diff --git a/PIL/ImageFont.py b/PIL/ImageFont.py
index e59f6a46d..5b4770f54 100644
--- a/PIL/ImageFont.py
+++ b/PIL/ImageFont.py
@@ -251,6 +251,14 @@ def truetype(font=None, size=10, index=0, encoding="", filename=None):
             if windir:
                 filename = os.path.join(windir, "fonts", font)
                 return FreeTypeFont(filename, size, index, encoding)
+        elif sys.platform in ('linux', 'linux2'):
+            lindirs = os.environ.get("XDG_DATA_DIRS", "").split(":")
+            for lindir in lindirs:
+                parentpath = os.path.join(lindir, "fonts")
+                for walkroot, walkdir, walkfilenames in os.walk(parentpath):
+                    if ttf_filename in walkfilenames:
+                        filepath = os.path.join(walkroot, ttf_filename)
+                        return FreeTypeFont(filepath, size, index, encoding)
         elif sys.platform == 'darwin':
             macdirs = ['/Library/Fonts/', '/System/Library/Fonts/', os.path.expanduser('~/Library/Fonts/')]
             for macdir in macdirs: