diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index 389cbb68..c7f083fe 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -1484,7 +1484,7 @@ function RecipesPipeline.preprocess_attributes!(plotattributes::AKW)
 
     # fonts
     for fontname in
-        (:titlefont, :legendfont, :legendtitlefont, :plot_titlefont, :colorbar_titlefont)
+        (:titlefont, :legendtitlefont, :plot_titlefont, :colorbar_titlefont)
         args = RecipesPipeline.pop_kw!(plotattributes, fontname, ())
         for arg in wraptuple(args)
             processFontArg!(plotattributes, fontname, arg)
@@ -1947,6 +1947,17 @@ function _update_subplot_colors(sp::Subplot)
     return
 end
 
+function _update_subplot_legend(sp::Subplot, plotattributes_in)
+    f_attr = NamedTuple( k => plotattributes_in[Symbol(:legend_font_, k)] for k in (:family, :pointsize, :valign, :halign, :rotation, :color) if haskey(plotattributes_in, Symbol(:legend_font_, k)))
+    match_attr = NamedTuple( (lk = Symbol(:legend_font_, k); k => haskey(_match_map, lk) ? sp[lk] :
+            haskey(plotattributes_in, :legend_font) ? getproperty(plotattributes_in[:legend_font], k) :
+            default(plotattributes_in, lk))
+            for k in (:family, :pointsize, :valign, :halign, :rotation, :color))
+    sp.attr[:legend_font] = font(;
+        merge(match_attr, f_attr)...
+    )
+end
+
 function _update_axis(
     plt::Plot,
     sp::Subplot,
diff --git a/src/components.jl b/src/components.jl
index d2f89bc0..6e236636 100644
--- a/src/components.jl
+++ b/src/components.jl
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ function font(args...; kw...)
 
     for arg in args
         T = typeof(arg)
+        @assert arg !== :match
 
         if T == Font
             family = arg.family
@@ -269,12 +270,12 @@ function font(args...; kw...)
             catch
                 family = string(arg)
             end
-        elseif typeof(arg) <: Integer
+        elseif T <: Integer
             pointsize = arg
-        elseif typeof(arg) <: Real
+        elseif T <: Real
             rotation = convert(Float64, arg)
         else
-            @warn "Unused font arg: $arg ($(typeof(arg)))"
+            @warn "Unused font arg: $arg ($T)"
         end
     end
 
diff --git a/src/pipeline.jl b/src/pipeline.jl
index bacd339e..4698c8b9 100644
--- a/src/pipeline.jl
+++ b/src/pipeline.jl
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ function _subplot_setup(plt::Plot, plotattributes::AKW, kw_list::Vector{KW})
             get(sp_attrs, sp, KW())
         end
         _update_subplot_args(plt, sp, attr, idx, false)
+        _update_subplot_legend(sp, attr)
     end
 
     # do we need to link any axes together?
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index 9e33d50c..85e40fb6 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -994,14 +994,7 @@ titlefont(sp::Subplot) = font(;
     color = sp[:titlefontcolor],
 )
 
-legendfont(sp::Subplot) = font(;
-    family = sp[:legend_font_family],
-    pointsize = sp[:legend_font_pointsize],
-    valign = sp[:legend_font_valign],
-    halign = sp[:legend_font_halign],
-    rotation = sp[:legend_font_rotation],
-    color = sp[:legend_font_color],
-)
+legendfont(sp::Subplot) = sp[:legend_font]
 
 legendtitlefont(sp::Subplot) = font(;
     family = sp[:legend_title_font_family],
diff --git a/test/test_defaults.jl b/test/test_defaults.jl
index 4f9e1ae7..a62ca9ad 100644
--- a/test/test_defaults.jl
+++ b/test/test_defaults.jl
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Plots.__init__()
 @testset "Loading theme" begin
     pl = plot(1:5)
     @test pl[1][1][:seriescolor] == RGBA(colorant"black")
-    @test guidefont(pl[1][:xaxis]).family == "palantino"
+    @test Plots.guidefont(pl[1][:xaxis]).family == "palantino"
 end
 
 empty!(PLOTS_DEFAULTS)
@@ -67,4 +67,12 @@ end # testset
     @test p[1][:legend_title_font_color] == :blue
     @test p[1][:legend_background_color] == RGBA{Float64}(0.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
     @test p[1][:legend_foreground_color] == RGBA{Float64}(0.0, 0.5019607843137255, 0.0, 1.0)
+
+    #setting whole font
+    sp = plot(1:5, legendfont=font(12), legend_font_halign = :left, foreground_color_subplot = :red)[1]
+    @test Plots.legendfont(sp).pointsize == 12
+    @test Plots.legendfont(sp).halign == :left
+    # match mechanism
+    @test sp[:legend_font_color] == sp[:foreground_color_subplot]
+    @test Plots.legendfont(sp).color == sp[:foreground_color_subplot]
 end # testset