diff --git a/core/core-ui.el b/core/core-ui.el
index 4015c6d67..e63b5bab7 100644
--- a/core/core-ui.el
+++ b/core/core-ui.el
@@ -346,8 +346,7 @@ frame's window-system, the theme will be reloaded.")
          `(variable-pitch ((t (:font ,(font-xlfd-name doom-variable-pitch-font))))))
        ;; Fallback to `doom-unicode-font' for Unicode characters
        (when (fontp doom-unicode-font)
-         (setq use-default-font-for-symbols nil)
-         (set-fontset-font t 'unicode doom-unicode-font nil)
+         (set-fontset-font t 'unicode doom-unicode-font nil 'append)
          nil))
     ((debug error)
      (if (string-prefix-p "Font not available: " (error-message-string e))