diff --git a/kitty/fonts/common.py b/kitty/fonts/common.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..94ef9074b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/kitty/fonts/common.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# License: GPLv3 Copyright: 2024, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Dict, Union
+
+from kitty.constants import is_macos
+
+from . import VariableData
+
+if TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from kitty.fast_data_types import CoreTextFont, CTFace, FontConfigPattern
+    from kitty.fast_data_types import Face as FT_Face
+
+    Descriptor = Union[FontConfigPattern, CoreTextFont]
+    def Face(descriptor: Descriptor) -> Union[FT_Face, CTFace]:
+        pass
+else:
+    Descriptor = object
+    if is_macos:
+        from kitty.fast_data_types import CTFace as Face
+    else:
+        from kitty.fast_data_types import Face
+
+
+cache_for_variable_data_by_path: Dict[str, VariableData] = {}
+
+
+def get_variable_data_for_descriptor(d: Descriptor) -> VariableData:
+    if not d['path']:
+        return Face(descriptor=d).get_variable_data()
+    ans = cache_for_variable_data_by_path.get(d['path'])
+    if ans is None:
+        ans = cache_for_variable_data_by_path[d['path']] = Face(descriptor=d).get_variable_data()
+    return ans
diff --git a/kitty/fonts/core_text.py b/kitty/fonts/core_text.py
index ca0bf759a..7cf920a0c 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts/core_text.py
+++ b/kitty/fonts/core_text.py
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 import re
 from typing import Dict, Generator, Iterable, List, Optional, Tuple
 
-from kitty.fast_data_types import CTFace, coretext_all_fonts
-from kitty.fonts import FontSpec, VariableData
+from kitty.fast_data_types import coretext_all_fonts
+from kitty.fonts import FontSpec
 from kitty.options.types import Options
 from kitty.typing import CoreTextFont
 from kitty.utils import log_error
@@ -119,19 +119,6 @@ def font_for_family(family: str) -> Tuple[CoreTextFont, bool, bool]:
     return ans, ans['bold'], ans['italic']
 
 
-cache_for_variable_data_by_path: Dict[str, VariableData] = {}
-
-
-def get_variable_data_for_descriptor(f: ListedFont) -> VariableData:
-    d = descriptor(f)
-    if not d['path']:
-        return CTFace(descriptor=d).get_variable_data()
-    ans = cache_for_variable_data_by_path.get(d['path'])
-    if ans is None:
-        ans = cache_for_variable_data_by_path[d['path']] = CTFace(descriptor=d).get_variable_data()
-    return ans
-
-
 def descriptor(f: ListedFont) -> CoreTextFont:
     d = f['descriptor']
     assert d['descriptor_type'] == 'core_text'
diff --git a/kitty/fonts/fontconfig.py b/kitty/fonts/fontconfig.py
index 66cf4680a..a340e4734 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts/fontconfig.py
+++ b/kitty/fonts/fontconfig.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ from kitty.fast_data_types import fc_match as fc_match_impl
 from kitty.options.types import Options
 from kitty.typing import FontConfigPattern
 
-from . import FontSpec, ListedFont, VariableData
+from . import FontSpec, ListedFont
 
 attr_map = {(False, False): 'font_family',
             (True, False): 'bold_font',
@@ -166,8 +166,11 @@ def get_fine_grained_font(
     resolved_medium_font: Optional[FontConfigPattern] = None, monospaced: bool = True
 ) -> FontConfigPattern:
     font_map = all_fonts_map(monospaced)
-    scorer = create_scorer(bold, italic, monospaced, prefer_variable=bool(spec.axes) or bool(spec.style))
-    is_medium_face = not bold and not italic
+    is_medium_face = resolved_medium_font is None
+    prefer_variable = bool(spec.axes) or bool(spec.style)
+    if resolved_medium_font and resolved_medium_font['variable']:
+        prefer_variable = True
+    scorer = create_scorer(bold, italic, monospaced, prefer_variable=prefer_variable)
     if spec.postscript_name:
         q = find_best_match_in_candidates(font_map['ps_map'].get(family_name_to_key(spec.postscript_name), []), scorer, is_medium_face)
         if q:
@@ -263,19 +266,6 @@ def descriptor(f: ListedFont) -> FontConfigPattern:
     return d
 
 
-cache_for_variable_data_by_path: Dict[str, VariableData] = {}
-
-
-def get_variable_data_for_descriptor(f: ListedFont) -> VariableData:
-    d = descriptor(f)
-    if not d['path']:
-        return Face(descriptor=d).get_variable_data()
-    ans = cache_for_variable_data_by_path.get(d['path'])
-    if ans is None:
-        ans = cache_for_variable_data_by_path[d['path']] = Face(descriptor=d).get_variable_data()
-    return ans
-
-
 def prune_family_group(g: List[ListedFont]) -> List[ListedFont]:
     # fontconfig creates dummy entries for named styles in variable fonts, prune them
     variable_paths = {descriptor(f)['path'] for f in g if f['is_variable']}
diff --git a/kitty/fonts/list.py b/kitty/fonts/list.py
index a7fb606c1..16f04d4d4 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts/list.py
+++ b/kitty/fonts/list.py
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ from kitty.constants import is_macos
 from kitty.types import run_once
 
 from . import ListedFont
+from .common import get_variable_data_for_descriptor
 
 if is_macos:
-    from .core_text import get_variable_data_for_descriptor, list_fonts, prune_family_group
+    from .core_text import list_fonts, prune_family_group
 else:
-    from .fontconfig import get_variable_data_for_descriptor, list_fonts, prune_family_group
+    from .fontconfig import list_fonts, prune_family_group
 
 
 @run_once
@@ -58,7 +59,7 @@ def create_family_groups(monospaced: bool = True) -> Dict[str, List[ListedFont]]
 
 
 def show_variable(f: ListedFont, psnames: bool) -> None:
-    vd = get_variable_data_for_descriptor(f)
+    vd = get_variable_data_for_descriptor(f['descriptor'])
     p = italic(vd['variations_postscript_name_prefix'] or f['family'])
     p = f"{p} {variable_font_label('Variable font')}"
     print(indented(p))