diff --git a/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver.rs b/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver.rs
index 3ff140a8a1..e74c26d6d3 100644
--- a/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver.rs
+++ b/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver.rs
@@ -678,7 +678,9 @@ impl FontResolver {
             let request = SelectionRequest {
                 weight: policy.weight,
                 slant: policy.slant,
-                width: policy.explicit_width,
+                // GNU font_select_entity prefers the face's width when the
+                // fontset spec leaves it unset, as for weight and slant.
+                width: Some(policy.width),
                 spacing: None,
                 prefer_monospace,
                 queried_family: family.as_deref(),
@@ -728,7 +730,6 @@ struct CapturedCharacterPolicy {
     weight: u16,
     slant: FontSlant,
     width: FontWidth,
-    explicit_width: Option<FontWidth>,
     size: FontSelectionSize,
 }
 
@@ -759,7 +760,6 @@ impl CapturedCharacterPolicy {
                 .unwrap_or(weight),
             slant: spec.slant.unwrap_or(slant),
             width: spec.width.unwrap_or(width),
-            explicit_width: spec.width,
             size,
         }
     }
diff --git a/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver/tests/mod.rs b/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver/tests/mod.rs
index 8be27087ef..ffb7a12bab 100644
--- a/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver/tests/mod.rs
@@ -551,6 +551,107 @@ fn equal_score_entities_keep_their_own_discovery_order() {
     );
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn character_fallback_prefers_the_requested_face_width() {
+    // A collection such as Iosevka lists its Extended face (width 125) before
+    // the Regular one. GNU font_select_entity takes the preferred width from
+    // the face when the fontset spec leaves it unset, so the face width must
+    // decide, not discovery order.
+    let collection_face = |index: u32, width: FontWidth| {
+        let mut face = candidate("Fixture Mono", 400, FontSlant::Normal, 100);
+        face.matched.metadata.width = Some(width);
+        replace_file_identity(
+            &mut face,
+            ResolvedFontIdentity::from_file("/fixture/FixtureMono.ttc", index, None),
+        );
+        face
+    };
+    let resolver = FontResolver::new(Box::new(CandidateBackend {
+        candidates: vec![
+            collection_face(3, FontWidth::Expanded),
+            collection_face(0, FontWidth::Normal),
+        ],
+    }));
+    for (requested, expected_index) in [(FontWidth::Normal, 0), (FontWidth::Expanded, 3)] {
+        let selected = resolver
+            .resolve_for_char(
+                "Fixture Mono",
+                'α',
+                400,
+                FontSlant::Normal,
+                requested,
+                selection_size(),
+            )
+            .expect("covering collection face");
+        assert_eq!(
+            (selected.metadata.width, selected.identity.file_face_index()),
+            (Some(requested), expected_index),
+            "requested {requested:?}"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn explicit_fontset_width_beats_the_face_width_on_live_and_frozen_paths() {
+    // The face width only fills an unset fontset width.  An explicit
+    // `:width' in the fontset spec still wins, on the live path and on the
+    // frozen worker path, both on a fresh lookup and on a cache hit.  The
+    // Normal face is discovered first, so only scoring can choose Expanded.
+    let collection_face = |index: u32, width: FontWidth| {
+        let mut face = candidate("Fixture Mono", 400, FontSlant::Normal, 100);
+        face.matched.metadata.width = Some(width);
+        replace_file_identity(
+            &mut face,
+            ResolvedFontIdentity::from_file("/fixture/FixtureMono.ttc", index, None),
+        );
+        face
+    };
+    let candidates = vec![
+        collection_face(0, FontWidth::Normal),
+        collection_face(3, FontWidth::Expanded),
+    ];
+    let mut eval = neovm_core::emacs_core::Context::new();
+    eval.eval_str(
+        "(let ((font-encoding-alist '((\".*\" unicode)))) \
+           (set-fontset-font t ?α (font-spec :family \"Fixture Mono\" :width 'expanded \
+                                             :registry \"iso10646-1\")))",
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+    let policies =
+        FrozenCharacterPolicies::capture(&[("Base Mono", 'α', 400, false, selection_size())], 4096)
+            .unwrap();
+    let selected_face = |resolver: &FontResolver| {
+        resolver
+            .resolve_for_char(
+                "Base Mono",
+                'α',
+                400,
+                FontSlant::Normal,
+                FontWidth::Normal,
+                selection_size(),
+            )
+            .map(|selected| (selected.metadata.width, selected.identity.file_face_index()))
+    };
+    let expanded = Some((Some(FontWidth::Expanded), 3));
+
+    let live = FontResolver::new(Box::new(CandidateBackend {
+        candidates: candidates.clone(),
+    }));
+    assert_eq!(selected_face(&live), expanded, "live lookup");
+    assert_eq!(selected_face(&live), expanded, "live cache hit");
+    drop(eval);
+
+    std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        let mut frozen = FontResolver::new(Box::new(CandidateBackend { candidates }));
+        frozen.install_worker_policy(Arc::new(policies));
+        assert_eq!(selected_face(&frozen), expanded, "frozen lookup");
+        assert_eq!(selected_face(&frozen), expanded, "frozen cache hit");
+        assert!(!frozen.worker_policy_missing());
+    })
+    .join()
+    .unwrap();
+}
+
 struct MetricBackend {
     candidates: Vec<FontCandidate>,
     probes: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
diff --git a/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver/worker_policy.rs b/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver/worker_policy.rs
index c82bfc5fab..70e2775e61 100644
--- a/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver/worker_policy.rs
+++ b/crates/neomacs-layout-engine/src/font/resolver/worker_policy.rs
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ impl CapturedCharacterPolicy {
                 .unwrap_or(weight),
             slant: spec.slant.unwrap_or(slant),
             width: spec.width.unwrap_or(FontWidth::Normal),
-            explicit_width: spec.width,
             size,
         })
     }