diff --git a/.github/workflows/make.yml b/.github/workflows/make.yml
index ccf3acc..4f2e45c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/make.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/make.yml
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ jobs:
     - name: make
       run: make
     - name: make install
-      run: sudo env PREFIX=/usr/ make install
+      run: sudo make PREFIX=/usr/ install
     - name: test deps
       run: sudo apt-get install -y xvfb
     - name: smoke test build
       run: xvfb-run ./xst bash -c exit
     - name: smoke test install
-      run: xvfb-run xst bash -c exit
+      run: sync ; sleep 0.1 ; xvfb-run xst bash -c exit
diff --git a/x.c b/x.c
index 798880e..29dafe9 100644
--- a/x.c
+++ b/x.c
@@ -75,7 +75,10 @@ static void ttysend(const Arg *);
 #include "config.h"
 
 /* Calculate count of spare fonts */
-int fonts_count;
+static int fonts_count = 0;
+
+// Declare fallback_fonts as a dynamic array
+static char **fallback_fonts = NULL;
 
 /* XEMBED messages */
 #define XEMBED_FOCUS_IN  4
@@ -174,6 +177,7 @@ static int xloadcolor(int, const char *, Color *);
 static int xloadfont(Font *, FcPattern *);
 static void xloadfonts(const char *, double);
 static int xloadsparefont(FcPattern *, int);
+static void xinitsparefonts(void);
 static void xloadsparefonts(void);
 static void xunloadfont(Font *);
 static void xunloadfonts(void);
@@ -333,9 +337,7 @@ zoomabs(const Arg *arg)
 {
 	xunloadfonts();
 	xloadfonts(getusedfont(), arg->f);
-	fonts_count--;
 	xloadsparefonts();
-	fonts_count++;
 	cresize(0, 0);
 	redraw();
 	xhints();
@@ -1149,6 +1151,28 @@ xloadsparefont(FcPattern *pattern, int flags)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void
+xinitsparefonts(void)
+{
+	// Ignore if spare fonts already loaded:
+	if (fonts_count) return;
+
+	// Allocate memory for initial fonts
+	int initial_count = sizeof(font2) / sizeof(font2[0]);
+	fallback_fonts = malloc((initial_count + 1) * sizeof(char *));
+	if (!fallback_fonts) {
+		die("Error initializing fallback fonts!\n");
+	}
+
+	// Copy the initial fonts to fallback_fonts
+	for (int i = 0; i < initial_count; i++) {
+		fallback_fonts[i] = font2[i];
+	}
+
+	fonts_count = initial_count;
+	fallback_fonts[fonts_count] = NULL;  // Null-terminate the array
+}
+
 void
 xloadsparefonts(void)
 {
@@ -1168,8 +1192,8 @@ xloadsparefonts(void)
 		frc = xrealloc(frc, frccap * sizeof(Fontcache));
 	}
 
-	for (fp = font2; fp - font2 < fonts_count; ++fp) {
-	
+	for (fp = fallback_fonts; fp < fallback_fonts + fonts_count && *fp != NULL; ++fp) {
+
 		if (**fp == '-')
 			pattern = XftXlfdParse(*fp, False, False);
 		else
@@ -1330,6 +1354,7 @@ xinit(int cols, int rows)
 	xloadfonts(getusedfont(), 0);
 
 	/* spare fonts */
+	xinitsparefonts();
 	xloadsparefonts();
 
 	/* colors */
diff --git a/xst.c b/xst.c
index 89c3fe7..4ad9031 100644
--- a/xst.c
+++ b/xst.c
@@ -63,20 +63,38 @@ xrdb_load(void)
 		}
 
 		XRESOURCE_LOAD_META("font_fallback") {
-			int count = 0, endchar = fonts_count = sizeof(font2) / sizeof(*font2);
-			for (int i = 0; ret.addr[i]; i++) if (ret.addr[i] == ',') count++;
-			if (count > 0)
-			{
-				for (int i = 0; i <= count; i++)
-				{
-					if (i == 0) font2[endchar + i] = strtok(ret.addr, ",");
-					else				font2[endchar + i] = strtok(NULL, ",");
-					fonts_count++;
+			int count = 0;
+			for (int i = 0; ret.addr[i]; i++) {
+				if (ret.addr[i] == ',') count++;
+			}
+
+			if (count > 0) {
+				// Reallocate fallback_fonts to fit additional fonts from Xresources
+				fallback_fonts = realloc(fallback_fonts, (fonts_count + count + 2) * sizeof(char *));
+				if (!fallback_fonts) {
+					printf("ERROR: can't load fonts from 'st.font_fallback' !\n");
+					return;
+				}
+
+				for (int i = 0; i <= count; i++) {
+					if (i == 0)
+						fallback_fonts[fonts_count + i] = strtok(ret.addr, ",");
+					else
+						fallback_fonts[fonts_count + i] = strtok(NULL, ",");
+					printf(" :: XRDB: adding fallback font: %s \n", fallback_fonts[fonts_count + i]);
 				}
-				font2[endchar + count + 1] = '\0';
+
+				fonts_count += count + 1;
+				fallback_fonts[fonts_count] = NULL;  // Null-terminate
 			} else if (ret.addr) {
-				font2[endchar] = ret.addr;
-				fonts_count++;
+				fallback_fonts = realloc(fallback_fonts, (fonts_count + 2) * sizeof(char *));
+				if (!fallback_fonts) {
+					printf("ERROR: can't load fonts from 'st.font_fallback' !\n");
+					return;
+				}
+
+				fallback_fonts[fonts_count++] = ret.addr;
+				fallback_fonts[fonts_count] = NULL;  // Null-terminate
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -139,6 +157,7 @@ reload(int sig)
 	if (sig == -1) {
 		return;
 	}
+	printf(" :: XST:: reloading config...\n");
 
 	xrdb_load();
 
@@ -146,11 +165,14 @@ reload(int sig)
 	xloadcols();
 	xunloadfonts();
 	xloadfonts(getusedfont(), 0);
+	xinitsparefonts();
+	xloadsparefonts();
 	xsetcursor(cursorshape);
 
 	/* pretend the window just got resized */
 	cresize(win.w, win.h);
 	redraw();
+	xhints();
 	/* triggers re-render if we're visible. */
 	ttywrite("\033[O", 3, 1);
 }