diff --git a/src/c_console.cpp b/src/c_console.cpp
index bbdbf0c896..6a4f70d72c 100644
--- a/src/c_console.cpp
+++ b/src/c_console.cpp
@@ -800,7 +800,7 @@ void FNotifyBuffer::AddString(int printlevel, FString source)
 		con_notifylines == 0)
 		return;
 
-	width = DisplayWidth / active_con_scaletext(hud_generic);
+	width = DisplayWidth / active_con_scaletext(generic_hud);
 
 	FFont *font = hud_generic ? NewSmallFont : SmallFont;
 	if (font == nullptr) return;	// Without an initialized font we cannot handle the message (this is for those which come here before the font system is ready.)
@@ -1109,7 +1109,7 @@ void FNotifyBuffer::Draw()
 			else
 				color = PrintColors[notify.PrintLevel];
 
-			int scale = active_con_scaletext(hud_generic);
+			int scale = active_con_scaletext(generic_hud);
 			if (!center)
 				screen->DrawText (font, color, 0, line, notify.Text,
 					DTA_VirtualWidth, screen->GetWidth() / scale,
diff --git a/src/g_statusbar/hudmessages.cpp b/src/g_statusbar/hudmessages.cpp
index 6dadfbaf89..fc495bac8c 100644
--- a/src/g_statusbar/hudmessages.cpp
+++ b/src/g_statusbar/hudmessages.cpp
@@ -140,7 +140,6 @@ DHUDMessage::DHUDMessage (FFont *font, const char *text, float x, float y, int h
 		// for x range [0.0, 1.0]: Positions center of box
 		// for x range [1.0, 2.0]: Positions center of box, and centers text inside it
 		HUDWidth = HUDHeight = 0;
-		AltScale = font == nullptr && generic_hud;	// generic_hud only takes effect for messages that do not scale the screen and use the default font.
 		if (fabs (x) > 2.f)
 		{
 			CenterX = true;
@@ -198,7 +197,7 @@ DHUDMessage::DHUDMessage (FFont *font, const char *text, float x, float y, int h
 	Top = y;
 	HoldTics = (int)(holdTime * TICRATE);
 	Tics = -1;	// -1 to compensate for one additional Tick the message will receive.
-	Font = font? font : AltScale? NewSmallFont : SmallFont;
+	Font = font? font : generic_hud? NewSmallFont : SmallFont;
 	TextColor = textColor;
 	State = 0;
 	SourceText = copystring (text);
@@ -252,8 +251,7 @@ void DHUDMessage::Serialize(FSerializer &arc)
 		("handleaspect", HandleAspect)
 		("visibilityflags", VisibilityFlags)
 		("style", Style)
-		("alpha", Alpha)
-		("altscale", AltScale);
+		("alpha", Alpha);
 
 	if (arc.isReading())
 	{
@@ -322,7 +320,7 @@ void DHUDMessage::ResetText (const char *text)
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		width = SCREENWIDTH / active_con_scaletext(AltScale);
+		width = SCREENWIDTH / active_con_scaletext();
 	}
 
 	Lines = V_BreakLines (Font, NoWrap ? INT_MAX : width, (uint8_t *)text);
@@ -382,7 +380,7 @@ void DHUDMessage::Draw (int bottom, int visibility)
 	xscale = yscale = 1;
 	if (HUDWidth == 0)
 	{
-		int scale = active_con_scaletext(AltScale);
+		int scale = active_con_scaletext();
 		screen_width /= scale;
 		screen_height /= scale;
 		bottom /= scale;
@@ -486,7 +484,7 @@ void DHUDMessage::DoDraw (int linenum, int x, int y, bool clean, int hudheight)
 {
 	if (hudheight == 0)
 	{
-		int scale = active_con_scaletext(AltScale);
+		int scale = active_con_scaletext();
 		screen->DrawText (Font, TextColor, x, y, Lines[linenum].Text,
 			DTA_VirtualWidth, SCREENWIDTH / scale,
 			DTA_VirtualHeight, SCREENHEIGHT / scale,
@@ -579,7 +577,7 @@ void DHUDMessageFadeOut::DoDraw (int linenum, int x, int y, bool clean, int hudh
 		float trans = float(Alpha * -(Tics - FadeOutTics) / FadeOutTics);
 		if (hudheight == 0)
 		{
-			int scale = active_con_scaletext(AltScale);
+			int scale = active_con_scaletext();
 			screen->DrawText (Font, TextColor, x, y, Lines[linenum].Text,
 				DTA_VirtualWidth, SCREENWIDTH / scale,
 				DTA_VirtualHeight, SCREENHEIGHT / scale,
@@ -668,7 +666,7 @@ void DHUDMessageFadeInOut::DoDraw (int linenum, int x, int y, bool clean, int hu
 		float trans = float(Alpha * Tics / FadeInTics);
 		if (hudheight == 0)
 		{
-			int scale = active_con_scaletext(AltScale);
+			int scale = active_con_scaletext();
 			screen->DrawText (Font, TextColor, x, y, Lines[linenum].Text,
 				DTA_VirtualWidth, SCREENWIDTH / scale,
 				DTA_VirtualHeight, SCREENHEIGHT / scale,
@@ -839,7 +837,7 @@ void DHUDMessageTypeOnFadeOut::DoDraw (int linenum, int x, int y, bool clean, in
 		{
 			if (hudheight == 0)
 			{
-				int scale = active_con_scaletext(AltScale);
+				int scale = active_con_scaletext();
 				screen->DrawText (Font, TextColor, x, y, Lines[linenum].Text,
 					DTA_VirtualWidth, SCREENWIDTH / scale,
 					DTA_VirtualHeight, SCREENHEIGHT / scale,
diff --git a/src/g_statusbar/sbar.h b/src/g_statusbar/sbar.h
index bf516e3f0a..55d26e71bc 100644
--- a/src/g_statusbar/sbar.h
+++ b/src/g_statusbar/sbar.h
@@ -140,7 +140,6 @@ protected:
 	int ClipX, ClipY, ClipWidth, ClipHeight, WrapWidth;	// in HUD coords
 	int ClipLeft, ClipTop, ClipRight, ClipBot;			// in screen coords
 	bool HandleAspect;
-	bool AltScale;
 	EColorRange TextColor;
 	FFont *Font;
 	FRenderStyle Style;