diff --git a/ruff-strict-pep8.toml b/ruff-strict-pep8.toml
index 21945f862b..a456ad204b 100644
--- a/ruff-strict-pep8.toml
+++ b/ruff-strict-pep8.toml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ quote-style = 'single'
 ignore = [
     'E402', 'E722', 'E741',
     'UP012', 'UP030', 'UP032', 'UP038', 'C413', 'C420',
-    'RUF001', 'RUF002', 'RUF003', 'RUF005', 'RUF012', 'RUF013', 'RUF015', 'RUF031', 'RUF034', 'RUF100',
+    'RUF001', 'RUF002', 'RUF003', 'RUF005', 'RUF012', 'RUF013', 'RUF015', 'RUF031', 'RUF100',
 ]
 select = [
     'E', 'F', 'I', 'W', 'INT',
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/reflow.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/reflow.py
index 17e75f3a0d..e31c19eb01 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/reflow.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/pdf/reflow.py
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ class Text(Element):
 
         self.font_size = max(self.font_size, other.font_size)
         self.font_size_em = max(self.font_size_em, other.font_size_em)
-        self.font = other.font if self.font_size == other.font_size else other.font
+        self.font = other.font
         if has_gap > 0:
             if has_gap < 3:  # Small number of spaces = 1 space
                 if not (self.text_as_string.endswith(' ') \
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/catalogs/epub_mobi_builder.py b/src/calibre/library/catalogs/epub_mobi_builder.py
index dc0cc7e28b..884e0250de 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/catalogs/epub_mobi_builder.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/catalogs/epub_mobi_builder.py
@@ -3176,7 +3176,7 @@ class CatalogBuilder:
                 fmt_string = _('Series beginning with %s')
             else:
                 fmt_string = _("Series beginning with '%s'")
-            sec_text = fmt_string % (title_letters[i] if len(title_letters[i]) > 1 else title_letters[i])
+            sec_text = fmt_string % title_letters[i]
             if title_letters[i] == self.SYMBOLS:
                 content_src = f'content/{output}.html#{self.SYMBOLS}_series'
             else:
@@ -3260,7 +3260,7 @@ class CatalogBuilder:
                 fmt_string = _('Titles beginning with %s')
             else:
                 fmt_string = _("Titles beginning with '%s'")
-            sec_text = fmt_string % (title_letters[i] if len(title_letters[i]) > 1 else title_letters[i])
+            sec_text = fmt_string % title_letters[i]
             if title_letters[i] == self.SYMBOLS:
                 content_src = f'content/{output}.html#{self.SYMBOLS}_titles'
             else: