diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_Typeface.h b/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_Typeface.h
index 9a9411b56f..fb694e54ae 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_Typeface.h
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/fonts/juce_Typeface.h
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ public:
     /** Clears any fonts that are currently cached in memory. */
     static void clearTypefaceCache();
 
+    /** On some platforms, this allows a specific path to be scanned.
+        Currently only available when using FreeType.
+    */
+    static void scanFolderForFonts (const File& folder);
+
 protected:
     //==============================================================================
     String name, style;
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_android_Fonts.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_android_Fonts.cpp
index bc4aa1cc6a..8dd1022d3e 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_android_Fonts.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_android_Fonts.cpp
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ Typeface::Ptr Font::getDefaultTypefaceForFont (const Font& font)
 //==============================================================================
 #if JUCE_USE_FREETYPE
 
-void FontFileIterator::findFontDirectories()
+StringArray FTTypefaceList::getDefaultFontDirectories()
 {
-    fontDirs.add ("/system/fonts");
+    return StringArray ("/system/fonts");
 }
 
 Typeface::Ptr Typeface::createSystemTypefaceFor (const Font& font)
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ Typeface::Ptr Typeface::createSystemTypefaceFor (const Font& font)
     return new FreeTypeTypeface (font);
 }
 
+void Typeface::scanFolderForFonts (const File& folder)
+{
+    FTTypefaceList::getInstance()->scanFontPaths (StringArray (folder.getFullPathName()));
+}
+
 StringArray Font::findAllTypefaceNames()
 {
     return FTTypefaceList::getInstance()->findAllFamilyNames();
@@ -311,6 +316,11 @@ Typeface::Ptr Typeface::createSystemTypefaceFor (const Font& font)
     return new AndroidTypeface (font);
 }
 
+void Typeface::scanFolderForFonts (const File&)
+{
+    jassertfalse; // not available unless using FreeType
+}
+
 bool TextLayout::createNativeLayout (const AttributedString&)
 {
     return false;
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_freetype_Fonts.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_freetype_Fonts.cpp
index 80e59f2b61..50be6aff1a 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_freetype_Fonts.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_freetype_Fonts.cpp
@@ -71,75 +71,13 @@ struct FTFaceWrapper     : public ReferenceCountedObject
     JUCE_DECLARE_NON_COPYABLE_WITH_LEAK_DETECTOR (FTFaceWrapper)
 };
 
-//==============================================================================
-class FontFileIterator
-{
-public:
-    FontFileIterator()  : index (0)
-    {
-        findFontDirectories();
-    }
-
-    bool next()
-    {
-        if (iter != nullptr)
-        {
-            while (iter->next())
-                if (getFile().hasFileExtension ("ttf;pfb;pcf;otf"))
-                    return true;
-        }
-
-        if (index >= fontDirs.size())
-            return false;
-
-        iter = new DirectoryIterator (File::getCurrentWorkingDirectory()
-                                         .getChildFile (fontDirs [index++]), true);
-        return next();
-    }
-
-    File getFile() const    { jassert (iter != nullptr); return iter->getFile(); }
-
-private:
-    StringArray fontDirs;
-    int index;
-    ScopedPointer<DirectoryIterator> iter;
-
-    void findFontDirectories();
-
-    JUCE_DECLARE_NON_COPYABLE_WITH_LEAK_DETECTOR (FontFileIterator)
-};
-
 //==============================================================================
 class FTTypefaceList  : private DeletedAtShutdown
 {
 public:
-    FTTypefaceList()
-        : library (new FTLibWrapper())
+    FTTypefaceList()  : library (new FTLibWrapper())
     {
-        FontFileIterator fontFileIterator;
-
-        while (fontFileIterator.next())
-        {
-            int faceIndex = 0;
-            int numFaces = 0;
-
-            do
-            {
-                FTFaceWrapper face (library, fontFileIterator.getFile(), faceIndex);
-
-                if (face.face != 0)
-                {
-                    if (faceIndex == 0)
-                        numFaces = face.face->num_faces;
-
-                    if ((face.face->face_flags & FT_FACE_FLAG_SCALABLE) != 0)
-                        faces.add (new KnownTypeface (fontFileIterator.getFile(), faceIndex, face));
-                }
-
-                ++faceIndex;
-            }
-            while (faceIndex < numFaces);
-        }
+        scanFontPaths (getDefaultFontDirectories());
     }
 
     ~FTTypefaceList()
@@ -217,6 +155,19 @@ public:
         return s;
     }
 
+    void scanFontPaths (const StringArray& paths)
+    {
+        for (int i = 0; i < paths.size(); ++i)
+        {
+            DirectoryIterator iter (File::getCurrentWorkingDirectory()
+                                       .getChildFile (paths[i]), true);
+
+            while (iter.next())
+                if (iter.getFile().hasFileExtension ("ttf;pfb;pcf;otf"))
+                    scanFont (iter.getFile());
+        }
+    }
+
     void getMonospacedNames (StringArray& monoSpaced) const
     {
         for (int i = 0; i < faces.size(); i++)
@@ -244,6 +195,31 @@ private:
     FTLibWrapper::Ptr library;
     OwnedArray<KnownTypeface> faces;
 
+    static StringArray getDefaultFontDirectories();
+
+    void scanFont (const File& file)
+    {
+        int faceIndex = 0;
+        int numFaces = 0;
+
+        do
+        {
+            FTFaceWrapper face (library, file, faceIndex);
+
+            if (face.face != 0)
+            {
+                if (faceIndex == 0)
+                    numFaces = face.face->num_faces;
+
+                if ((face.face->face_flags & FT_FACE_FLAG_SCALABLE) != 0)
+                    faces.add (new KnownTypeface (file, faceIndex, face));
+            }
+
+            ++faceIndex;
+        }
+        while (faceIndex < numFaces);
+    }
+
     const KnownTypeface* matchTypeface (const String& familyName, const String& style) const noexcept
     {
         for (int i = 0; i < faces.size(); ++i)
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_linux_Fonts.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_linux_Fonts.cpp
index 42cb765360..a0716c58c2 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_linux_Fonts.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_linux_Fonts.cpp
@@ -23,8 +23,10 @@
   ==============================================================================
 */
 
-void FontFileIterator::findFontDirectories()
+StringArray FTTypefaceList::getDefaultFontDirectories()
 {
+    StringArray fontDirs;
+
     fontDirs.addTokens (CharPointer_UTF8 (getenv ("JUCE_FONT_PATH")), ";,", String::empty);
     fontDirs.removeEmptyStrings (true);
 
@@ -60,6 +62,7 @@ void FontFileIterator::findFontDirectories()
         fontDirs.add ("/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts");
 
     fontDirs.removeDuplicates (false);
+    return fontDirs;
 }
 
 Typeface::Ptr Typeface::createSystemTypefaceFor (const Font& font)
@@ -67,6 +70,11 @@ Typeface::Ptr Typeface::createSystemTypefaceFor (const Font& font)
     return new FreeTypeTypeface (font);
 }
 
+void Typeface::scanFolderForFonts (const File& folder)
+{
+    FTTypefaceList::getInstance()->scanFontPaths (StringArray (folder.getFullPathName()));
+}
+
 StringArray Font::findAllTypefaceNames()
 {
     return FTTypefaceList::getInstance()->findAllFamilyNames();
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_mac_Fonts.mm b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_mac_Fonts.mm
index c3913b4806..1cbff8ea09 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_mac_Fonts.mm
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_mac_Fonts.mm
@@ -1134,6 +1134,11 @@ Typeface::Ptr Typeface::createSystemTypefaceFor (const Font& font)
     return new OSXTypeface (font);
 }
 
+void Typeface::scanFolderForFonts (const File&)
+{
+    jassertfalse; // not implemented on this platform
+}
+
 struct DefaultFontNames
 {
     DefaultFontNames()
diff --git a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_win32_Fonts.cpp b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_win32_Fonts.cpp
index ef6f773f55..6a540ef732 100644
--- a/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_win32_Fonts.cpp
+++ b/modules/juce_graphics/native/juce_win32_Fonts.cpp
@@ -499,3 +499,8 @@ Typeface::Ptr Typeface::createSystemTypefaceFor (const Font& font)
 
     return new WindowsTypeface (font);
 }
+
+void Typeface::scanFolderForFonts (const File&)
+{
+    jassertfalse; // not implemented on this platform
+}