diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/foundation/base.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/foundation/base.scss
index 1eec1d65d..37b6d220b 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/foundation/base.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/foundation/base.scss
@@ -7,7 +7,10 @@
 
 html {
   color: $primary;
-  font: #{$base-font-size}/#{$base-line-height} $base-font-family;
+  font-family: $base-font-family;
+  font-size: $base-font-size;
+  // font: #{$base-font-size}/#{$base-line-height} $base-font-family;
+  // this does not work, see https://meta.discourse.org/t/x/23193/11
   background-color: $secondary;
   overflow-y: scroll;
 }