diff --git a/data/templates/default.latex b/data/templates/default.latex
index 723e0091f..0701054c0 100644
--- a/data/templates/default.latex
+++ b/data/templates/default.latex
@@ -110,31 +110,30 @@ $if(mathspec)$
 $else$
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
 $endif$
-  \defaultfontfeatures{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=MatchLowercase}
-$for(fontfamilies)$
-  \newfontfamily{$fontfamilies.name$}[$for(fontfamilies.options)$$fontfamilies.options$$sep$,$endfor$]{$fontfamilies.font$}
-$endfor$
 $if(mainfont)$
   \setmainfont[$for(mainfontoptions)$$mainfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$mainfont$}
 $endif$
 $if(romanfont)$
-  \setromanfont[$for(romanfontoptions)$$romanfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$romanfont$}
+  \setromanfont[$if(romanfontoptions)$$for(romanfontoptions)$$romanfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$romanfont$}
 $endif$
 $if(sansfont)$
-  \setsansfont[$for(sansfontoptions)$$sansfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$sansfont$}
+  \setsansfont[$if(sansfontoptions)$$for(sansfontoptions)$$sansfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$sansfont$}
 $endif$
 $if(monofont)$
-  \setmonofont[Mapping=tex-ansi$if(monofontoptions)$,$for(monofontoptions)$$monofontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$endif$]{$monofont$}
+  \setmonofont[$if(monofontoptions)$$for(monofontoptions)$$monofontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$monofont$}
 $endif$
+$for(fontfamilies)$
+  \newfontfamily{$fontfamilies.name$}[$if(fontfamilies.options)$$for(fontfamilies.options)$$fontfamilies.options$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$fontfamilies.font$}
+$endfor$
 $if(mathfont)$
 $if(mathspec)$
   \ifxetex
-    \setmathfont(Digits,Latin,Greek)[$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$mathfont$}
+    \setmathfont(Digits,Latin,Greek)[$if(mathfontoptions)$$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$mathfont$}
   \else
-    \setmathfont[$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$mathfont$}
+    \setmathfont[$if(mathfontoptions)$$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$mathfont$}
   \fi
 $else$
-  \setmathfont[$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$mathfont$}
+  \setmathfont[$if(mathfontoptions)$$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$mathfont$}
 $endif$
 $endif$
 $if(CJKmainfont)$
diff --git a/test/lhs-test.latex b/test/lhs-test.latex
index 5584b2cfa..5d8442f2a 100644
--- a/test/lhs-test.latex
+++ b/test/lhs-test.latex
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
   \usepackage{textcomp} % provides euro and other symbols
 \else % if luatex or xelatex
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
-  \defaultfontfeatures{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=MatchLowercase}
 \fi
 % use upquote if available, for straight quotes in verbatim environments
 \IfFileExists{upquote.sty}{\usepackage{upquote}}{}
diff --git a/test/lhs-test.latex+lhs b/test/lhs-test.latex+lhs
index f22da75f3..9c8797d5e 100644
--- a/test/lhs-test.latex+lhs
+++ b/test/lhs-test.latex+lhs
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
   \usepackage{textcomp} % provides euro and other symbols
 \else % if luatex or xelatex
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
-  \defaultfontfeatures{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=MatchLowercase}
 \fi
 % use upquote if available, for straight quotes in verbatim environments
 \IfFileExists{upquote.sty}{\usepackage{upquote}}{}
diff --git a/test/writer.latex b/test/writer.latex
index f6b074099..155dcd407 100644
--- a/test/writer.latex
+++ b/test/writer.latex
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
   \usepackage{textcomp} % provides euro and other symbols
 \else % if luatex or xelatex
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
-  \defaultfontfeatures{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=MatchLowercase}
 \fi
 % use upquote if available, for straight quotes in verbatim environments
 \IfFileExists{upquote.sty}{\usepackage{upquote}}{}
diff --git a/test/writers-lang-and-dir.latex b/test/writers-lang-and-dir.latex
index 7b13594da..f18e9a7d6 100644
--- a/test/writers-lang-and-dir.latex
+++ b/test/writers-lang-and-dir.latex
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
   \usepackage{textcomp} % provides euro and other symbols
 \else % if luatex or xelatex
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
-  \defaultfontfeatures{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=MatchLowercase}
 \fi
 % use upquote if available, for straight quotes in verbatim environments
 \IfFileExists{upquote.sty}{\usepackage{upquote}}{}