diff --git a/kitty/fontconfig.c b/kitty/fontconfig.c
index 388ccf8b1..a7847468e 100644
--- a/kitty/fontconfig.c
+++ b/kitty/fontconfig.c
@@ -458,6 +458,10 @@ specialize_font_descriptor(PyObject *base_descriptor, double font_sz_in_pts, dou
     if (axes) {
         if (PyDict_SetItemString(ans, "axes", axes) != 0) return NULL;
     }
+    PyObject *matrix = PyDict_GetItemString(base_descriptor, "matrix");
+    if (matrix) {
+        if (PyDict_SetItemString(ans, "matrix", matrix) != 0) return NULL;
+    }
     PyObject *ff = PyDict_GetItemString(ans, "fontfeatures");
     if (ff && PyList_GET_SIZE(ff)) {
         for (Py_ssize_t i = 0; i < PyList_GET_SIZE(ff); i++) {
diff --git a/kitty/fonts/common.py b/kitty/fonts/common.py
index fe3718832..d6e873990 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts/common.py
+++ b/kitty/fonts/common.py
@@ -401,7 +401,38 @@ def get_font_files(opts: Options) -> FontFiles:
             font = medium_font
         key = kd[(bold, italic)]
         ans[key] = font
-    return {'medium': ans['medium'], 'bold': ans['bold'], 'italic': ans['italic'], 'bi': ans['bi']}
+
+    def apply_synthetic_matrix(font: Descriptor, bold: bool, italic: bool) -> Descriptor:
+        # fontconfig's FcFontList (used by find_best_match) omits FC_MATRIX from
+        # its object set, so a roman font found there carries no synthetic-italic
+        # shear and its "italic" renders upright. Fira Code is the case (it ships
+        # no italic), in both its static and variable builds. The italic intent
+        # exists only here at selection finalize, not at face construction, so
+        # recover the matrix now: for an italic slot whose chosen face is upright
+        # (no slant) and has no matrix yet, ask fc_match what fontconfig would do.
+        # fc_match returns a synthetic matrix only when there is no real italic to
+        # use (no italic face and no slanted named instance or variable slant
+        # axis); when a real italic exists it returns no matrix, so a font that is
+        # already italic, static or variable, is never double-slanted. Face construction applies the matrix
+        # via FT_Set_Transform; specialize_font_descriptor preserves it when the
+        # descriptor is sized for rendering. Only the matrix is taken, so
+        # selection is unchanged. Covers the four configured faces; fc_match
+        # re-matches by family name (see commit message).
+        if (italic and font['descriptor_type'] == 'fontconfig'
+                and not font.get('matrix') and not font.get('slant')):
+            from kitty.fast_data_types import FC_MONO
+            from kitty.fonts.fontconfig import fc_match
+            mtx = fc_match(font['family'], bold, italic, FC_MONO if is_monospace(font) else -1).get('matrix')
+            if mtx:
+                new_font = font.copy()
+                new_font['matrix'] = mtx
+                return new_font
+        return font
+    return {
+        'medium': ans['medium'], 'bold': ans['bold'],
+        'italic': apply_synthetic_matrix(ans['italic'], False, True),
+        'bi': apply_synthetic_matrix(ans['bi'], True, True),
+    }
 
 
 def axis_values_are_equal(defaults: dict[str, float], a: dict[str, float], b: dict[str, float]) -> bool:
diff --git a/kitty_tests/fonts.py b/kitty_tests/fonts.py
index 6bd65c2c8..adf7cb085 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/fonts.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/fonts.py
@@ -173,6 +173,41 @@ class Selection(BaseTest):
             self.ae(face_from_descriptor(ff['medium']).applied_features(), {'dlig': 'dlig', 'test': 'test=3'})
             self.ae(face_from_descriptor(ff['bold']).applied_features(), {'dlig': 'dlig', 'test': 'test=3'})
 
+    def test_synthetic_italic_matrix(self):
+        # A roman-only font that find_best_match finds (e.g. Fira Code, which ships
+        # no italic face) must get fontconfig's synthetic-italic FC_MATRIX
+        # (90-synthetic.conf) attached, so its italic renders slanted rather than
+        # upright; real-italic faces must not. The shear value is fontconfig's, not
+        # ours, so assert the invariant (a non-identity matrix is present), not the
+        # exact tuple, for cross-config stability.
+        if is_macos:
+            self.skipTest('synthetic-italic FC_MATRIX is a fontconfig feature')
+        from kitty.fonts.fontconfig import FC_MONO, fc_match
+        names = set(all_fonts_map(True)['family_map']) | set(all_fonts_map(True)['variable_map'])
+        if family_name_to_key('fira code') not in names:
+            self.skipTest('Fira Code not installed')
+        # Probe fc_match directly so we can tell "environment lacks the rule" (skip)
+        # from "code did not attach the matrix" (fail).
+        if fc_match('Fira Code', False, True, FC_MONO).get('matrix') is None:
+            self.skipTest('fontconfig 90-synthetic.conf not active; no synthetic-italic matrix')
+        opts = Options()
+        opts.font_family = parse_font_spec('Fira Code')
+        ff = get_font_files(opts)
+        self.assertIsNone(ff['medium'].get('matrix'))      # upright stays upright
+        mi = ff['italic'].get('matrix')
+        self.assertIsNotNone(mi)                            # roman, no italic -> sheared
+        self.assertNotEqual(mi[1], 0.0)                     # actually slanted, not identity
+        # Faces are built from a size-specialized descriptor at render time; the
+        # matrix must survive specialize_font_descriptor or the glyphs render
+        # upright despite the descriptor above being correct.
+        from kitty.fast_data_types import specialize_font_descriptor
+        sd = specialize_font_descriptor(dict(ff['italic']), 12.0, 96.0, 96.0)
+        self.ae(sd.get('matrix'), mi)
+        if family_name_to_key('liberation mono') in names:  # real-italic control
+            opts.font_family = parse_font_spec('Liberation Mono')
+            self.assertIsNone(get_font_files(opts)['italic'].get('matrix'))
+
+
 def block_helpers(s, sprites, cell_width, cell_height):
     mr = {}
     actual = b''