diff --git a/crates/pdf/tests/system_fonts.rs b/crates/pdf/tests/system_fonts.rs
index 262c4bde..b3eaa7bd 100644
--- a/crates/pdf/tests/system_fonts.rs
+++ b/crates/pdf/tests/system_fonts.rs
@@ -14,21 +14,36 @@ fn a_fresh_session_resolves_pdf_fonts_to_installed_families() {
     let probe = FontDb::with_font_dirs(system_font_dirs());
     probe.load_system_fonts();
     let installed = probe.families();
-    // A family whose PDF name is its name without the spaces (as "TimesNewRoman").
-    let Some(family) = installed.iter().find(|f| !bundled.contains(f) && f.contains(' ') && f.chars().all(|c| c.is_ascii_alphanumeric() || c == ' '))
-    else {
+    // Families whose PDF name is their name without the spaces (as "TimesNewRoman"). The font
+    // isn't embedded, so the page draws a stand-in; text stays live only where the installed
+    // font's glyphs match it, as a plain sans-serif's do and a condensed display face's don't:
+    // which family that is depends on the machine's fonts, so the first of them to do is checked.
+    let candidates: Vec<&String> = installed
+        .iter()
+        .filter(|f| !bundled.contains(f) && f.contains(' ') && f.chars().all(|c| c.is_ascii_alphanumeric() || c == ' '))
+        .take(200)
+        .collect();
+    if candidates.is_empty() {
         eprintln!("no system fonts installed: nothing to check");
         return;
+    }
+    let import = |family: &str| {
+        let resources = format!("/Font << /F1 << /Type /Font /Subtype /TrueType /BaseFont /{} >> >>", family.replace(' ', ""));
+        let page = PdfPage { resources, ..PdfPage::new(100.0, 100.0, "BT /F1 12 Tf 10 30 Td (Hi) Tj ET") };
+        let r = import_with_report(&pdf_with(&[page], &[], None), &ImportOptions::default()).unwrap();
+        let mut families = vec![];
+        r.document.walk(|n| {
+            if let NodeKind::Text(t) = &n.kind {
+                families.extend(t.runs.iter().map(|r| r.style.font_family.clone()));
+            }
+        });
+        (families, r.warnings)
     };
-    let resources = format!("/Font << /F1 << /Type /Font /Subtype /TrueType /BaseFont /{} >> >>", family.replace(' ', ""));
-    let page = PdfPage { resources, ..PdfPage::new(100.0, 100.0, "BT /F1 12 Tf 10 30 Td (Hi) Tj ET") };
-    let r = import_with_report(&pdf_with(&[page], &[], None), &ImportOptions::default()).unwrap();
-    let mut families = vec![];
-    r.document.walk(|n| {
-        if let NodeKind::Text(t) = &n.kind {
-            families.extend(t.runs.iter().map(|r| r.style.font_family.clone()));
-        }
+    let found = candidates.iter().find_map(|family| {
+        let (families, warnings) = import(family);
+        (!families.is_empty()).then_some((family, families, warnings))
     });
-    assert_eq!(families, std::slice::from_ref(family));
-    assert!(!r.warnings.iter().any(|w| w.contains(family.as_str())), "{:?}", r.warnings);
+    let (family, families, warnings) = found.expect("one of the installed families stays live text");
+    assert_eq!(families, std::slice::from_ref(*family));
+    assert!(!warnings.iter().any(|w| w.contains(family.as_str())), "{warnings:?}");
 }