diff --git a/LICENSE/LICENSE_AREV b/LICENSE/LICENSE_AREV
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8e56d5bed1e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE/LICENSE_AREV
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+           Modifications to the Bitstream Vera fonts.
+
+Copyright (c) 2006 by Tavmjong Bah. All Rights Reserved.
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
+a copy of the fonts accompanying this license ("Fonts") and
+associated documentation files (the "Font Software"), to reproduce
+and distribute the modifications to the Bitstream Vera Font Software,
+including without limitation the rights to use, copy, merge, publish,
+distribute, and/or sell copies of the Font Software, and to permit
+persons to whom the Font Software is furnished to do so, subject to
+the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright and trademark notices and this permission notice
+shall be included in all copies of one or more of the Font Software
+typefaces.
+
+The Font Software may be modified, altered, or added to, and in
+particular the designs of glyphs or characters in the Fonts may be
+modified and additional glyphs or characters may be added to the
+Fonts, only if the fonts are renamed to names not containing either
+the words "Tavmjong Bah" or the word "Arev".
+
+This License becomes null and void to the extent applicable to Fonts
+or Font Software that has been modified and is distributed under the 
+"Tavmjong Bah Arev" names.
+
+The Font Software may be sold as part of a larger software package but
+no copy of one or more of the Font Software typefaces may be sold by
+itself.
+
+THE FONT SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF
+MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT
+OF COPYRIGHT, PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR OTHER RIGHT. IN NO EVENT SHALL
+TAVMJONG BAH BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
+INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+DAMAGES, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+FROM, OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE FONT SOFTWARE OR FROM
+OTHER DEALINGS IN THE FONT SOFTWARE.
+
+Except as contained in this notice, the name of Tavmjong Bah shall not
+be used in advertising or otherwise to promote the sale, use or other
+dealings in this Font Software without prior written authorization
+from Tavmjong Bah. For further information, contact: tavmjong @ free
+. fr.
+
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/Arev.ttf b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/Arev.ttf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..adf73382e801
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/Arev.ttf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevBI.ttf b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevBI.ttf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..cbe8b8873550
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevBI.ttf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevBd.ttf b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevBd.ttf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0a82f1d0c071
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevBd.ttf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevIt.ttf b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevIt.ttf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..025595890e23
Binary files /dev/null and b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/fonts/ttf/ArevIt.ttf differ
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
index 8615930499be..4cc794e9153b 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ def __call__(self, s):
                          'Nimbus Roman No9 L', 'Times New Roman',
                          'Times', 'Palatino', 'Charter', 'serif'],
                         validate_stringlist],
-    'font.sans-serif': [['Bitstream Vera Sans', 'DejaVu Sans',
+    'font.sans-serif': [['Arev Sans', 'Bitstream Vera Sans', 'DejaVu Sans',
                          'Lucida Grande', 'Verdana', 'Geneva', 'Lucid',
                          'Arial', 'Helvetica', 'Avant Garde', 'sans-serif'],
                         validate_stringlist],
@@ -606,12 +606,12 @@ def __call__(self, s):
     'text.antialiased':    [True, validate_bool],
 
     'mathtext.cal':            ['cursive', validate_font_properties],
-    'mathtext.rm':             ['serif', validate_font_properties],
+    'mathtext.rm':             ['sans', validate_font_properties],
     'mathtext.tt':             ['monospace', validate_font_properties],
-    'mathtext.it':             ['serif:italic', validate_font_properties],
-    'mathtext.bf':             ['serif:bold', validate_font_properties],
-    'mathtext.sf':             ['sans\-serif', validate_font_properties],
-    'mathtext.fontset':        ['cm', validate_fontset],
+    'mathtext.it':             ['sans:italic', validate_font_properties],
+    'mathtext.bf':             ['sans:bold', validate_font_properties],
+    'mathtext.sf':             ['sans', validate_font_properties],
+    'mathtext.fontset':        ['custom', validate_fontset],
     'mathtext.default':        ['it', validate_mathtext_default],
     'mathtext.fallback_to_cm': [True, validate_bool],