diff --git a/python/core/qgspallabeling.sip b/python/core/qgspallabeling.sip
index 77f0b07b41b..799fbbae4ef 100644
--- a/python/core/qgspallabeling.sip
+++ b/python/core/qgspallabeling.sip
@@ -639,7 +639,7 @@ class QgsPalLayerSettings
      * @param mapUnitScale a mapUnitScale clamper
      * @return font pixel size
      */
-    int sizeToPixel( double size, const QgsRenderContext& c, SizeUnit unit, bool rasterfactor = false, const QgsMapUnitScale& mapUnitScale = QgsMapUnitScale() ) const;
+    double sizeToPixel( double size, const QgsRenderContext& c, SizeUnit unit, bool rasterfactor = false, const QgsMapUnitScale& mapUnitScale = QgsMapUnitScale() ) const;
 
     /** Calculates size (considering output size should be in pixel or map units, scale factors and optionally oversampling)
      * @param size size to convert
diff --git a/src/core/qgspallabeling.cpp b/src/core/qgspallabeling.cpp
index 382e8ebf692..16fcdee4824 100644
--- a/src/core/qgspallabeling.cpp
+++ b/src/core/qgspallabeling.cpp
@@ -2223,7 +2223,7 @@ void QgsPalLayerSettings::registerFeature( QgsFeature& f, QgsRenderContext &cont
     return;
   }
 
-  int fontPixelSize = sizeToPixel( fontSize, context, fontunits, true, fontSizeMapUnitScale );
+  int fontPixelSize = qRound( sizeToPixel( fontSize, context, fontunits, true, fontSizeMapUnitScale ) );
   // don't try to show font sizes less than 1 pixel (Qt complains)
   if ( fontPixelSize < 1 )
   {
@@ -3874,9 +3874,9 @@ void QgsPalLayerSettings::parseDropShadow( QgsRenderContext &context )
   dataDefinedValEval( DDBlendMode, QgsPalLayerSettings::ShadowBlendMode, exprVal, context.expressionContext() );
 }
 
-int QgsPalLayerSettings::sizeToPixel( double size, const QgsRenderContext& c, SizeUnit unit, bool rasterfactor, const QgsMapUnitScale& mapUnitScale ) const
+double QgsPalLayerSettings::sizeToPixel( double size, const QgsRenderContext& c, SizeUnit unit, bool rasterfactor, const QgsMapUnitScale& mapUnitScale ) const
 {
-  return static_cast< int >( scaleToPixelContext( size, c, unit, rasterfactor, mapUnitScale ) + 0.5 );
+  return scaleToPixelContext( size, c, unit, rasterfactor, mapUnitScale ) + 0.5;
 }
 
 double QgsPalLayerSettings::scaleToPixelContext( double size, const QgsRenderContext& c, SizeUnit unit, bool rasterfactor, const QgsMapUnitScale& mapUnitScale ) const
diff --git a/src/core/qgspallabeling.h b/src/core/qgspallabeling.h
index 85a05e9b511..77dee9b5ffc 100644
--- a/src/core/qgspallabeling.h
+++ b/src/core/qgspallabeling.h
@@ -625,7 +625,7 @@ class CORE_EXPORT QgsPalLayerSettings
      * @param mapUnitScale a mapUnitScale clamper
      * @return font pixel size
      */
-    int sizeToPixel( double size, const QgsRenderContext& c, SizeUnit unit, bool rasterfactor = false, const QgsMapUnitScale& mapUnitScale = QgsMapUnitScale() ) const;
+    double sizeToPixel( double size, const QgsRenderContext& c, SizeUnit unit, bool rasterfactor = false, const QgsMapUnitScale& mapUnitScale = QgsMapUnitScale() ) const;
 
     /** Calculates size (considering output size should be in pixel or map units, scale factors and optionally oversampling)
      * @param size size to convert