diff --git a/i3-config-wizard/main.c b/i3-config-wizard/main.c
index cdce0653..a6cd760d 100644
--- a/i3-config-wizard/main.c
+++ b/i3-config-wizard/main.c
@@ -112,9 +112,10 @@ static int handle_expose() {
     xcb_change_gc(conn, pixmap_gc, XCB_GC_FOREGROUND, (uint32_t[]){ get_colorpixel("#000000") });
     xcb_poly_fill_rectangle(conn, pixmap, pixmap_gc, 1, &border);
 
-    xcb_change_gc(conn, pixmap_gc, XCB_GC_FONT, (uint32_t[]){ font.id });
+    set_font(&font);
 
-#define txt(x, row, text) xcb_image_text_8(conn, strlen(text), pixmap, pixmap_gc, x, (row * font.height) + 2, text)
+#define txt(x, row, text) \
+    draw_text(text, strlen(text), false, pixmap, pixmap_gc, x, (row - 1) * font.height + 4)
 
     if (current_step == STEP_WELCOME) {
         /* restore font color */
@@ -150,12 +151,14 @@ static int handle_expose() {
         else txt(31, 4, "<Win>");
 
         /* the selected modifier */
+        set_font(&bold_font);
         xcb_change_gc(conn, pixmap_gc, XCB_GC_FONT, (uint32_t[]){ bold_font.id });
         if (modifier == MOD_Mod4)
             txt(31, 4, "<Win>");
         else txt(31, 5, "<Alt>");
 
         /* green */
+        set_font(&font);
         xcb_change_gc(conn, pixmap_gc, XCB_GC_FOREGROUND | XCB_GC_FONT,
                       (uint32_t[]) { get_colorpixel("#00FF00"), font.id });
 
@@ -437,6 +440,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     xcb_numlock_mask = get_mod_mask_for(XCB_NUM_LOCK, symbols, modmap_reply);
 
     font = load_font(pattern, true);
+    set_font(&font);
     bold_font = load_font(patternbold, true);
 
     /* Open an input window */
diff --git a/i3-input/main.c b/i3-input/main.c
index 3eabd15d..3d45206d 100644
--- a/i3-input/main.c
+++ b/i3-input/main.c
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ static int handle_expose(void *data, xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_expose_event_t
         memcpy(full_text, prompt, prompt_len * 2);
         memcpy(full_text + (prompt_len * 2), con, input_position * 2);
     }
-    xcb_image_text_16(conn, input_position + prompt_len, pixmap, pixmap_gc, 4 /* X */,
-                      font.height + 2 /* Y = baseline of font */, (xcb_char2b_t*)full_text);
+    if (input_position + prompt_len != 0)
+        draw_text(full_text, input_position + prompt_len, true, pixmap, pixmap_gc, 4, 4);
 
     /* Copy the contents of the pixmap to the real window */
     xcb_copy_area(conn, pixmap, win, pixmap_gc, 0, 0, 0, 0, /* */ 500, font.height + 8);
@@ -361,6 +361,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     symbols = xcb_key_symbols_alloc(conn);
 
     font = load_font(pattern, true);
+    set_font(&font);
 
     /* Open an input window */
     win = xcb_generate_id(conn);
diff --git a/i3-nagbar/main.c b/i3-nagbar/main.c
index 4d4e253a..525e3221 100644
--- a/i3-nagbar/main.c
+++ b/i3-nagbar/main.c
@@ -135,8 +135,7 @@ static int handle_expose(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_expose_event_t *event) {
     values[0] = color_text;
     values[1] = color_background;
     xcb_change_gc(conn, pixmap_gc, XCB_GC_FOREGROUND | XCB_GC_BACKGROUND, values);
-    xcb_image_text_8(conn, strlen(prompt), pixmap, pixmap_gc, 4 + 4/* X */,
-                      font.height + 2 + 4 /* Y = baseline of font */, prompt);
+    draw_text(prompt, strlen(prompt), false, pixmap, pixmap_gc, 4 + 4, 4 + 4);
 
     /* render close button */
     int line_width = 4;
@@ -163,8 +162,7 @@ static int handle_expose(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_expose_event_t *event) {
     values[1] = color_button_background;
     values[2] = 1;
     xcb_change_gc(conn, pixmap_gc, XCB_GC_FOREGROUND | XCB_GC_BACKGROUND | XCB_GC_LINE_WIDTH, values);
-    xcb_image_text_8(conn, strlen("x"), pixmap, pixmap_gc, y - w - line_width + (w / 2) - 4/* X */,
-                      font.height + 2 + 4 - 1/* Y = baseline of font */, "X");
+    draw_text("X", 1, false, pixmap, pixmap_gc, y - w - line_width + w / 2 - 4, 4 + 4 - 1);
     y -= w;
 
     y -= 20;
@@ -194,8 +192,8 @@ static int handle_expose(xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_expose_event_t *event) {
         values[0] = color_text;
         values[1] = color_button_background;
         xcb_change_gc(conn, pixmap_gc, XCB_GC_FOREGROUND | XCB_GC_BACKGROUND, values);
-        xcb_image_text_8(conn, strlen(buttons[c].label), pixmap, pixmap_gc, y - w - line_width + 6/* X */,
-                          font.height + 2 + 3/* Y = baseline of font */, buttons[c].label);
+        draw_text(buttons[c].label, strlen(buttons[c].label), false, pixmap, pixmap_gc,
+                y - w - line_width + 6, 4 + 3);
 
         y -= w;
     }
@@ -304,6 +302,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
     }
 
     font = load_font(pattern, true);
+    set_font(&font);
 
     /* Open an input window */
     win = xcb_generate_id(conn);
diff --git a/src/render.c b/src/render.c
index d85d16a7..ed78895e 100644
--- a/src/render.c
+++ b/src/render.c
@@ -193,7 +193,9 @@ void render_con(Con *con, bool render_fullscreen) {
     }
 
     /* find the height for the decorations */
-    int deco_height = config.font.height + 5;
+    int deco_height = config.font.height + 4;
+    if (config.font.height & 0x01)
+        ++deco_height;
 
     /* precalculate the sizes to be able to correct rounding errors */
     int sizes[children];
diff --git a/src/sighandler.c b/src/sighandler.c
index c7c9ce7f..c0abed9a 100644
--- a/src/sighandler.c
+++ b/src/sighandler.c
@@ -50,12 +50,8 @@ static int sig_draw_window(xcb_window_t win, int width, int height, int font_hei
     xcb_change_gc(conn, pixmap_gc, XCB_GC_FOREGROUND, (uint32_t[]){ get_colorpixel("#FFFFFF") });
 
     for (int i = 0; i < sizeof(crash_text) / sizeof(char*); i++) {
-        int text_len = strlen(crash_text[i]);
-        xcb_char2b_t *full_text = convert_utf8_to_ucs2(crash_text[i], &text_len);
-        xcb_image_text_16(conn, text_len, pixmap, pixmap_gc, 8 /* X */,
-                          3 + (i + 1) * font_height /* Y = baseline of font */,
-                          (xcb_char2b_t*)full_text);
-        free(full_text);
+        draw_text(crash_text[i], strlen(crash_text[i]), false,
+                pixmap, pixmap_gc, 8, 3 + (i - 1) * font_height);
     }
 
     /* Copy the contents of the pixmap to the real window */
diff --git a/src/x.c b/src/x.c
index 61824d58..f67de0ca 100644
--- a/src/x.c
+++ b/src/x.c
@@ -411,22 +411,15 @@ void x_draw_decoration(Con *con) {
     uint32_t mask = XCB_GC_FOREGROUND | XCB_GC_BACKGROUND | XCB_GC_FONT;
     uint32_t values[] = { p->color->text, p->color->background, config.font.id };
     xcb_change_gc(conn, parent->pm_gc, mask, values);
-    int text_offset_y = config.font.height + (con->deco_rect.height - config.font.height) / 2 - 1;
+    int text_offset_y = (con->deco_rect.height - config.font.height) / 2;
 
     struct Window *win = con->window;
     if (win == NULL || win->name_x == NULL) {
         /* this is a non-leaf container, we need to make up a good description */
         // TODO: use a good description instead of just "another container"
-        xcb_image_text_8(
-            conn,
-            strlen("another container"),
-            parent->pixmap,
-            parent->pm_gc,
-            con->deco_rect.x + 2,
-            con->deco_rect.y + text_offset_y,
-            "another container"
-        );
-
+        draw_text("another container", strlen("another container"), false,
+                parent->pixmap, parent->pm_gc,
+                con->deco_rect.x + 2, con->deco_rect.y + text_offset_y);
         goto copy_pixmaps;
     }
 
@@ -447,26 +440,9 @@ void x_draw_decoration(Con *con) {
     //DLOG("indent_level = %d, indent_mult = %d\n", indent_level, indent_mult);
     int indent_px = (indent_level * 5) * indent_mult;
 
-    if (win->uses_net_wm_name)
-        xcb_image_text_16(
-            conn,
-            win->name_len,
-            parent->pixmap,
-            parent->pm_gc,
-            con->deco_rect.x + 2 + indent_px,
-            con->deco_rect.y + text_offset_y,
-            (xcb_char2b_t*)win->name_x
-        );
-    else
-        xcb_image_text_8(
-            conn,
-            win->name_len,
-            parent->pixmap,
-            parent->pm_gc,
-            con->deco_rect.x + 2 + indent_px,
-            con->deco_rect.y + text_offset_y,
-            win->name_x
-        );
+    draw_text(win->name_x, win->name_len, win->uses_net_wm_name,
+            parent->pixmap, parent->pm_gc,
+            con->deco_rect.x + 2 + indent_px, con->deco_rect.y + text_offset_y);
 
 copy_pixmaps:
     xcb_copy_area(conn, con->pixmap, con->frame, con->pm_gc, 0, 0, 0, 0, con->rect.width, con->rect.height);