diff --git a/moderncvstyleempty.sty b/moderncvstyleempty.sty
index cadc930..cb68526 100644
--- a/moderncvstyleempty.sty
+++ b/moderncvstyleempty.sty
@@ -12,20 +12,40 @@
 \NeedsTeXFormat{LaTeX2e}
 \ProvidesPackage{moderncvstyleempty}[2021/01/21 v2.1.0 modern curriculum vitae scheme: empty]
 
-
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 %                required packages
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 %                package options
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+% toggle use of symbol fonts.
+\@initializeif{\if@symbols}\@symbolsfalse
+\DeclareOption{symbols}      {\@symbolstrue}
+\DeclareOption{nosymbols}    {\@symbolsfalse}
 
+\DeclareOption*{}% avoid choking on unknown options
+\ExecuteOptions{symbols}
+\ProcessOptions*\relax% \ProcessOptions* processes the options in the order provided (i.e., with the later ones possibly overriding the former ones), while \ProcessOptions processes them in the order of the package
 
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 %                style definition
 %-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+%-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+%                fonts & icons
+%-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+% symbols
+\if@symbols
+    \ifxetexorluatex
+    \moderncvicons{awesome}     % use font-awesome symbols if lualatex or xelatex is used
+    \else
+    \moderncvicons{marvosym}    % use marvosym symbols pdflatex is used
+    \fi
+\else
+    \moderncvicons{letters}    % do not use symbols, use letters
+\fi
+
 % see moderncv.cls for command declarations that needs to be implemented, e.g. \maketitle, \section, \subsections, \cvline, etc
 
 \endinput