diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 6190a9d4..4c80b051 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ Changes since version 0.91.0:
 - fixed bug with restoring maximized state from NetWM atoms.
 - fixed issue with GNUstep applications losing focus when all their windows
   are closed and there remains only their menu (Matt Rice <ratmice@yahoo.com>)
+- try fixed font for the technical drawing font if helvetica-12 is not
+  available to avoid crashing (Timo Juhani Lindfors <timo.lindfors@iki.fi>)
 
 
 Changes since version 0.90.0:
diff --git a/WINGs/po/de.po b/WINGs/po/de.po
index 92b7f975..8b0a76f9 100644
--- a/WINGs/po/de.po
+++ b/WINGs/po/de.po
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ msgstr "zusätzliche Daten hinter dem Ende der Propertyliste"
 #: ../../WINGs/proplist.c:1602
 #, c-format
 msgid "could not get size for file '%s'"
-msgstr "konnte Dateigrösse von '%s' nicht ermitteln"
+msgstr "konnte Dateigröße von '%s' nicht ermitteln"
 
 #: ../../WINGs/proplist.c:1614
 #, c-format
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ msgstr "rename ('%s' to '%s') schlug fehl"
 #: ../../WINGs/userdefaults.c:192 ../../WINGs/userdefaults.c:208
 #, c-format
 msgid "cannot read domain from file '%s' when syncing"
-msgstr "Kannn bei der Synchronisation nicht aus Datei '%s' lesen"
+msgstr "Kann bei der Synchronisation nicht aus Datei '%s' lesen"
 
 #: ../../WINGs/wcolor.c:198 ../../WINGs/wcolor.c:211 ../../WINGs/wcolor.c:250
 #: ../../WINGs/wcolor.c:291
diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index a36bcc60..170f313e 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -807,7 +807,9 @@ wScreenInit(int screen_number)
 
     scr->info_text_font = WMBoldSystemFontOfSize(scr->wmscreen, 12);
 
-    scr->tech_draw_font= XLoadQueryFont(dpy, "-adobe-helvetica-bold-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-*-*");
+    scr->tech_draw_font = XLoadQueryFont(dpy, "-adobe-helvetica-bold-r-*-*-12-*-*-*-*-*-*-*");
+    if (!scr->tech_draw_font)
+        scr->tech_draw_font = XLoadQueryFont(dpy, "fixed");
 
     scr->gview = WCreateGeometryView(scr->wmscreen);
     WMRealizeWidget(scr->gview);