diff --git a/src/eval/template.rs b/src/eval/template.rs
index 4fc6985a1..f4feda400 100644
--- a/src/eval/template.rs
+++ b/src/eval/template.rs
@@ -140,6 +140,19 @@ impl Template {
         self.make_mut().push(TemplateNode::Modify(Rc::new(f)));
     }
 
+    /// Return a new template which is modified from start to end.
+    pub fn modified<F>(self, f: F) -> Self
+    where
+        F: Fn(&mut State) + 'static,
+    {
+        let mut wrapper = Self::new();
+        wrapper.save();
+        wrapper.modify(f);
+        wrapper += self;
+        wrapper.restore();
+        wrapper
+    }
+
     /// Build the stack node resulting from instantiating the template in the
     /// given state.
     pub fn to_stack(&self, state: &State) -> StackNode {
diff --git a/src/library/layout.rs b/src/library/layout.rs
index 3e8aa7d24..a62be646c 100644
--- a/src/library/layout.rs
+++ b/src/library/layout.rs
@@ -126,17 +126,17 @@ pub fn align(ctx: &mut EvalContext, args: &mut Arguments) -> TypResult<Value> {
         }
     };
 
-    if let Some(body) = body {
+    Ok(if let Some(body) = body {
         let mut template = Template::new();
         template.save();
         realign(&mut template);
         template += body;
         template.restore();
-        Ok(Value::Template(template))
+        Value::Template(template)
     } else {
         realign(&mut ctx.template);
-        Ok(Value::None)
-    }
+        Value::None
+    })
 }
 
 /// `box`: Place content in a rectangular box.
diff --git a/src/library/mod.rs b/src/library/mod.rs
index 9d25a0086..a549aa727 100644
--- a/src/library/mod.rs
+++ b/src/library/mod.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ use std::rc::Rc;
 
 use crate::color::{Color, RgbaColor};
 use crate::diag::TypResult;
-use crate::eval::{Arguments, EvalContext, Scope, Str, Template, Value};
+use crate::eval::{Arguments, EvalContext, Scope, State, Str, Template, Value};
 use crate::font::{FontFamily, FontStretch, FontStyle, FontWeight, VerticalFontMetric};
 use crate::geom::*;
 use crate::layout::LayoutNode;
diff --git a/src/library/text.rs b/src/library/text.rs
index f12794aa8..2cb5ccaf7 100644
--- a/src/library/text.rs
+++ b/src/library/text.rs
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ pub fn font(ctx: &mut EvalContext, args: &mut Arguments) -> TypResult<Value> {
     let sans_serif = args.named("sans-serif")?;
     let monospace = args.named("monospace")?;
     let fallback = args.named("fallback")?;
+    let body = args.eat::<Template>();
 
-    ctx.template.modify(move |state| {
+    let f = move |state: &mut State| {
         let font = state.font_mut();
 
         if let Some(size) = size {
@@ -71,9 +72,14 @@ pub fn font(ctx: &mut EvalContext, args: &mut Arguments) -> TypResult<Value> {
         if let Some(fallback) = fallback {
             font.fallback = fallback;
         }
-    });
+    };
 
-    Ok(Value::None)
+    Ok(if let Some(body) = body {
+        Value::Template(body.modified(f))
+    } else {
+        ctx.template.modify(f);
+        Value::None
+    })
 }
 
 struct FontDef(Rc<Vec<FontFamily>>);
diff --git a/tests/typ/text/decorations.typ b/tests/typ/text/decorations.typ
index 3f953b076..9cd7b096a 100644
--- a/tests/typ/text/decorations.typ
+++ b/tests/typ/text/decorations.typ
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #underline(red)[Critical information is conveyed here.]
 
 // Inherits font color.
-[#font(fill: red) #underline[Change with the wind.]]
+#font(fill: red, underline[Change with the wind.])
 
 // Both over- and underline.
 #overline(underline[Running amongst the wolves.])
diff --git a/tests/typ/text/font.typ b/tests/typ/text/font.typ
index ecc078869..98643565e 100644
--- a/tests/typ/text/font.typ
+++ b/tests/typ/text/font.typ
@@ -2,35 +2,35 @@
 
 ---
 // Set same font size in three different ways.
-[#font(22pt) A]
-[#font(200%) A]
-[#font(size: 16.5pt + 50%) A]
+#font(22pt)[A]
+#font(200%)[A]
+#font(size: 16.5pt + 50%)[A]
 
 // Do nothing.
-[#font() Normal]
+#font()[Normal]
 
 // Set style (is available).
-[#font(style: italic) Italic]
+#font(style: italic)[Italic]
 
 // Set weight (is available).
-[#font(weight: bold) Bold]
+#font(weight: bold)[Bold]
 
 // Set stretch (not available, matching closest).
-[#font(stretch: 50%) Condensed]
+#font(stretch: 50%)[Condensed]
 
 // Set family.
-[#font(family: "PT Sans") Sans serif]
+#font(family: "PT Sans")[Sans serif]
 
 // Emoji.
 Emoji: 🐪, 🌋, 🏞
 
 // Math.
-[#font("Latin Modern Math") ∫ 𝛼 + 3𝛽 d𝑡]
+#font("Latin Modern Math")[∫ 𝛼 + 3𝛽 d𝑡]
 
 // Colors.
 [
   #font(fill: eastern)
-  This is [#font(fill: rgb("FA644B")) way more] colorful.
+  This is #font(fill: rgb("FA644B"))[way more] colorful.
 ]
 
 // Disable font fallback beyond the user-specified list.
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ Emoji: 🐪, 🌋, 🏞
 ---
 // Test class definitions.
 #font(sans-serif: "PT Sans")
-[#font(family: sans-serif) Sans-serif.] \
-[#font(monospace) Monospace.] \
-[#font(monospace, monospace: ("Nope", "Latin Modern Math")) Math.]
+#font(family: sans-serif)[Sans-serif.] \
+#font(monospace)[Monospace.] \
+#font(monospace, monospace: ("Nope", "Latin Modern Math"))[Math.]
 
 ---
 // Test top and bottom edge.
diff --git a/tests/typ/text/links.typ b/tests/typ/text/links.typ
index eabb316a8..e6aa1d89a 100644
--- a/tests/typ/text/links.typ
+++ b/tests/typ/text/links.typ
@@ -8,5 +8,5 @@
 This link appears #link("https://google.com/")[in the middle of] a paragraph.
 
 // Styled with underline and color.
-#let link(url, body) = link(url, [#font(fill: rgb("283663")) #underline(body)])
+#let link(url, body) = link(url, font(fill: rgb("283663"), underline(body)))
 You could also make the #link("https://html5zombo.com/")[link look way more typical.]