _font, _font_small
+
+
 # TODO: re-compute font size when main widget switches screens?
 # https://forum.qt.io/topic/54136/how-do-i-get-the-qscreen-my-widget-is-on-qapplication-desktop-screen-returns-a-qwidget-and-qobject_cast-qscreen-returns-null/3