diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c6910cb..ae78da7 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -116,6 +116,9 @@ scalable outline files may be supplied; their argument order is the glyph
 fallback order.  A collection file uses its first face.  If any named file is
 absent or invalid, the popup disables itself cleanly while input processing
 continues.  `run.sh` and `bench.sh` accept the same font-file arguments.
+When `run.sh` is invoked without arguments, it uses the installed DejaVu,
+Jigmo, or Noto CJK font files from the standard Arch Linux paths.  Explicit
+font-file arguments replace these defaults.
 
 The IPC socket is placed at `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/strans.sock` when
 `XDG_RUNTIME_DIR` is an absolute path.  Otherwise strans uses the per-user
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
index cb8b60d..2e5bb45 100755
--- a/run.sh
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,25 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
 cd "$(dirname "$0")"
+
+if test "$#" -eq 0; then
+	set --
+	for font in \
+		/usr/share/fonts/TTF/DejaVuSans.ttf \
+		/usr/share/fonts/TTF/Jigmo.ttf \
+		/usr/share/fonts/TTF/Jigmo2.ttf \
+		/usr/share/fonts/noto/NotoSansCJK-Regular.ttc
+	do
+		if test -f "$font"; then
+			set -- "$@" "$font"
+		fi
+	done
+	if test "$#" -eq 0; then
+		echo "run.sh: no default font found; pass a font file" >&2
+		exit 1
+	fi
+fi
+
 pkill strans
 sleep 1
 ./strans map "$@" &