diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
index e66c7d4a6fa6..08447fc28260 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -1322,6 +1322,7 @@ def tk_window_focus():
     'matplotlib.tests.test_dates',
     'matplotlib.tests.test_delaunay',
     'matplotlib.tests.test_figure',
+    'matplotlib.tests.test_font_manager',
     'matplotlib.tests.test_gridspec',
     'matplotlib.tests.test_image',
     'matplotlib.tests.test_legend',
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py b/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
index 5b5b558dc2a9..9bc5ee9ee712 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
@@ -1070,12 +1070,12 @@ def score_family(self, families, family2):
                 options = [x.lower() for x in options]
                 if family2 in options:
                     idx = options.index(family2)
-                    return ((0.1 * (float(idx) / len(options))) *
-                            (float(i) / float(len(families))))
+                    return ((0.1 * (idx / len(options))) *
+                            ((i + 1) / len(families)))
             elif family1 == family2:
                 # The score should be weighted by where in the
                 # list the font was found.
-                return float(i) / float(len(families))
+                return i / len(families)
         return 1.0
 
     def score_style(self, style1, style2):
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_font_manager.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_font_manager.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..df2675219023
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_font_manager.py
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function,
+                        unicode_literals)
+
+from nose.tools import assert_equal
+import six
+
+import os
+
+from matplotlib.font_manager import findfont, FontProperties
+from matplotlib import rc_context
+
+
+def test_font_priority():
+    with rc_context(rc={
+            'font.sans-serif':
+            ['cmmi10', 'Bitstream Vera Sans']}):
+        font = findfont(
+            FontProperties(family=["sans-serif"]))
+    assert_equal(os.path.basename(font), 'cmmi10.ttf')