diff --git a/doc/install/dependencies.rst b/doc/install/dependencies.rst
index 712846771cc6..4b006d9016e2 100644
--- a/doc/install/dependencies.rst
+++ b/doc/install/dependencies.rst
@@ -443,7 +443,8 @@ will often automatically include these collections.
 |                             | `lm <https://ctan.org/pkg/lm>`_,                 |
 |                             | `txfonts <https://ctan.org/pkg/txfonts>`_        |
 +-----------------------------+--------------------------------------------------+
-| collection-latex            | `geometry <https://ctan.org/pkg/geometry>`_,     |
+| collection-latex            | `fix-cm <https://ctan.org/pkg/fix-cm>`_,         |
+|                             | `geometry <https://ctan.org/pkg/geometry>`_,     |
 |                             | `hyperref <https://ctan.org/pkg/hyperref>`_,     |
 |                             | `latex <https://ctan.org/pkg/latex>`_,           |
 |                             | latex-bin,                                       |
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc
index acb131c82e6c..780dcd377041 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc
@@ -339,7 +339,7 @@
                         # become quite long.
                         # The following packages are always loaded with usetex,
                         # so beware of package collisions:
-                        #   geometry, inputenc, type1cm.
+                        #   color, fix-cm, geometry, graphicx, textcomp.
                         # PostScript (PSNFSS) font packages may also be
                         # loaded, depending on your font settings.
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
index 6cba66076ac7..92624503f99e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/stylelib/classic.mplstyle
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ text.latex.preamble :  # IMPROPER USE OF THIS FEATURE WILL LEAD TO LATEX FAILURE
                        # Note that it has to be put on a single line, which may
                        # become quite long.
                        # The following packages are always loaded with usetex, so
-                       # beware of package collisions: color, geometry, graphicx,
-                       # type1cm, textcomp.
+                       # beware of package collisions:
+                       #   color, fix-cm, geometry, graphicx, textcomp.
                        # Adobe Postscript (PSSNFS) font packages may also be
                        # loaded, depending on your font settings.
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_svg.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_svg.py
index d2d4042870a1..2c64b7c24b3e 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_svg.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_backend_svg.py
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ def test_unicode_won():
 
     tree = xml.etree.ElementTree.fromstring(buf)
     ns = 'http://www.w3.org/2000/svg'
-    won_id = 'SFSS3583-8e'
+    won_id = 'SFSS1728-8e'
     assert len(tree.findall(f'.//{{{ns}}}path[@d][@id="{won_id}"]')) == 1
     assert f'#{won_id}' in tree.find(f'.//{{{ns}}}use').attrib.values()
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_usetex.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_usetex.py
index c7658c4f42ac..0b6d6d5e5535 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_usetex.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_usetex.py
@@ -185,3 +185,10 @@ def test_rotation():
                 # 'My' checks full height letters plus descenders.
                 ax.text(x, y, f"$\\mathrm{{My {text[ha]}{text[va]} {angle}}}$",
                         rotation=angle, horizontalalignment=ha, verticalalignment=va)
+
+
+def test_unicode_sizing():
+    tp = mpl.textpath.TextToPath()
+    scale1 = tp.get_glyphs_tex(mpl.font_manager.FontProperties(), "W")[0][0][3]
+    scale2 = tp.get_glyphs_tex(mpl.font_manager.FontProperties(), r"\textwon")[0][0][3]
+    assert scale1 == scale2
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/texmanager.py b/lib/matplotlib/texmanager.py
index 94fc94e9e840..c10f90a796b8 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/texmanager.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/texmanager.py
@@ -67,6 +67,13 @@ class TexManager:
     _grey_arrayd = {}
 
     _font_families = ('serif', 'sans-serif', 'cursive', 'monospace')
+    # Check for the cm-super package (which registers unicode computer modern
+    # support just by being installed) without actually loading any package
+    # (because we already load the incompatible fix-cm).
+    _check_cmsuper_installed = (
+        r'\IfFileExists{type1ec.sty}{}{\PackageError{matplotlib-support}{'
+        r'Missing cm-super package, required by Matplotlib}{}}'
+    )
     _font_preambles = {
         'new century schoolbook': r'\renewcommand{\rmdefault}{pnc}',
         'bookman': r'\renewcommand{\rmdefault}{pbk}',
@@ -83,10 +90,10 @@ class TexManager:
         # Loading the type1ec package ensures that cm-super is installed, which
         # is necessary for Unicode computer modern.  (It also allows the use of
         # computer modern at arbitrary sizes, but that's just a side effect.)
-        'monospace': r'\usepackage{type1ec}',
-        'computer modern roman': r'\usepackage{type1ec}',
-        'computer modern sans serif': r'\usepackage{type1ec}',
-        'computer modern typewriter': r'\usepackage{type1ec}',
+        'monospace': _check_cmsuper_installed,
+        'computer modern roman': _check_cmsuper_installed,
+        'computer modern sans serif': _check_cmsuper_installed,
+        'computer modern typewriter': _check_cmsuper_installed,
     }
     _font_types = {
         'new century schoolbook': 'serif',
@@ -200,6 +207,7 @@ def _get_tex_source(cls, tex, fontsize):
         font_preamble, fontcmd = cls._get_font_preamble_and_command()
         baselineskip = 1.25 * fontsize
         return "\n".join([
+            r"\RequirePackage{fix-cm}",
             r"\documentclass{article}",
             r"% Pass-through \mathdefault, which is used in non-usetex mode",
             r"% to use the default text font but was historically suppressed",