diff --git a/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/fontcache.py b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/fontcache.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..df88a229aab2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meta/lib/oeqa/selftest/cases/fontcache.py
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+#
+# Copyright OpenEmbedded Contributors
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+#
+
+import re
+
+from oeqa.selftest.case import OESelftestTestCase
+from oeqa.core.decorator import OETestTag
+from oeqa.utils.commands import bitbake, runqemu
+
+class FontCache(OESelftestTestCase):
+
+    @OETestTag("runqemu")
+    def test_image_font_cache_is_valid(self):
+        """
+        Summary:  Check the fontconfig caches built into an image are used
+        Expected: fontconfig accepts the cache of every font directory and
+                  writes no cache of its own, system or per-user
+        Product:  oe-core
+        """
+        features = 'EXTRA_IMAGE_FEATURES = "empty-root-password allow-empty-password allow-root-login"\n'
+        features += 'IMAGE_INSTALL:append = " ttf-bitstream-vera"\n'
+        self.write_config(features)
+        bitbake('core-image-minimal')
+
+        with runqemu('core-image-minimal') as qemu:
+            # FC_DEBUG=16 reports each cache fontconfig checks and each one it
+            # writes. An empty HOME catches a per-user cache, which fontconfig
+            # writes whenever it cannot use the system one.
+            status, output = qemu.run_serial(
+                'H=$(mktemp -d); HOME=$H XDG_CACHE_HOME=$H FC_DEBUG=16 fc-match sans-serif; echo "user cache: [$(ls -A $H)]"')
+            self.assertEqual(status, 1, msg=output)
+
+            checks = re.findall(r'FcCacheTimeValid dir "([^"]+)" cache checksum (\d+) dir checksum (\d+)', output)
+            self.assertTrue(checks, msg="fontconfig checked no cache:\n" + output)
+            for directory, cache, mtime in checks:
+                self.assertEqual(cache, mtime, msg="%s: the cache records mtime %s, the directory has %s\n%s" % (directory, cache, mtime, output))
+
+            self.assertNotIn('FcDirCacheWriteDir', output, msg="fontconfig rewrote a cache:\n" + output)
+            self.assertIn('user cache: []', output, msg="fontconfig wrote a per-user cache:\n" + output)