git diff TextOutputDev.cc
diff --git a/poppler/TextOutputDev.cc b/poppler/TextOutputDev.cc
index 442ace2..9686cc1 100644
--- a/poppler/TextOutputDev.cc
+++ b/poppler/TextOutputDev.cc
@@ -1988,6 +1988,11 @@ void TextPage::beginWord(GfxState *state, double 
x0, double y0) {
     rot = (m[2] > 0) ? 1 : 3;
   }
 
+  if (!curFont) {
+    curFont = new TextFontInfo(state);
+    fonts->append(curFont);
+  }
+
   curWord = new TextWord(state, rot, x0, y0, charPos, curFont, 
curFontSize);
 }