diff --git a/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/text/paragraph.dart b/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/text/paragraph.dart
index c41a6b6cf51f8..3214fb897d0df 100644
--- a/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/text/paragraph.dart
+++ b/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/text/paragraph.dart
@@ -1072,7 +1072,7 @@ void _applyParagraphStyleToElement({
           style._fontStyle == ui.FontStyle.normal ? 'normal' : 'italic';
     }
     if (style._effectiveFontFamily != null) {
-      cssStyle.fontFamily = "'${style._effectiveFontFamily}'";
+      cssStyle.fontFamily = quoteFontFamily(style._effectiveFontFamily);
     }
   } else {
     if (style._textAlign != previousStyle._textAlign) {
@@ -1098,7 +1098,7 @@ void _applyParagraphStyleToElement({
           : null;
     }
     if (style._fontFamily != previousStyle._fontFamily) {
-      cssStyle.fontFamily = "'${style._fontFamily}'";
+      cssStyle.fontFamily = quoteFontFamily(style._fontFamily);
     }
   }
 }
@@ -1138,11 +1138,11 @@ void _applyTextStyleToElement({
     // consistently use Ahem font.
     if (isSpan && !ui.debugEmulateFlutterTesterEnvironment) {
       if (style._fontFamily != null) {
-        cssStyle.fontFamily = "'${style._fontFamily}'";
+        cssStyle.fontFamily = quoteFontFamily(style._fontFamily);
       }
     } else {
       if (style._effectiveFontFamily != null) {
-        cssStyle.fontFamily = "'${style._effectiveFontFamily}'";
+        cssStyle.fontFamily = quoteFontFamily(style._effectiveFontFamily);
       }
     }
     if (style._letterSpacing != null) {
@@ -1176,7 +1176,7 @@ void _applyTextStyleToElement({
           : null;
     }
     if (style._fontFamily != previousStyle._fontFamily) {
-      cssStyle.fontFamily = "'${style._fontFamily}'";
+      cssStyle.fontFamily = quoteFontFamily(style._fontFamily);
     }
     if (style._letterSpacing != previousStyle._letterSpacing) {
       cssStyle.letterSpacing = '${style._letterSpacing}px';
diff --git a/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/text/ruler.dart b/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/text/ruler.dart
index 0bfe215469820..41cbdf0dcb78f 100644
--- a/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/text/ruler.dart
+++ b/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/text/ruler.dart
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class ParagraphGeometricStyle {
       result.write(DomRenderer.defaultFontSize);
     }
     result.write(' ');
-    result.write("'$effectiveFontFamily'");
+    result.write(quoteFontFamily(effectiveFontFamily));
 
     return result.toString();
   }
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ class TextDimensions {
   void applyStyle(ParagraphGeometricStyle style) {
     _element.style
       ..fontSize = style.fontSize != null ? '${style.fontSize.floor()}px' : null
-      ..fontFamily = "'${style.effectiveFontFamily}'"
+      ..fontFamily = quoteFontFamily(style.effectiveFontFamily)
       ..fontWeight =
           style.fontWeight != null ? fontWeightToCss(style.fontWeight) : null
       ..fontStyle = style.fontStyle != null
diff --git a/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/util.dart b/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/util.dart
index b0ec8422d8947..715d6a30ea3e1 100644
--- a/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/util.dart
+++ b/lib/web_ui/lib/src/engine/util.dart
@@ -238,3 +238,30 @@ String _pathToSvgClipPath(ui.Path path,
 bool _isNsErrorFailureException(dynamic e) {
   return js_util.getProperty(e, 'name') == 'NS_ERROR_FAILURE';
 }
+
+/// From: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/font-family#Syntax
+///
+/// Generic font families are a fallback mechanism, a means of preserving some
+/// of the style sheet author's intent when none of the specified fonts are
+/// available. Generic family names are keywords and must not be quoted. A
+/// generic font family should be the last item in the list of font family
+/// names.
+const Set<String> _genericFontFamilies = <String>{
+  'serif',
+  'sans-serif',
+  'monospace',
+  'cursive',
+  'fantasy',
+  'system-ui',
+  'math',
+  'emoji',
+  'fangsong',
+};
+
+/// Wraps a font family in quotes unless it is a generic font family.
+String quoteFontFamily(String fontFamily) {
+  if (_genericFontFamilies.contains(fontFamily)) {
+    return fontFamily;
+  }
+  return '"$fontFamily"';
+}
diff --git a/lib/web_ui/test/text_test.dart b/lib/web_ui/test/text_test.dart
index eab005177c5fc..16dfa4c64fd6d 100644
--- a/lib/web_ui/test/text_test.dart
+++ b/lib/web_ui/test/text_test.dart
@@ -245,4 +245,21 @@ void main() async {
     // The nested span here should not set it's family to default sans-serif.
     expect(spans[1].style.fontFamily, 'Ahem');
   });
+
+  test('can set font families that need to be quoted', () {
+    // Set this to false so it doesn't default to 'Ahem' font.
+    debugEmulateFlutterTesterEnvironment = false;
+
+    final ParagraphBuilder builder = ParagraphBuilder(ParagraphStyle(
+      fontFamily: 'MyFont 2000',
+      fontSize: 12.0,
+    ));
+
+    builder.addText('Hello');
+
+    final EngineParagraph paragraph = builder.build();
+    expect(paragraph.paragraphElement.style.fontFamily, '"MyFont 2000"');
+
+    debugEmulateFlutterTesterEnvironment = true;
+  });
 }