diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/fontBuilder.py b/Lib/fontTools/fontBuilder.py
index 15a550e22..8f83ea800 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/fontBuilder.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/fontBuilder.py
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ fb.save("test.otf")
 from .ttLib import TTFont, newTable
 from .ttLib.tables._c_m_a_p import cmap_classes
 from .ttLib.tables._g_l_y_f import flagCubic
+from .ttLib.tables.O_S_2f_2 import Panose
 from .misc.timeTools import timestampNow
 import struct
 from collections import OrderedDict
@@ -263,18 +264,7 @@ _nameIDs = dict(
 # to insert in setupNameTable doc string:
 # print("\n".join(("%s (nameID %s)" % (k, v)) for k, v in sorted(_nameIDs.items(), key=lambda x: x[1])))
 
-_panoseDefaults = dict(
-    bFamilyType=0,
-    bSerifStyle=0,
-    bWeight=0,
-    bProportion=0,
-    bContrast=0,
-    bStrokeVariation=0,
-    bArmStyle=0,
-    bLetterForm=0,
-    bMidline=0,
-    bXHeight=0,
-)
+_panoseDefaults = Panose()
 
 _OS2Defaults = dict(
     version=3,
diff --git a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/O_S_2f_2.py b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/O_S_2f_2.py
index fc50b228a..7b403026a 100644
--- a/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/O_S_2f_2.py
+++ b/Lib/fontTools/ttLib/tables/O_S_2f_2.py
@@ -25,6 +25,13 @@ panoseFormat = """
 
 
 class Panose(object):
+    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
+        _, names, _ = sstruct.getformat(panoseFormat)
+        for name in names:
+            setattr(self, name, kwargs.pop(name, 0))
+        for k in kwargs:
+            raise TypeError(f"Panose() got an unexpected keyword argument {k!r}")
+
     def toXML(self, writer, ttFont):
         formatstring, names, fixes = sstruct.getformat(panoseFormat)
         for name in names:
diff --git a/Tests/fontBuilder/fontBuilder_test.py b/Tests/fontBuilder/fontBuilder_test.py
index a2e58be8a..c831d02e8 100644
--- a/Tests/fontBuilder/fontBuilder_test.py
+++ b/Tests/fontBuilder/fontBuilder_test.py
@@ -420,3 +420,48 @@ def test_unicodeVariationSequences(tmpdir):
     fb.setupCharacterMap(cmap, uvs)
     fb.save(outPath)
     _verifyOutput(outPath, tables=["cmap"])
+
+
+def test_setupPanose():
+    from fontTools.ttLib.tables.O_S_2f_2 import Panose
+
+    fb, advanceWidths, nameStrings = _setupFontBuilder(True)
+
+    pen = TTGlyphPen(None)
+    drawTestGlyph(pen)
+    glyph = pen.glyph()
+    glyphs = {".notdef": glyph, "A": glyph, "a": glyph, ".null": glyph}
+    fb.setupGlyf(glyphs)
+    metrics = {}
+    glyphTable = fb.font["glyf"]
+    for gn, advanceWidth in advanceWidths.items():
+        metrics[gn] = (advanceWidth, glyphTable[gn].xMin)
+    fb.setupHorizontalMetrics(metrics)
+
+    fb.setupHorizontalHeader(ascent=824, descent=200)
+    fb.setupNameTable(nameStrings)
+    fb.setupOS2()
+    fb.setupPost()
+
+    panoseValues = {  # sample value of Times New Roman from https://www.w3.org/Printing/stevahn.html
+        "bFamilyType": 2,
+        "bSerifStyle": 2,
+        "bWeight": 6,
+        "bProportion": 3,
+        "bContrast": 5,
+        "bStrokeVariation": 4,
+        "bArmStyle": 5,
+        "bLetterForm": 2,
+        "bMidline": 3,
+        "bXHeight": 4,
+    }
+    panoseObj = Panose(**panoseValues)
+
+    for name in panoseValues:
+        assert getattr(fb.font["OS/2"].panose, name) == 0
+
+    fb.setupOS2(panose=panoseObj)
+    fb.setupPost()
+
+    for name, value in panoseValues.items():
+        assert getattr(fb.font["OS/2"].panose, name) == value