diff --git a/esphome/components/font/__init__.py b/esphome/components/font/__init__.py
index a405761c74..be88fdb957 100644
--- a/esphome/components/font/__init__.py
+++ b/esphome/components/font/__init__.py
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@ import esphome_glyphsets as glyphsets
 from freetype import (
     FT_LOAD_NO_BITMAP,
     FT_LOAD_RENDER,
+    FT_LOAD_TARGET_MONO,
     Face,
-    ft_pixel_mode_grays,
     ft_pixel_mode_mono,
 )
 import requests
@@ -509,7 +509,6 @@ async def to_code(config):
     glyph_args = {}
     data = []
     bpp = config[CONF_BPP]
-    mode = ft_pixel_mode_grays
     scale = 256 // (1 << bpp)
     size = config[CONF_SIZE]
     # create the data array for all glyphs
@@ -524,8 +523,9 @@ async def to_code(config):
         flags = FT_LOAD_RENDER
         if bpp != 1:
             flags |= FT_LOAD_NO_BITMAP
+        else:
+            flags |= FT_LOAD_TARGET_MONO
         font.load_char(codepoint, flags)
-        font.glyph.render(mode)
         width = font.glyph.bitmap.width
         height = font.glyph.bitmap.rows
         buffer = font.glyph.bitmap.buffer