diff --git a/crates/svg/src/import/text.rs b/crates/svg/src/import/text.rs
index 32d37bf10..6c48fd593 100644
--- a/crates/svg/src/import/text.rs
+++ b/crates/svg/src/import/text.rs
@@ -28,8 +28,11 @@ impl Fonts {
     fn load() -> Self {
         Fonts(figcraft_text::fontdb::family_names().into_iter().map(|f| f.to_lowercase()).collect())
     }
+    /// Installed under this name, or under the family it names (`system-ui` on a Mac is its
+    /// System Font, see `fontdb::apple_alias`).
     fn has(&self, family: &str) -> bool {
-        self.0.contains(&family.to_lowercase())
+        let key = family.to_lowercase();
+        self.0.contains(&key) || figcraft_text::fontdb::apple_alias(&key).is_some_and(|target| self.0.contains(target))
     }
 }
 
@@ -67,8 +70,9 @@ fn generic(name: &str) -> Option<&'static [&'static str]> {
     })
 }
 
-/// The family to use: the first the SVG lists that's installed, else the first it names, else the
-/// default.
+/// The family to use: the first the SVG lists that's installed (a generic family as the first of
+/// its installed stand-ins, unless a font answers to its name: `system-ui` on a Mac), else the
+/// first it names, else the default.
 fn family(list: &[FontFamily], fonts: &Fonts) -> String {
     let name = |f: &FontFamily| match f {
         FontFamily::Serif => "serif".to_string(),
@@ -80,14 +84,11 @@ fn family(list: &[FontFamily], fonts: &Fonts) -> String {
     };
     for f in list {
         let n = name(f);
-        match generic(&n) {
-            Some(cands) => {
-                if let Some(c) = cands.iter().find(|c| fonts.has(c)) {
-                    return (*c).to_string();
-                }
-            }
-            None if fonts.has(&n) => return n,
-            None => {}
+        if fonts.has(&n) {
+            return n;
+        }
+        if let Some(c) = generic(&n).and_then(|cands| cands.iter().find(|c| fonts.has(c))) {
+            return (*c).to_string();
         }
     }
     list.iter().map(name).find(|n| generic(n).is_none() && !n.is_empty()).unwrap_or_else(|| TextStyle::default().font_family)
@@ -339,3 +340,7 @@ fn add_layer(
     }
     cx.add(n, parent);
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+#[path = "text_tests.rs"]
+mod tests;
diff --git a/crates/svg/src/import/text_tests.rs b/crates/svg/src/import/text_tests.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f267b2947
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/svg/src/import/text_tests.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+//! Which family an SVG's `font-family` list gives a text layer.
+
+use usvg::FontFamily;
+
+use super::{Fonts, family};
+
+fn fonts(installed: &[&str]) -> Fonts {
+    Fonts(installed.iter().map(|f| f.to_lowercase()).collect())
+}
+
+fn named(list: &[&str]) -> Vec<FontFamily> {
+    list.iter()
+        .map(|n| match *n {
+            "sans-serif" => FontFamily::SansSerif,
+            n => FontFamily::Named(n.to_string()),
+        })
+        .collect()
+}
+
+/// The names CSS gives the system font keep their name on a Mac, where they draw in its System
+/// Font, and fall back as before without it.
+#[test]
+fn css_system_font_names_keep_their_name_where_the_system_font_is() {
+    let mac = fonts(&["System Font", "Inter", "Helvetica"]);
+    assert_eq!(family(&named(&["-apple-system", "BlinkMacSystemFont", "system-ui", "sans-serif"]), &mac), "-apple-system");
+    assert_eq!(family(&named(&["BlinkMacSystemFont", "sans-serif"]), &mac), "BlinkMacSystemFont");
+    assert_eq!(family(&named(&["system-ui", "sans-serif"]), &mac), "system-ui");
+    assert_eq!(family(&named(&["Helvetica", "system-ui"]), &mac), "Helvetica", "an installed family the SVG lists first still wins");
+    let elsewhere = fonts(&["Inter", "DejaVu Sans"]);
+    assert_eq!(family(&named(&["-apple-system", "BlinkMacSystemFont", "system-ui", "sans-serif"]), &elsewhere), "Inter");
+    assert_eq!(family(&named(&["-apple-system"]), &elsewhere), "-apple-system", "nothing installed: the first name it gives");
+}
diff --git a/crates/text/src/fontdb.rs b/crates/text/src/fontdb.rs
index ced18c815..139871711 100644
--- a/crates/text/src/fontdb.rs
+++ b/crates/text/src/fontdb.rs
@@ -1069,12 +1069,12 @@ fn public_family(family: &str) -> Option<String> {
 
 /// The family Apple's system fonts are installed under, for the names designs use for them
 /// (lowercase): SF Pro and SF UI are the variable `SFNS.ttf` ("System Font"), its text and display
-/// cuts its optical sizes.
-fn apple_alias(key: &str) -> Option<&'static str> {
+/// cuts its optical sizes, as are the names CSS gives the system font (`system-ui`,
+/// `-apple-system`, `BlinkMacSystemFont`, `.AppleSystemUIFont`).
+pub fn apple_alias(key: &str) -> Option<&'static str> {
     Some(match key.trim_start_matches('.') {
-        "sf pro" | "sf pro text" | "sf pro display" | "sf ui text" | "sf ui display" | "sf ns" | "sf ns text" | "sf ns display" | "san francisco" => {
-            "system font"
-        }
+        "sf pro" | "sf pro text" | "sf pro display" | "sf ui text" | "sf ui display" | "sf ns" | "sf ns text" | "sf ns display" | "san francisco"
+        | "system-ui" | "-apple-system" | "blinkmacsystemfont" | "applesystemuifont" => "system font",
         "sf compact text" | "sf compact display" => "sf compact",
         _ => return None,
     })
diff --git a/crates/text/src/fontdb_tests.rs b/crates/text/src/fontdb_tests.rs
index 85d1f3a78..35b9435b3 100644
--- a/crates/text/src/fontdb_tests.rs
+++ b/crates/text/src/fontdb_tests.rs
@@ -340,8 +340,8 @@ fn font_bytes_load_into_the_db() {
     }
 }
 
-/// Apple's system font answers to the names designs use for it (SF Pro, SF UI Text, …), unless a
-/// font of that name is installed.
+/// Apple's system font answers to the names designs and CSS use for it (SF Pro, SF UI Text,
+/// system-ui, …), unless a font of that name is installed.
 #[test]
 fn apple_system_font_names_find_the_system_font() {
     let mut db = FontDb::default();
@@ -352,7 +352,11 @@ fn apple_system_font_names_find_the_system_font() {
     for name in ["SF Pro", "SF Pro Text", "SF Pro Display", "SF UI Text", "SF UI Display", ".SF NS Text", "San Francisco"] {
         assert!(db.has_family(name), "{name}");
     }
+    for name in ["system-ui", "-apple-system", "BlinkMacSystemFont", ".AppleSystemUIFont"] {
+        assert_eq!(db.key(name), "system font", "{name}");
+    }
     assert!(!db.has_family("SF Mono"));
+    assert!(!db.has_family("ui-monospace"));
     db.pending.insert("sf pro".into(), ("SF Pro".into(), Vec::new()));
     assert_eq!(db.key("SF Pro"), "sf pro", "an installed SF Pro is itself");
     assert_eq!(db.key("SF UI Text"), "system font");