diff --git a/player/sub.c b/player/sub.c
index 548e7b22d9..384339c9e2 100644
--- a/player/sub.c
+++ b/player/sub.c
@@ -109,6 +109,9 @@ static void init_sub_renderer(struct MPContext *mpctx)
         ass_set_style_overrides(mpctx->ass_library, opts->ass_force_style_list);
 
     mpctx->ass_renderer = ass_renderer_init(mpctx->ass_library);
+
+    mp_ass_configure_fonts(mpctx->ass_renderer, opts->sub_text_style,
+                           mpctx->global, mpctx->ass_log);
 }
 
 void uninit_sub_renderer(struct MPContext *mpctx)
@@ -126,9 +129,6 @@ void uninit_sub_renderer(struct MPContext *mpctx)
 static void init_sub_renderer(struct MPContext *mpctx) {}
 void uninit_sub_renderer(struct MPContext *mpctx) {}
 
-static void mp_ass_configure_fonts(struct ass_renderer *a, struct osd_style_opts *b,
-                                   struct mpv_global *c, struct mp_log *d) {}
-
 #endif
 
 static void reset_subtitles(struct MPContext *mpctx, int order)
@@ -310,13 +310,6 @@ static void reinit_subdec(struct MPContext *mpctx, struct track *track,
                          &mpctx->ass_lock);
     sub_init_from_sh(dec_sub, track->stream);
 
-    if (mpctx->ass_renderer) {
-        pthread_mutex_lock(&mpctx->ass_lock);
-        mp_ass_configure_fonts(mpctx->ass_renderer, opts->sub_text_style,
-                               mpctx->global, mpctx->ass_log);
-        pthread_mutex_unlock(&mpctx->ass_lock);
-    }
-
     // Don't do this if the file has video/audio streams. Don't do it even
     // if it has only sub streams, because reading packets will change the
     // demuxer position.