This may well be related to what Norbert and Jan are discussing here. My site-start.el always does (load-file (locate-file "sample.emacs" (list data-directory))) first. This way I can notice breakage/new features right away. The former is the case now. I noticed in 21.2b16 that my (custom-set-faces '(font-lock-comment-face ((t (:foreground "forest green" :bold t)))) '(font-lock-doc-string-face ((t (:foreground "brown" :bold nil))))) fail to work. Colors are OK, but they are rendered italic and I cannot correct them via custom. Turns out, these lines from sample.emacs: (copy-face 'italic 'font-lock-comment-face) (copy-face 'font-lock-comment-face 'font-lock-doc-string-face) cause the problem. I have no idea where the breakage happened but I'm pretty sure someone will. Does sample.emacs need adjustment? Is (copy-face ...) broken? Is (custom-set-face ...) broken? Regards, Adrian -- Adrian Aichner Teradyne GmbH, European Design Center Integra Test Division Telephone +49/89/41861(0)-208 Dingolfinger Strasse 2 Fax +49/89/41861-217 (What is a Fax?) D-81673 MUENCHEN E-mail adrian.aichner(a)teradyne.com