diff --git a/MANUAL.txt b/MANUAL.txt
index bfe35edfc..8954957d2 100644
--- a/MANUAL.txt
+++ b/MANUAL.txt
@@ -1527,13 +1527,12 @@ LaTeX variables are used when [creating a PDF].
     `fontfamily` set to [`mathpazo`] provides Palatino with old-style
     figures and true small caps; may be repeated for multiple options
 
-`mainfont`, `romanfont`, `sansfont`, `monofont`, `mathfont`, `CJKmainfont`
+`mainfont`, `sansfont`, `monofont`, `mathfont`, `CJKmainfont`
 :   font families for use with `xelatex` or
     `lualatex`: take the name of any system font, using the
-    [`fontspec`] package.  Note that if `CJKmainfont` is used,
-    the [`xecjk`] package must be available.
+    [`fontspec`] package.  `CJKmainfont` uses the [`xecjk`] package.
 
-`mainfontoptions`, `romanfontoptions`, `sansfontoptions`, `monofontoptions`, `mathfontoptions`, `CJKoptions`
+`mainfontoptions`, `sansfontoptions`, `monofontoptions`, `mathfontoptions`, `CJKoptions`
 :   options to use with `mainfont`, `sansfont`, `monofont`, `mathfont`,
     `CJKmainfont` in `xelatex` and `lualatex`.  Allow for any choices
     available through [`fontspec`], such as the OpenType features
diff --git a/data/templates/default.latex b/data/templates/default.latex
index 1691f3a21..b9dbbb774 100644
--- a/data/templates/default.latex
+++ b/data/templates/default.latex
@@ -110,30 +110,29 @@ $if(mathspec)$
 $else$
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
 $endif$
+  \defaultfontfeatures{Scale=MatchLowercase}
+  \defaultfontfeatures[\rmfamily]{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=1}
 $if(mainfont)$
   \setmainfont[$for(mainfontoptions)$$mainfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$mainfont$}
 $endif$
-$if(romanfont)$
-  \setromanfont[$if(romanfontoptions)$$for(romanfontoptions)$$romanfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$romanfont$}
-$endif$
 $if(sansfont)$
-  \setsansfont[$if(sansfontoptions)$$for(sansfontoptions)$$sansfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$sansfont$}
+  \setsansfont[$for(sansfontoptions)$$sansfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$sansfont$}
 $endif$
 $if(monofont)$
-  \setmonofont[$if(monofontoptions)$$for(monofontoptions)$$monofontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$monofont$}
+  \setmonofont[$for(monofontoptions)$$monofontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$monofont$}
 $endif$
 $for(fontfamilies)$
-  \newfontfamily{$fontfamilies.name$}[$if(fontfamilies.options)$$for(fontfamilies.options)$$fontfamilies.options$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$fontfamilies.font$}
+  \newfontfamily{$fontfamilies.name$}[$for(fontfamilies.options)$$fontfamilies.options$$sep$,$endfor$]{$fontfamilies.font$}
 $endfor$
 $if(mathfont)$
 $if(mathspec)$
   \ifxetex
-    \setmathfont(Digits,Latin,Greek)[$if(mathfontoptions)$$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$mathfont$}
+    \setmathfont(Digits,Latin,Greek)[$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$mathfont$}
   \else
-    \setmathfont[$if(mathfontoptions)$$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$mathfont$}
+    \setmathfont[$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$mathfont$}
   \fi
 $else$
-  \setmathfont[$if(mathfontoptions)$$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$$else$Scale=MatchLowercase$endif$]{$mathfont$}
+  \setmathfont[$for(mathfontoptions)$$mathfontoptions$$sep$,$endfor$]{$mathfont$}
 $endif$
 $endif$
 $if(CJKmainfont)$
diff --git a/test/lhs-test.latex b/test/lhs-test.latex
index 5d8442f2a..f18af737c 100644
--- a/test/lhs-test.latex
+++ b/test/lhs-test.latex
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
   \usepackage{textcomp} % provides euro and other symbols
 \else % if luatex or xelatex
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
+  \defaultfontfeatures{Scale=MatchLowercase}
+  \defaultfontfeatures[\rmfamily]{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=1}
 \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 9c8797d5e..dc6f2803b 100644
--- a/test/lhs-test.latex+lhs
+++ b/test/lhs-test.latex+lhs
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
   \usepackage{textcomp} % provides euro and other symbols
 \else % if luatex or xelatex
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
+  \defaultfontfeatures{Scale=MatchLowercase}
+  \defaultfontfeatures[\rmfamily]{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=1}
 \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 155dcd407..d801e1590 100644
--- a/test/writer.latex
+++ b/test/writer.latex
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@
   \usepackage{textcomp} % provides euro and other symbols
 \else % if luatex or xelatex
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
+  \defaultfontfeatures{Scale=MatchLowercase}
+  \defaultfontfeatures[\rmfamily]{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=1}
 \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 f18e9a7d6..bb3575771 100644
--- a/test/writers-lang-and-dir.latex
+++ b/test/writers-lang-and-dir.latex
@@ -13,6 +13,8 @@
   \usepackage{textcomp} % provides euro and other symbols
 \else % if luatex or xelatex
   \usepackage{unicode-math}
+  \defaultfontfeatures{Scale=MatchLowercase}
+  \defaultfontfeatures[\rmfamily]{Ligatures=TeX,Scale=1}
 \fi
 % use upquote if available, for straight quotes in verbatim environments
 \IfFileExists{upquote.sty}{\usepackage{upquote}}{}