diff --git a/shutils/metadata_scripts.sh b/shutils/metadata_scripts.sh
index 0c67694149b..b3830b686e7 100644
--- a/shutils/metadata_scripts.sh
+++ b/shutils/metadata_scripts.sh
@@ -77,6 +77,13 @@ _EOF
 	fi
 	echo >> $tmpf
 
+	#
+	# Handle X11 font updates via mkfontdir/mkfontscale.
+	#
+	if [ -n "${font_dirs}" ]; then
+		echo "font_dirs=\"${font_dirs}\"" >> $tmpf
+	fi
+
 	if [ -n "$triggers" ]; then
 		found=1
 		echo "case \"\$2\" in" >> $tmpf
diff --git a/triggers/x11-fonts b/triggers/x11-fonts
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..3cdebb170b2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/triggers/x11-fonts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# This trigger rebuilds the fonts.dir and fonts.scale files
+# for packages that install X11 fonts.
+#
+# Arguments:	$1 = action [run/targets]
+#		$2 = target [post-install/pre-remove]
+#		$3 = pkgname
+#
+trigger="x11-fonts"
+
+case "$1" in
+targets)
+	echo "post-install pre-remove"
+	;;
+run)
+	if [ ! -x ${mkfontdir} -a ! -x ${mkfontscale} ]; then
+		exit 0
+	fi
+
+	[ -z "${font_dirs}" ] && exit 0
+
+	echo "Running $trigger trigger..."
+
+	case "$2" in
+	post-install)
+		for dir in ${font_dirs}; do
+			echo "Building ${dir}/fonts.dir..."
+			mkfontdir .${dir} || exit $?
+			echo "Building ${dir}/fonts.scale..."
+			mkfontscale .${dir} || exit $?
+		done
+		;;
+	pre-remove)
+		for dir in ${font_dirs}; do
+			if [ -f .${dir}/fonts.dir ]; then
+				rm -f .${dir}/fonts.dir
+			fi
+			if [ -f .${dir}/fonts.scale ]; then
+				rm -f .${dir}/fonts.scale
+			fi
+			if [ -f .${dir}/encodings.dir ]; then
+				rm -f .${dir}/encodings.dir
+			fi
+		done
+		;;
+	esac
+
+	;;
+*)
+	exit 1
+	;;
+esac
+
+exit 0