diff --git a/kitty/config.py b/kitty/config.py
index ea5a046d3..fce0137f0 100644
--- a/kitty/config.py
+++ b/kitty/config.py
@@ -80,6 +80,38 @@ def parse_key(val, keymap):
     keymap[(mods, key)] = action
 
 
+def parse_symbol_map(val):
+    parts = val.split(' ')
+    symbol_map = {}
+
+    def abort():
+        safe_print('Symbol map: {} is invalid, ignoring'.format(val), file=sys.stderr)
+        return {}
+
+    if len(parts) < 2:
+        return abort()
+    family = ' '.join(parts[1:])
+
+    def to_chr(x):
+        if not x.startswith('U+'):
+            raise ValueError()
+        x = int(x[2:], 16)
+        return x
+
+    for x in parts[0].split(','):
+        a, b = x.partition('-')[::2]
+        b = b or a
+        try:
+            a, b = map(to_chr, (a, b))
+        except Exception:
+            return abort()
+        if b < a or max(a, b) > sys.maxunicode or min(a, b) < 1:
+            return abort()
+        for y in range(a, b+1):
+            symbol_map[chr(y)] = family
+    return symbol_map
+
+
 def to_open_url_modifiers(val):
     return parse_mods(val.split('+'))
 
@@ -125,7 +157,7 @@ for a in ('active', 'inactive'):
 
 
 def parse_config(lines):
-    ans = {'keymap': {}}
+    ans = {'keymap': {}, 'symbol_map': {}}
     for line in lines:
         line = line.strip()
         if not line or line.startswith('#'):
@@ -136,6 +168,9 @@ def parse_config(lines):
             if key == 'map':
                 parse_key(val, ans['keymap'])
                 continue
+            if key == 'symbol_map':
+                ans['symbol_map'].update(parse_symbol_map(val))
+                continue
             tm = type_map.get(key)
             if tm is not None:
                 val = tm(val)
diff --git a/kitty/fonts/core_text.py b/kitty/fonts/core_text.py
index 10c9cc0be..90c0d257a 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts/core_text.py
+++ b/kitty/fonts/core_text.py
@@ -7,9 +7,18 @@ from kitty.fast_data_types import CTFace as Face
 from kitty.utils import get_logical_dpi, wcwidth, ceil_int
 
 main_font = {}
+symbol_map = {}
 cell_width = cell_height = baseline = CellTexture = WideCellTexture = underline_thickness = underline_position = None
 
 
+def install_symbol_map(val, font_size, dpi):
+    global symbol_map
+    symbol_map = {}
+    family_map = {f: Face(f, False, False, False, font_size, dpi) for f in set(val.values())}
+    for ch, family in val.items():
+        symbol_map[ch] = family_map[family]
+
+
 def set_font_family(opts, ignore_dpi_failure=False):
     global cell_width, cell_height, baseline, CellTexture, WideCellTexture, underline_thickness, underline_position
     try:
@@ -32,6 +41,7 @@ def set_font_family(opts, ignore_dpi_failure=False):
     for bold in (False, True):
         for italic in (False, True):
             main_font[(bold, italic)] = Face(get_family(bold, italic), bold, italic, True, opts.font_size, dpi)
+    install_symbol_map(opts.symbol_map, opts.font_size, dpi)
     mf = main_font[(False, False)]
     cell_width, cell_height = mf.cell_size()
     CellTexture = ctypes.c_ubyte * (cell_width * cell_height)
@@ -57,8 +67,9 @@ def split(buf, cell_width, cell_height):
 
 
 def render_cell(text=' ', bold=False, italic=False):
-    width = wcwidth(text[0])
-    face = main_font[(bold, italic)]
+    ch = text[0]
+    width = wcwidth(ch)
+    face = symbol_map.get(ch) or main_font[(bold, italic)]
     if width == 2:
         buf, width = WideCellTexture(), cell_width * 2
     else:
diff --git a/kitty/fonts/fontconfig.py b/kitty/fonts/fontconfig.py
index 0ca1d2613..165bb5a50 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts/fontconfig.py
+++ b/kitty/fonts/fontconfig.py
@@ -162,3 +162,8 @@ def get_font_files(opts):
 
     do('bold'), do('italic'), do('bi')
     return ans
+
+
+def font_for_family(family):
+    ans = get_font_information(family)
+    return ans._replace(face=Face(ans.face, ans.index))
diff --git a/kitty/fonts/freetype.py b/kitty/fonts/freetype.py
index 4b15798d1..a1cae4d6e 100644
--- a/kitty/fonts/freetype.py
+++ b/kitty/fonts/freetype.py
@@ -7,17 +7,21 @@ import sys
 import unicodedata
 from collections import namedtuple
 from functools import lru_cache
+from itertools import chain
 from threading import Lock
 
 from kitty.fast_data_types import FT_PIXEL_MODE_GRAY, Face
 from kitty.fonts.box_drawing import render_missing_glyph
 from kitty.utils import ceil_int, get_logical_dpi, safe_print, wcwidth
 
-from .fontconfig import find_font_for_character, get_font_files, FontNotFound
+from .fontconfig import (
+    FontNotFound, find_font_for_character, font_for_family, get_font_files
+)
 
 current_font_family = current_font_family_name = cff_size = cell_width = cell_height = baseline = None
 CharTexture = underline_position = underline_thickness = None
 alt_face_cache = {}
+symbol_map = {}
 
 
 def set_char_size(face, width=0, height=0, hres=0, vres=0):
@@ -55,6 +59,14 @@ def font_for_char(char, bold=False, italic=False, allow_bitmaped_fonts=False):
     )
 
 
+def install_symbol_map(val):
+    global symbol_map
+    symbol_map = {}
+    family_map = {f: font_for_family(f) for f in set(val.values())}
+    for ch, family in val.items():
+        symbol_map[ch] = family_map[family]
+
+
 def font_units_to_pixels(x, units_per_em, size_in_pts, dpi):
     return ceil_int(x * ((size_in_pts * dpi) / (72 * units_per_em)))
 
@@ -73,7 +85,8 @@ def set_font_family(opts):
         'hres': int(dpi[0]),
         'vres': int(dpi[1])
     }
-    for fobj in current_font_family.values():
+    install_symbol_map(opts.symbol_map)
+    for fobj in chain(current_font_family.values(), symbol_map.values()):
         set_char_size(fobj.face, **cff_size)
     face = current_font_family['regular'].face
     cell_width = calc_cell_width(current_font_family['regular'], face)
@@ -114,51 +127,60 @@ def render_to_bitmap(font, face, text):
     return bitmap
 
 
+def render_using_face(font, face, text, width, italic, bold):
+    bitmap = render_to_bitmap(font, face, text)
+    if width == 1 and bitmap.width > cell_width:
+        extra = bitmap.width - cell_width
+        if italic and extra < cell_width // 2:
+            bitmap = face.trim_to_width(bitmap, cell_width)
+        elif extra > max(2, 0.3 * cell_width) and face.is_scalable:
+            # rescale the font size so that the glyph is visible in a single
+            # cell and hope somebody updates libc's wcwidth
+            sz = cff_size.copy()
+            sz['width'] = int(sz['width'] * cell_width / bitmap.width)
+            # Preserve aspect ratio
+            sz['height'] = int(sz['height'] * cell_width / bitmap.width)
+            try:
+                set_char_size(face, **sz)
+                bitmap = render_to_bitmap(font, face, text)
+            finally:
+                set_char_size(face, **cff_size)
+    m = face.glyph_metrics()
+    return CharBitmap(
+        bitmap.buffer,
+        ceil_int(abs(m.horiBearingX) / 64),
+        ceil_int(abs(m.horiBearingY) / 64),
+        ceil_int(m.horiAdvance / 64), bitmap.rows, bitmap.width
+    )
+
+
 def render_char(text, bold=False, italic=False, width=1):
     key = 'regular'
     if bold:
         key = 'bi' if italic else 'bold'
     elif italic:
         key = 'italic'
+    ch = text[0]
     with freetype_lock:
-        font = current_font_family.get(key) or current_font_family['regular']
-        face = font.face
-        if not face.get_char_index(text[0]):
-            try:
-                font = font_for_char(text[0], bold, italic)
-            except FontNotFound:
-                font = font_for_char(
-                    text[0], bold, italic, allow_bitmaped_fonts=True
-                )
-            face = alt_face_cache.get(font)
-            if face is None:
-                face = alt_face_cache[font] = Face(font.face, font.index)
-                if face.is_scalable:
-                    set_char_size(face, **cff_size)
-        bitmap = render_to_bitmap(font, face, text)
-        if width == 1 and bitmap.width > cell_width:
-            extra = bitmap.width - cell_width
-            if italic and extra < cell_width // 2:
-                bitmap = face.trim_to_width(bitmap, cell_width)
-            elif extra > max(2, 0.3 * cell_width) and face.is_scalable:
-                # rescale the font size so that the glyph is visible in a single
-                # cell and hope somebody updates libc's wcwidth
-                sz = cff_size.copy()
-                sz['width'] = int(sz['width'] * cell_width / bitmap.width)
-                # Preserve aspect ratio
-                sz['height'] = int(sz['height'] * cell_width / bitmap.width)
+        font = symbol_map.get(ch)
+        if font is None or not font.face.get_char_index(ch):
+            font = current_font_family.get(key) or current_font_family['regular']
+            face = font.face
+            if not face.get_char_index(ch):
                 try:
-                    set_char_size(face, **sz)
-                    bitmap = render_to_bitmap(font, face, text)
-                finally:
-                    set_char_size(face, **cff_size)
-        m = face.glyph_metrics()
-        return CharBitmap(
-            bitmap.buffer,
-            ceil_int(abs(m.horiBearingX) / 64),
-            ceil_int(abs(m.horiBearingY) / 64),
-            ceil_int(m.horiAdvance / 64), bitmap.rows, bitmap.width
-        )
+                    font = font_for_char(ch, bold, italic)
+                except FontNotFound:
+                    font = font_for_char(
+                        ch, bold, italic, allow_bitmaped_fonts=True
+                    )
+                face = alt_face_cache.get(font)
+                if face is None:
+                    face = alt_face_cache[font] = Face(font.face, font.index)
+                    if face.is_scalable:
+                        set_char_size(face, **cff_size)
+        else:
+            face = font.face
+        return render_using_face(font, face, text, width, italic, bold)
 
 
 def place_char_in_cell(bitmap_char):
diff --git a/kitty/kitty.conf b/kitty/kitty.conf
index 8a8574721..fae39e739 100644
--- a/kitty/kitty.conf
+++ b/kitty/kitty.conf
@@ -207,3 +207,18 @@ map ctrl+shift+q        close_tab
 map ctrl+shift+l        next_layout
 map ctrl+shift+.        move_tab_forward
 map ctrl+shift+,        move_tab_backward
+
+
+# Symbol mapping (special font for specified unicode code points). Map the
+# specified unicode codepoints to a particular font. Useful if you need special
+# rendering for some symbols, such as for Powerline. Avoids the need for
+# patched fonts. Each unicode code point is specified in the form U+<code point
+# in hexadecimal>. You can specify multiple code points, separated by commas
+# and ranges separated by hyphens. symbol_map itself can be specified multiple times.
+# Syntax is:
+# 
+# symbol_map codepoints Font Family Name
+# 
+# For example:
+# 
+# symbol_map U+E0A0-U+E0A2,U+E0B0-U+E0B3 PowerlineSymbols