diff --git a/src/parisc/sticore.h b/src/parisc/sticore.h
index 8c3a98a..3e38ff0 100644
--- a/src/parisc/sticore.h
+++ b/src/parisc/sticore.h
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@
 
 struct font {
     struct sti_rom_font hdr;
-    char font[16*256];
+    unsigned char font[16*256];
 };
 
 /* STI font printing function structs */
diff --git a/src/parisc/stirom.c b/src/parisc/stirom.c
index 90eac00..07e89c3 100644
--- a/src/parisc/stirom.c
+++ b/src/parisc/stirom.c
@@ -370,29 +370,65 @@
     return 0;
 }
 
+/* can not call millicode routines in STI ROM code */
+static inline int inline_mul(int val, int mul)
+{
+    switch (mul) {
+    case 7:     return (val << 3) - val;
+    case 6:     return (val << 2) + (val << 1);
+    case 5:     return (val << 2) + val;
+    case 4:     return (val << 2);
+    case 3:     return (val << 1) + val;
+    case 2:     return (val << 1);
+    case 1:     return val;
+    case 0:     return 0;
+    default:    return 0;
+    }
+}
+
 static int __stifunc("font_unpmv") sti_font_unpmv(struct sti_font_flags *flags,
                                                   struct sti_font_inptr *in,
                                                   struct sti_font_outptr *out,
                                                   struct sti_glob_cfg *cfg)
 {
-    unsigned char *src = (unsigned char *)in->font_start_addr \
-        + sizeof(struct sti_rom_font) + (in->index * 16);
-    int y;
+    struct font *font = (struct font *) in->font_start_addr;
+    int bpc = font->hdr.bytes_per_char;
+    int width = font->hdr.width;
+    unsigned char *src;
+    int c, y, pitch;
     (void)flags;
 
+    /* same as: src = &font->font[in->index * bpc]; */
+    c = in->index;
+    y = inline_mul(c, bpc & 7);
+    if (bpc & 8) y += c << 3;
+    if (bpc & 16) y += c << 4;
+    if (bpc & 32) y += c << 5;
+    if (bpc & 64) y += c << 6;
+    if (bpc & 128) y += c << 7;
+    src = &font->font[y];
+
     write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_VRAM_IDX,
         (in->dest_y << 13) | (in->dest_x << 2));
 
     write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_FGCOLOR, in->fg_color);
     write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_BGCOLOR, in->bg_color);
     write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_BITMAP_OP, 0x23000300);
-    write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_VRAM_BITMASK, 0xff000000);
+    write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_VRAM_BITMASK, 0xffffffff << (32 - width));
     write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_DST_BM_ACCESS, 0x2ea01000);
     write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_PLANE_BITMASK, 7);
     barrier();
 
-    for(y = 0; y <  16; y++) {
-        write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_VRAM_BYTE_WRITE, src[y] << 24);
+    pitch = (width + 7) / 8;
+    for (y = 0; y < bpc; y += pitch) {
+        u32 val = 0;
+        switch (pitch) {
+            case 4:     val |= src[y+3] << 0;  /* fall through */
+            case 3:     val |= src[y+2] << 8;  /* fall through */
+            case 2:     val |= src[y+1] << 16; /* fall through */
+            default:    val |= src[y+0] << 24; /* fall through */
+        }
+        write_artist(cfg, ARTIST_VRAM_BYTE_WRITE, val);
         barrier();
     }
     out->errno = 0;