diff --git a/src/element_style.py b/src/element_style.py
index d4893362..22aa4a8f 100644
--- a/src/element_style.py
+++ b/src/element_style.py
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ def _load_font_sized(font_name: str, size: int) -> Tuple[Any, int]:
     path = resolve_font_path(font_name)
     if path is None:
         logger.warning("Font file not found: %s, using fallback", font_name)
-        return _load_fallback_font(size), size
+        return _load_fallback_font(size)
 
     cache_key = (path, size)
     cached = _font_cache.get(cache_key)
diff --git a/test/test_element_style.py b/test/test_element_style.py
index 4131a94b..3352b47a 100644
--- a/test/test_element_style.py
+++ b/test/test_element_style.py
@@ -359,6 +359,19 @@ class TestDegradation:
         # The override IS honored as forced, but the face degrades safely.
         assert style.user_forced
         assert style.font is not None
+        assert not isinstance(style.font, tuple)
+
+    def test_missing_font_load_returns_a_font_not_a_nested_tuple(self):
+        # Regression: the missing-font path in _load_font_sized used to wrap
+        # _load_fallback_font's own (font, size) tuple a second time, so
+        # load_font() returned a (font, size) tuple where callers (draw.text,
+        # layout math) expect a font object.
+        font, size = _load_font_sized("definitely-not-a-real-font.ttf", 8)
+        assert not isinstance(font, tuple)
+        assert size == 8
+
+        single = load_font("definitely-not-a-real-font.ttf", 8)
+        assert not isinstance(single, tuple)
 
     def test_empty_defaults_treats_config_as_reference_to_classic(self):
         # No schema defaults at all: a config value equal to the classic
diff --git a/test/test_web_api.py b/test/test_web_api.py
index fb6ae1d3..9a1bd1f7 100644
--- a/test/test_web_api.py
+++ b/test/test_web_api.py
@@ -825,10 +825,10 @@ class TestFontsAPI:
         # 405, not 404: the path still matches DELETE /fonts/<font_family>,
         # which now reads "overrides" as a font name. Nothing is routed to a
         # handler for GET or POST, which is what matters here.
-        assert client.get('/api/v3/fonts/overrides').status_code != 200
+        assert client.get('/api/v3/fonts/overrides').status_code == 405
         assert client.post('/api/v3/fonts/overrides',
                            data=json.dumps({}),
-                           content_type='application/json').status_code != 200
+                           content_type='application/json').status_code == 405
 
 
 class TestAPIErrorHandling:
diff --git a/test/web_interface/test_api_v3_helpers.py b/test/web_interface/test_api_v3_helpers.py
index dc21864b..fbd142bf 100644
--- a/test/web_interface/test_api_v3_helpers.py
+++ b/test/web_interface/test_api_v3_helpers.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from web_interface.blueprints.api_v3 import (  # noqa: E402
     _parse_form_value,
     _get_schema_property,
     _set_nested_value,
+    _SKIP_FIELD,
 )
 
 
@@ -221,12 +222,21 @@ class TestSetNestedValue:
         _set_nested_value(config, "fifa.world.enabled", True)
         assert config == {"fifa.world": {"enabled": True}}
 
-    def test_none_does_not_overwrite_existing(self):
+    def test_none_overwrites_existing(self):
+        # Regression: None is a real value here (the per-mode "inherit the
+        # base" override for a nullable field, or a blank indexed color
+        # channel) and must replace whatever was already stored. Only the
+        # _SKIP_FIELD sentinel means "leave it alone" -- see the next test.
         config = {"a": 1}
         _set_nested_value(config, "a", None)
-        assert config == {"a": 1}
+        assert config == {"a": None}
 
     def test_none_sets_missing_key(self):
         config = {}
         _set_nested_value(config, "a", None)
         assert config == {"a": None}
+
+    def test_skip_field_does_not_overwrite_existing(self):
+        config = {"a": 1}
+        _set_nested_value(config, "a", _SKIP_FIELD)
+        assert config == {"a": 1}
diff --git a/web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/__init__.py b/web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/__init__.py
index ea6da893..c1786667 100644
--- a/web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/__init__.py
+++ b/web_interface/blueprints/api_v3/__init__.py
@@ -1026,9 +1026,11 @@ def _set_nested_value(config, key_path, value):
             current[seg] = {}
         current = current[seg]
 
-    # Set the final value (don't overwrite with empty dict if value is None and we want to preserve structure)
-    if value is not None or segments[-1] not in current:
-        current[segments[-1]] = value
+    # Set the final value. _SKIP_FIELD (checked above) is the only sentinel
+    # for "leave the existing value alone" -- an explicit None here is a real
+    # value (e.g. the per-mode "inherit the base" override) and must overwrite
+    # whatever was already stored.
+    current[segments[-1]] = value
 def _set_missing_booleans_to_false(config, schema_props, form_keys, prefix='', config_node=None):
     """Walk schema and set missing boolean form fields to False.
 
diff --git a/web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/font-selector.js b/web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/font-selector.js
index cd0ee139..c8c84d1d 100644
--- a/web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/font-selector.js
+++ b/web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/font-selector.js
@@ -121,7 +121,9 @@
                         family: family,
                         display_name: info.display_name || generateDisplayName(info.filename || family),
                         path: info.path,
-                        type: info.type || 'unknown'
+                        type: info.type || 'unknown',
+                        scalable: info.scalable,
+                        native_size: info.native_size
                     }));
                 } else if (Array.isArray(data)) {
                     // Direct array format
diff --git a/web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/style-editor.js b/web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/style-editor.js
index f095f234..dbf3b613 100644
--- a/web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/style-editor.js
+++ b/web_interface/static/v3/js/widgets/style-editor.js
@@ -44,7 +44,10 @@
         if (FONT_CACHE) { return Promise.resolve(FONT_CACHE); }
         if (FONT_INFLIGHT) { return FONT_INFLIGHT; }
         FONT_INFLIGHT = fetch('/api/v3/fonts/catalog')
-            .then(function (r) { return r.json(); })
+            .then(function (r) {
+                if (!r.ok) { throw new Error('font catalog fetch failed: ' + r.status); }
+                return r.json();
+            })
             .then(function (payload) {
                 var catalog = (payload && payload.data && payload.data.catalog) || {};
                 FONT_CACHE = Object.keys(catalog).map(function (key) {
@@ -60,8 +63,10 @@
             })
             .catch(function (e) {
                 console.warn('[StyleEditor] could not load the font catalog', e);
-                FONT_CACHE = [];
-                return FONT_CACHE;
+                // Leave FONT_CACHE unset and clear FONT_INFLIGHT so the next
+                // call retries instead of being stuck on an empty result.
+                FONT_INFLIGHT = null;
+                return [];
             });
         return FONT_INFLIGHT;
     }
@@ -138,9 +143,13 @@
      * rather than a list curated by hand, which is what these fields used
      * to carry and why an uploaded font could never appear in one.
      */
-    function usableFonts(fonts, maxFixedSize) {
+    function usableFonts(fonts, maxFixedSize, current) {
         if (!maxFixedSize) { return fonts; }
         return fonts.filter(function (f) {
+            // Keep the font already saved on this element even if it no
+            // longer fits the cap -- dropping it would leave the select
+            // with nothing chosen and silently misrepresent the config.
+            if (current && f.filename === current) { return true; }
             if (f.scalable !== false) { return true; }
             // An unknown native size is not evidence it is too big.
             if (!f.nativeSize) { return true; }
@@ -358,7 +367,7 @@
             var xOptions = prop['x-options'] || prop['x_options'] || {};
             var cap = Number(xOptions.maxFixedSize) || opts.maxFixedSize || null;
             return fontControl(opts.name, opts.current,
-                               usableFonts(opts.fonts, cap),
+                               usableFonts(opts.fonts, cap, opts.current),
                                opts.optional, opts.onFontChange);
         }
         if (types.indexOf('boolean') !== -1) {
diff --git a/web_interface/templates/v3/partials/plugin_config.html b/web_interface/templates/v3/partials/plugin_config.html
index 4cf94efe..699e4081 100644
--- a/web_interface/templates/v3/partials/plugin_config.html
+++ b/web_interface/templates/v3/partials/plugin_config.html
@@ -88,6 +88,23 @@
             </div>
             <script>
             (function() {
+                function fallbackIsDirty(root) {
+                    if (!root) { return false; }
+                    var controls = root.querySelectorAll('input, select, textarea');
+                    for (var i = 0; i < controls.length; i++) {
+                        var c = controls[i];
+                        if (c.type === 'checkbox' || c.type === 'radio') {
+                            if (c.checked !== c.defaultChecked) { return true; }
+                        } else if (c.tagName === 'SELECT') {
+                            for (var j = 0; j < c.options.length; j++) {
+                                if (c.options[j].selected !== c.options[j].defaultSelected) { return true; }
+                            }
+                        } else if (c.value !== c.defaultValue) {
+                            return true;
+                        }
+                    }
+                    return false;
+                }
                 function initWidget() {
                     if (!window.LEDMatrixWidgets) { setTimeout(initWidget, 50); return; }
                     var widget = window.LEDMatrixWidgets.get('style-editor');
@@ -95,6 +112,11 @@
                     var container = document.getElementById('{{ field_id }}_container');
                     var fallback = document.getElementById('{{ field_id }}_fallback');
                     if (!container) { return; }
+                    // A user may already be editing the plain fallback fields
+                    // while this widget's script is still loading; swapping
+                    // in the widget now would replace them with the stale
+                    // server-rendered value and silently drop that edit.
+                    if (fallbackIsDirty(fallback)) { container.remove(); return; }
                     var value = {{ obj_value|tojson|safe }};
                     var config = { schema: {{ prop|tojson|safe }} };
                     try {
@@ -944,7 +966,10 @@
                             if (!available) { container.remove(); return; }
                             var widget = window.LEDMatrixWidgets.get(WIDGET);
                             if (!widget || typeof widget.render !== 'function') { container.remove(); return; }
-                            var value = {{ str_value|tojson|safe }};
+                            // Read the fallback's live value rather than the
+                            // server-rendered one, so an edit typed while the
+                            // widget script was still loading isn't lost.
+                            var value = fallback ? fallback.value : {{ str_value|tojson|safe }};
                             var config = {
                                 'type': '{{ field_type }}',
                                 'enum': {{ (prop.enum or [])|tojson|safe }},