matplotlib · QuLogic · Apr 16, 2026 · Apr 11, 2026
diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/31486-ES.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/31486-ES.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+New environment variable to ignore system fonts
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+System fonts may be ignored by setting the :envvar:`MPL_IGNORE_SYSTEM_FONTS`; this
+suppresses searching for system fonts (in known directories or via some
+platform-specific subprocess) as well as limiting the results from `.FontManager.findfont`.
diff --git a/doc/install/environment_variables_faq.rst b/doc/install/environment_variables_faq.rst
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ Environment variables
   used to find a base directory in which the :file:`matplotlib` subdirectory is
   created.
 
+.. envvar:: MPL_IGNORE_SYSTEM_FONTS
+
+  When this variable is set, Matplotlib will update its font cache only with its own
+  directories. This can be used to limit subprocess usage for querying system fonts.
+
 .. envvar:: PATH
 
   The list of directories searched to find executable programs.

diff --git a/doc/release/next_whats_new/ignore_system_fonts.rst b/doc/release/next_whats_new/ignore_system_fonts.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+New environment variable to ignore system fonts
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+System fonts may be ignored by setting the :envvar:`MPL_IGNORE_SYSTEM_FONTS`; this
+suppresses searching for system fonts (in known directories or via some
+platform-specific subprocess) as well as limiting the results from `.FontManager.findfont`.
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py b/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.py
@@ -277,17 +277,31 @@ def _get_macos_fonts():
 
 def findSystemFonts(fontpaths=None, fontext='ttf'):
     """
-    Search for fonts in the specified font paths.  If no paths are
-    given, will use a standard set of system paths, as well as the
-    list of fonts tracked by fontconfig if fontconfig is installed and
-    available.  A list of TrueType fonts are returned by default with
-    AFM fonts as an option.
+    Find fonts in a search path, system paths, or some other platform-specific method.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    fontpaths : list of str, optional
+        Search for fonts in these specified font paths. If no paths are given and the
+        :envvar:`MPL_IGNORE_SYSTEM_FONTS` is not set, use a standard set of system
+        paths, as well as the list of fonts tracked by fontconfig if fontconfig is
+        installed and available.
+    fontext : {'ttf', 'afm'}, default: 'ttf'
+        If 'ttf', search for TrueType fonts; if 'afm', search for with AFM fonts.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    list of str
+        A list of file paths with fonts of the given type.
     """
     fontfiles = set()
     fontexts = get_fontext_synonyms(fontext)
 
     if fontpaths is None:
-        if sys.platform == 'win32':
+        if os.getenv('MPL_IGNORE_SYSTEM_FONTS'):
+            installed_fonts = []
+            fontpaths = []
+        elif sys.platform == 'win32':
             installed_fonts = _get_win32_installed_fonts()
             fontpaths = []
         elif sys.platform == 'emscripten':
@@ -1465,6 +1479,8 @@ def findfont(self, prop, fontext='ttf', directory=None,
 
         directory : str, optional
             If given, only search this directory and its subdirectories.
+            If :envvar:`MPL_IGNORE_SYSTEM_FONTS` is set, then this defaults to
+            Matplotlib's internal font directory.
 
         fallback_to_default : bool
             If True, will fall back to the default font family (usually
@@ -1506,6 +1522,8 @@ def findfont(self, prop, fontext='ttf', directory=None,
             "serif", "sans-serif", "cursive", "fantasy", "monospace"]]
         rc_params = tuple(tuple(e) if isinstance(e, list) else e
                           for e in rc_params)  # Make this hashable.
+        if directory is None and os.getenv('MPL_IGNORE_SYSTEM_FONTS'):
+            directory = cbook._get_data_path('fonts')
         ret = self._findfont_cached(
             prop, fontext, directory, fallback_to_default, rebuild_if_missing,
             rc_params)

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/font_manager.pyi
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ def _get_font_alt_names(
     font: ft2font.FT2Font, primary_name: str
 ) -> list[tuple[str, int]]: ...
 def findSystemFonts(
-    fontpaths: Iterable[str | os.PathLike] | None = ..., fontext: str = ...
+    fontpaths: Iterable[str | os.PathLike] | None = ..., fontext: Literal['ttf', 'afm'] = ...
 ) -> list[str]: ...
 
 class FontPath(str):

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_font_manager.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_font_manager.py
@@ -248,12 +248,16 @@ def test_user_fonts_linux(tmpdir, monkeypatch):
     _get_fontconfig_fonts.cache_clear()
 
 
-def test_addfont_as_path():
+def test_addfont_as_path(monkeypatch):
     """Smoke test that addfont() accepts pathlib.Path."""
     font_test_file = 'mpltest.ttf'
     path = Path(__file__).parent / 'data' / font_test_file
     try:
         fontManager.addfont(path)
+        assert fontManager.findfont('mpltest:weight=500') == FontPath(path, 0)
+        with monkeypatch.context() as m, pytest.raises(ValueError):
+            m.setenv('MPL_IGNORE_SYSTEM_FONTS', 'true')  # Can only find internal fonts.
+            fontManager.findfont('mpltest:weight=500', fallback_to_default=False)
         added, = (font for font in fontManager.ttflist
                   if font.fname.endswith(font_test_file))
         fontManager.ttflist.remove(added)