diff --git a/kittens/choose_fonts/backend.py b/kittens/choose_fonts/backend.py
index 047921965..467a035e3 100644
--- a/kittens/choose_fonts/backend.py
+++ b/kittens/choose_fonts/backend.py
@@ -47,7 +47,13 @@ class TextStyle(TypedDict):
 
 def print(*a: Any) -> None:
     import builtins
-    builtins.print(*a, file=sys.stderr)
+    import os
+    if 'KITTY_STDIO_FORWARDED' in os.environ:
+        fd = int(os.environ['KITTY_STDIO_FORWARDED'])
+        with open(fd, 'w', closefd=False) as f:
+            builtins.print(*a, file=f)
+    else:
+        builtins.print(*a, file=sys.stderr)
 
 
 OptNames = Literal['font_family', 'bold_font', 'italic_font', 'bold_italic_font']
@@ -72,7 +78,7 @@ def d(k: OptNames) -> None:
     return opts, tuple(family_key), ts['dpi_x'], ts['dpi_y']
 
 
-BaseKey = Tuple[FamilyKey, int, int]
+BaseKey = Tuple[str, int, int]
 FaceKey = Tuple[str, BaseKey]
 RenderedSample = Tuple[bytes, Dict[str, Any]]
 RenderedSampleTransmit = Dict[str, Any]
@@ -99,11 +105,11 @@ def render_family_sample(
     opts: Options, family_key: FamilyKey, dpi_x: float, dpi_y: float, width: int, height: int, output_dir: str,
     cache: Dict[FaceKey, RenderedSampleTransmit]
 ) -> Dict[str, RenderedSampleTransmit]:
-    base_key: BaseKey = family_key, width, height
+    base_key: BaseKey = opts.font_family.created_from_string, width, height
     ans: Dict[str, RenderedSampleTransmit] = {}
     font_files = get_font_files(opts)
     for x in family_key:
-        key: FaceKey = getattr(opts, x).created_from_string, base_key
+        key: FaceKey = x + ': ' + getattr(opts, x).created_from_string, base_key
         if x == 'font_family':
             desc = font_files['medium']
         elif x == 'bold_font':
diff --git a/kittens/choose_fonts/faces.go b/kittens/choose_fonts/faces.go
index 40905e34a..9cbcd0642 100644
--- a/kittens/choose_fonts/faces.go
+++ b/kittens/choose_fonts/faces.go
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ func (self *faces) on_enter(family string) error {
 		d := func(conf ResolvedFace, setting *string, defval string) {
 			*setting = utils.IfElse(family == conf.Family, conf.Spec, defval)
 		}
-		d(r.Font_family, &self.settings.font_family, family)
+		d(r.Font_family, &self.settings.font_family, fmt.Sprintf(`family="%s"`, family))
 		d(r.Bold_font, &self.settings.bold_font, "auto")
 		d(r.Italic_font, &self.settings.italic_font, "auto")
 		d(r.Bold_italic_font, &self.settings.bold_italic_font, "auto")
diff --git a/kitty/fonts/common.py b/kitty/fonts/common.py
index 0c433f726..0cfc7f38f 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts/common.py
+++ b/kitty/fonts/common.py
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ def get_named_style(face_or_descriptor: Union[Face, Descriptor]) -> Optional[Nam
             axis_map = d.get('axis_map', {}).copy()
     else:
         face: Face = face_or_descriptor
+        vd = get_variable_data_for_face(face)
         q = face.get_variation()
         if q is None:
             return None