diff --git a/src/core/core.js b/src/core/core.js
index 31460f4fe..8c4bda98e 100755
--- a/src/core/core.js
+++ b/src/core/core.js
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@
 			},
 			onClick: null,
 			defaultColor: 'rgba(0,0,0,0.1)',
+			defaultFontColor: '#666',
+			defaultFontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
+			defaultFontSize: 12,
+			defaultFontStyle: 'normal',
 
 			// Element defaults defined in element extensions
 			elements: {},
diff --git a/src/core/core.legend.js b/src/core/core.legend.js
index 860249487..a91cf4376 100644
--- a/src/core/core.legend.js
+++ b/src/core/core.legend.js
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@
 
 		labels: {
 			boxWidth: 40,
-			fontSize: 12,
-			fontStyle: "normal",
-			fontColor: "#666",
-			fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+			fontSize: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontSize,
+			fontStyle: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontStyle,
+			fontColor: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontColor,
+			fontFamily: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontFamily,
 			padding: 10,
 			// Generates labels shown in the legend
 			// Valid properties to return:
diff --git a/src/core/core.scale.js b/src/core/core.scale.js
index 721ea1f3a..b364bad13 100644
--- a/src/core/core.scale.js
+++ b/src/core/core.scale.js
@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@
 
 		// scale label
 		scaleLabel: {
-			fontColor: '#666',
-			fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
-			fontSize: 12,
-			fontStyle: 'normal',
+			fontColor: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontColor,
+			fontFamily: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontFamily,
+			fontSize: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontSize,
+			fontStyle: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontStyle,
 
 			// actual label
 			labelString: '',
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@
 		// label settings
 		ticks: {
 			beginAtZero: false,
-			fontSize: 12,
-			fontStyle: "normal",
-			fontColor: "#666",
-			fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+			fontSize: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontSize,
+			fontStyle: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontStyle,
+			fontColor: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontColor,
+			fontFamily: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontFamily,
 			maxRotation: 90,
 			mirror: false,
 			padding: 10,
diff --git a/src/core/core.title.js b/src/core/core.title.js
index 42ed8b54f..03a4903ac 100644
--- a/src/core/core.title.js
+++ b/src/core/core.title.js
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
 		position: 'top',
 		fullWidth: true, // marks that this box should take the full width of the canvas (pushing down other boxes)
 
-		fontColor: '#666',
-		fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
-		fontSize: 12,
+		fontColor: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontColor,
+		fontFamily: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontFamily,
+		fontSize: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontSize,
 		fontStyle: 'bold',
 		padding: 10,
 
diff --git a/src/core/core.tooltip.js b/src/core/core.tooltip.js
index 37a43e5d3..ad3e17b73 100644
--- a/src/core/core.tooltip.js
+++ b/src/core/core.tooltip.js
@@ -11,21 +11,21 @@
 		custom: null,
 		mode: 'single',
 		backgroundColor: "rgba(0,0,0,0.8)",
-		titleFontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
-		titleFontSize: 12,
+		titleFontFamily: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontFamily,
+		titleFontSize: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontSize,
 		titleFontStyle: "bold",
 		titleSpacing: 2,
 		titleMarginBottom: 6,
 		titleColor: "#fff",
 		titleAlign: "left",
-		bodyFontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
-		bodyFontSize: 12,
-		bodyFontStyle: "normal",
+		bodyFontFamily: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontFamily,
+		bodyFontSize: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontSize,
+		bodyFontStyle: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontStyle,
 		bodySpacing: 2,
 		bodyColor: "#fff",
 		bodyAlign: "left",
-		footerFontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
-		footerFontSize: 12,
+		footerFontFamily: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontFamily,
+		footerFontSize: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontSize,
 		footerFontStyle: "bold",
 		footerSpacing: 2,
 		footerMarginTop: 6,
diff --git a/src/scales/scale.radialLinear.js b/src/scales/scale.radialLinear.js
index beda63dae..1bfa64c61 100644
--- a/src/scales/scale.radialLinear.js
+++ b/src/scales/scale.radialLinear.js
@@ -36,16 +36,16 @@
 
 		pointLabels: {
 			//String - Point label font declaration
-			fontFamily: "'Arial'",
+			fontFamily: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontFamily,
 
 			//String - Point label font weight
-			fontStyle: "normal",
+			fontStyle: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontStyle,
 
 			//Number - Point label font size in pixels
 			fontSize: 10,
 
 			//String - Point label font colour
-			fontColor: "#666",
+			fontColor: Chart.defaults.global.defaultFontColor,
 
 			//Function - Used to convert point labels
 			callback: function(label) {
diff --git a/test/core.helpers.tests.js b/test/core.helpers.tests.js
index 0e18c7a5c..224cc83f2 100644
--- a/test/core.helpers.tests.js
+++ b/test/core.helpers.tests.js
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ describe('Core helper tests', function() {
 					position: "right",
 					scaleLabel: {
 						fontColor: '#666',
-						fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
+						fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 						fontSize: 12,
 						fontStyle: 'normal',
 						labelString: '',
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ describe('Core helper tests', function() {
 					ticks: {
 						beginAtZero: false,
 						fontColor: "#666",
-						fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+						fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 						fontSize: 12,
 						fontStyle: "normal",
 						maxRotation: 90,
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ describe('Core helper tests', function() {
 					position: "left",
 					scaleLabel: {
 						fontColor: '#666',
-						fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
+						fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 						fontSize: 12,
 						fontStyle: 'normal',
 						labelString: '',
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ describe('Core helper tests', function() {
 					ticks: {
 						beginAtZero: false,
 						fontColor: "#666",
-						fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+						fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 						fontSize: 12,
 						fontStyle: "normal",
 						maxRotation: 90,
diff --git a/test/scale.category.tests.js b/test/scale.category.tests.js
index 935ed604e..6389853ad 100644
--- a/test/scale.category.tests.js
+++ b/test/scale.category.tests.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ describe('Category scale tests', function() {
 			position: "bottom",
 			scaleLabel: {
 				fontColor: '#666',
-				fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: 'normal',
 				labelString: '',
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ describe('Category scale tests', function() {
 			ticks: {
 				beginAtZero: false,
 				fontColor: "#666",
-				fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: "normal",
 				maxRotation: 90,
diff --git a/test/scale.linear.tests.js b/test/scale.linear.tests.js
index a8b9738f9..a838da7e5 100644
--- a/test/scale.linear.tests.js
+++ b/test/scale.linear.tests.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ describe('Linear Scale', function() {
 			position: "left",
 			scaleLabel: {
 				fontColor: '#666',
-				fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: 'normal',
 				labelString: '',
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ describe('Linear Scale', function() {
 			ticks: {
 				beginAtZero: false,
 				fontColor: "#666",
-				fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: "normal",
 				maxRotation: 90,
diff --git a/test/scale.logarithmic.tests.js b/test/scale.logarithmic.tests.js
index b3bda00c7..8f5df2656 100644
--- a/test/scale.logarithmic.tests.js
+++ b/test/scale.logarithmic.tests.js
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ describe('Logarithmic Scale tests', function() {
 			position: "left",
 			scaleLabel: {
 				fontColor: '#666',
-				fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: 'normal',
 				labelString: '',
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ describe('Logarithmic Scale tests', function() {
 			ticks: {
 				beginAtZero: false,
 				fontColor: "#666",
-				fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: "normal",
 				maxRotation: 90,
diff --git a/test/scale.radialLinear.tests.js b/test/scale.radialLinear.tests.js
index e9ae118b2..784dde032 100644
--- a/test/scale.radialLinear.tests.js
+++ b/test/scale.radialLinear.tests.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ describe('Test the radial linear scale', function() {
 			lineArc: false,
 			pointLabels: {
 				fontColor: "#666",
-				fontFamily: "'Arial'",
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 10,
 				fontStyle: "normal",
 				callback: defaultConfig.pointLabels.callback, // make this nicer, then check explicitly below
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ describe('Test the radial linear scale', function() {
 			position: "chartArea",
 			scaleLabel: {
 				fontColor: '#666',
-				fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: 'normal',
 				labelString: '',
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ describe('Test the radial linear scale', function() {
 				backdropPaddingX: 2,
 				beginAtZero: false,
 				fontColor: "#666",
-				fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: "normal",
 				maxRotation: 90,
diff --git a/test/scale.time.tests.js b/test/scale.time.tests.js
index 87155deea..777e63ce9 100644
--- a/test/scale.time.tests.js
+++ b/test/scale.time.tests.js
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ describe('Time scale tests', function() {
 			position: "bottom",
 			scaleLabel: {
 				fontColor: '#666',
-				fontFamily: 'Helvetica Neue',
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: 'normal',
 				labelString: '',
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ describe('Time scale tests', function() {
 			ticks: {
 				beginAtZero: false,
 				fontColor: "#666",
-				fontFamily: "Helvetica Neue",
+				fontFamily: "'Helvetica Neue', 'Helvetica', 'Arial', sans-serif",
 				fontSize: 12,
 				fontStyle: "normal",
 				maxRotation: 90,