diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/K9.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/K9.java
index 6b8212295..ca4799eef 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/K9.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/K9.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 package com.fsck.k9;
 
 import java.io.File;
-import java.lang.reflect.Constructor;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -23,7 +22,6 @@ import android.os.Environment;
 import android.os.Handler;
 import android.os.Looper;
 import android.text.format.Time;
-import android.text.style.AbsoluteSizeSpan;
 import android.util.Log;
 
 import com.fsck.k9.activity.MessageCompose;
@@ -68,11 +66,6 @@ public class K9 extends Application {
      */
     private static List<ApplicationAware> observers = new ArrayList<ApplicationAware>();
 
-    /**
-     * @see K9#createAbsoluteSizeSpan(int)
-     */
-    private static Constructor<AbsoluteSizeSpan> sAbsoluteSizeSpanConstructor;
-
     public enum BACKGROUND_OPS {
         WHEN_CHECKED, ALWAYS, NEVER, WHEN_CHECKED_AUTO_SYNC
     }
@@ -1012,48 +1005,4 @@ public class K9 extends Application {
     public static void setAttachmentDefaultPath(String attachmentDefaultPath) {
         K9.mAttachmentDefaultPath = attachmentDefaultPath;
     }
-
-    /**
-     * Creates an {@link AbsoluteSizeSpan} object.
-     *
-     * <p>
-     * Android versions prior to 2.0 don't support the constructor with two parameters
-     * ({@link AbsoluteSizeSpan#AbsoluteSizeSpan(int, boolean)}). So we have to perform some
-     * reflection magic to dynamically load the new constructor on devices that support it.
-     * For devices with old Android versions we just use the size as pixels (instead of dip).
-     * </p>
-     *
-     * @param size This is used as the {@code size} parameter for the AbsoluteSizeSpan constructor.
-     * @return a AbsoluteSizeSpan object with the specified text size.
-     */
-    public static AbsoluteSizeSpan createAbsoluteSizeSpan(int size) {
-        if (Integer.parseInt(android.os.Build.VERSION.SDK) < 5) {
-            // For Android 1.5/1.6 simply use the constructor with only the size parameter.
-            // Yes, that will most likely look wrong!
-            return new AbsoluteSizeSpan(size);
-        }
-
-        if (sAbsoluteSizeSpanConstructor == null) {
-            try {
-                sAbsoluteSizeSpanConstructor = AbsoluteSizeSpan.class.getConstructor(int.class, boolean.class);
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                Log.e(K9.LOG_TAG, "Couldn't get the AbsoluteSizeSpan(int, boolean) constructor", e);
-
-                // Fallback
-                return new AbsoluteSizeSpan(size);
-            }
-        }
-
-        AbsoluteSizeSpan result;
-        try {
-            result = sAbsoluteSizeSpanConstructor.newInstance(size, true);
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            Log.e(K9.LOG_TAG, "Couldn't call the AbsoluteSizeSpan(int, boolean) constructor", e);
-
-            // Fallback
-            result = new AbsoluteSizeSpan(size);
-        }
-
-        return result;
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/MessageList.java b/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/MessageList.java
index 7cb10161f..5c6d8c023 100644
--- a/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/MessageList.java
+++ b/src/com/fsck/k9/activity/MessageList.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import android.graphics.drawable.Drawable;
 import android.os.Bundle;
 import android.text.Spannable;
 import android.text.SpannableStringBuilder;
+import android.text.style.AbsoluteSizeSpan;
 import android.text.style.ForegroundColorSpan;
 import android.text.style.StyleSpan;
 import android.util.Log;
@@ -2181,7 +2182,7 @@ public class MessageList
                                 0,
                                 noSender.length(),
                                 Spannable.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
-                    str.setSpan(K9.createAbsoluteSizeSpan(mFontSizes.getMessageListSender()),
+                    str.setSpan(new AbsoluteSizeSpan(mFontSizes.getMessageListSender(), true),
                                 0,
                                 noSender.length(),
                                 Spannable.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
@@ -2270,7 +2271,7 @@ public class MessageList
                             0,
                             message.sender.length() + 1,
                             Spannable.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);
-                str.setSpan(K9.createAbsoluteSizeSpan(mFontSizes.getMessageListSender()),
+                str.setSpan(new AbsoluteSizeSpan(mFontSizes.getMessageListSender(), true),
                             0,
                             message.sender.length() + 1,
                             Spannable.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);