diff --git a/src/gui/text/windows/qwindowsdirectwritefontdatabase.cpp b/src/gui/text/windows/qwindowsdirectwritefontdatabase.cpp
index 6b4933cca73..77d8028c1fc 100644
--- a/src/gui/text/windows/qwindowsdirectwritefontdatabase.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/text/windows/qwindowsdirectwritefontdatabase.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,32 @@ QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 // Defined in gui/text/qfontdatabase.cpp
 Q_GUI_EXPORT QFontDatabase::WritingSystem qt_writing_system_for_script(int script);
 
+template<typename T>
+struct DirectWriteScope {
+    DirectWriteScope(T *res = nullptr) : m_res(res) {}
+    ~DirectWriteScope() {
+        if (m_res != nullptr)
+            m_res->Release();
+    }
+
+    T **operator&()
+    {
+        return &m_res;
+    }
+
+    T *operator->()
+    {
+        return m_res;
+    }
+
+    T *operator*() {
+        return m_res;
+    }
+
+private:
+    T *m_res;
+};
+
 QWindowsDirectWriteFontDatabase::QWindowsDirectWriteFontDatabase()
 {
     qCDebug(lcQpaFonts) << "Creating DirectWrite database";
@@ -217,6 +243,34 @@ QFontEngine *QWindowsDirectWriteFontDatabase::fontEngine(const QFontDef &fontDef
     IDWriteFontFace *face = reinterpret_cast<IDWriteFontFace *>(handle);
     Q_ASSERT(face != nullptr);
 
+    DWRITE_FONT_SIMULATIONS simulations = DWRITE_FONT_SIMULATIONS_NONE;
+    if (fontDef.weight >= QFont::DemiBold || fontDef.style != QFont::StyleNormal) {
+        DirectWriteScope<IDWriteFontFace3> face3;
+        if (SUCCEEDED(face->QueryInterface(__uuidof(IDWriteFontFace3),
+                                           reinterpret_cast<void **>(&face3)))) {
+            if (fontDef.weight >= QFont::DemiBold && face3->GetWeight() < DWRITE_FONT_WEIGHT_DEMI_BOLD)
+                simulations |= DWRITE_FONT_SIMULATIONS_BOLD;
+
+            if (fontDef.style != QFont::StyleNormal && face3->GetStyle() == DWRITE_FONT_STYLE_NORMAL)
+                simulations |= DWRITE_FONT_SIMULATIONS_OBLIQUE;
+        }
+    }
+
+    DirectWriteScope<IDWriteFontFace5> newFace;
+    if (simulations != DWRITE_FONT_SIMULATIONS_NONE) {
+        DirectWriteScope<IDWriteFontFace5> face5;
+        if (SUCCEEDED(face->QueryInterface(__uuidof(IDWriteFontFace5),
+                                           reinterpret_cast<void **>(&face5)))) {
+            DirectWriteScope<IDWriteFontResource> font;
+            if (SUCCEEDED(face5->GetFontResource(&font))) {
+                if (SUCCEEDED(font->CreateFontFace(simulations, nullptr, 0, &newFace)))
+                    face = *newFace;
+                else
+                    qCWarning(lcQpaFonts) << "DirectWrite: Can't create font face for variable axis values";
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     QWindowsFontEngineDirectWrite *fontEngine = new QWindowsFontEngineDirectWrite(face, fontDef.pixelSize, data());
     fontEngine->initFontInfo(fontDef, defaultVerticalDPI());
 
diff --git a/src/gui/text/windows/qwindowsfontdatabase.cpp b/src/gui/text/windows/qwindowsfontdatabase.cpp
index e44d85a3cb8..c3cd91d7ba0 100644
--- a/src/gui/text/windows/qwindowsfontdatabase.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/text/windows/qwindowsfontdatabase.cpp
@@ -1230,6 +1230,7 @@ QFontEngine *QWindowsFontDatabase::createEngine(const QFontDef &request, const Q
             HRESULT hr = data->directWriteGdiInterop->CreateFontFaceFromHdc(data->hdc, &directWriteFontFace);
             if (SUCCEEDED(hr)) {
                 bool isColorFont = false;
+                bool needsSimulation = false;
 #if QT_CONFIG(direct2d)
                 IDWriteFontFace2 *directWriteFontFace2 = nullptr;
                 if (SUCCEEDED(directWriteFontFace->QueryInterface(__uuidof(IDWriteFontFace2),
@@ -1237,10 +1238,12 @@ QFontEngine *QWindowsFontDatabase::createEngine(const QFontDef &request, const Q
                     if (directWriteFontFace2->IsColorFont())
                         isColorFont = directWriteFontFace2->GetPaletteEntryCount() > 0;
 
+                    needsSimulation = directWriteFontFace2->GetSimulations() != DWRITE_FONT_SIMULATIONS_NONE;
+
                     directWriteFontFace2->Release();
                 }
 #endif // direct2d
-                useDw = useDw || useDirectWrite(hintingPreference, fam, isColorFont);
+                useDw = useDw || useDirectWrite(hintingPreference, fam, isColorFont) || needsSimulation;
                 qCDebug(lcQpaFonts)
                         << __FUNCTION__ << request.families.first() << request.pointSize << "pt"
                         << "hintingPreference=" << hintingPreference << "color=" << isColorFont