diff --git a/include/sway/config.h b/include/sway/config.h
index db942c3f..fa40ef4e 100644
--- a/include/sway/config.h
+++ b/include/sway/config.h
@@ -465,8 +465,11 @@ void free_bar_config(struct bar_config *bar);
  * Updates the value of config->font_height based on the max title height
  * reported by each container. If recalculate is true, the containers will
  * recalculate their heights before reporting.
+ *
+ * If the height has changed, all containers will be rearranged to take on the
+ * new size.
  */
-void config_find_font_height(bool recalculate);
+void config_update_font_height(bool recalculate);
 
 /* Global config singleton. */
 extern struct sway_config *config;
diff --git a/sway/commands/font.c b/sway/commands/font.c
index 38ad8880..8e0b51e3 100644
--- a/sway/commands/font.c
+++ b/sway/commands/font.c
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "sway/commands.h"
 #include "sway/config.h"
-#include "sway/tree/arrange.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "stringop.h"
 
@@ -14,9 +13,6 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_font(int argc, char **argv) {
 	char *font = join_args(argv, argc);
 	free(config->font);
 	config->font = strdup(font);
-	config_find_font_height(true);
-	if (!config->reading) {
-		arrange_root();
-	}
+	config_update_font_height(true);
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/sway/commands/title_format.c b/sway/commands/title_format.c
index 26ddb2f4..3d1c578c 100644
--- a/sway/commands/title_format.c
+++ b/sway/commands/title_format.c
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 #include <string.h>
 #include "sway/commands.h"
 #include "sway/config.h"
-#include "sway/tree/arrange.h"
 #include "sway/tree/view.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "stringop.h"
@@ -25,7 +24,6 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_title_format(int argc, char **argv) {
 	}
 	view->title_format = format;
 	view_update_title(view, true);
-	config_find_font_height(true);
-	arrange_root();
+	config_update_font_height(true);
 	return cmd_results_new(CMD_SUCCESS, NULL, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 2e5eab2b..a14f4ec6 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 #include "sway/input/seat.h"
 #include "sway/commands.h"
 #include "sway/config.h"
+#include "sway/tree/arrange.h"
 #include "sway/tree/layout.h"
 #include "cairo.h"
 #include "pango.h"
@@ -741,8 +742,14 @@ static void find_font_height_iterator(struct sway_container *container,
 	}
 }
 
-void config_find_font_height(bool recalculate) {
+void config_update_font_height(bool recalculate) {
+	size_t prev_max_height = config->font_height;
 	config->font_height = 0;
+
 	container_for_each_descendant_dfs(&root_container,
 			find_font_height_iterator, &recalculate);
+
+	if (config->font_height != prev_max_height) {
+		arrange_root();
+	}
 }
diff --git a/sway/tree/view.c b/sway/tree/view.c
index 386144f6..851348d8 100644
--- a/sway/tree/view.c
+++ b/sway/tree/view.c
@@ -601,10 +601,5 @@ void view_update_title(struct sway_view *view, bool force) {
 	container_calculate_title_height(view->swayc);
 	container_update_title_textures(view->swayc);
 	container_notify_child_title_changed(view->swayc->parent);
-
-	size_t prev_max_height = config->font_height;
-	config_find_font_height(false);
-	if (config->font_height != prev_max_height) {
-		arrange_root();
-	}
+	config_update_font_height(false);
 }