diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c b/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
index 2fe6068b..153a7a15 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
@@ -244,8 +244,11 @@ HILIGHT_REC *hilight_match(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
 	GSList *tmp;
 	CHANNEL_REC *chanrec;
 	NICK_REC *nickrec;
+	HILIGHT_REC *tmprec;
+	int priority = -1;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail(str != NULL, NULL);
+	tmprec = NULL;
 
 	if ((never_hilight_level & level) == level)
 		return NULL;
@@ -270,15 +273,17 @@ HILIGHT_REC *hilight_match(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
 	for (tmp = hilights; tmp != NULL; tmp = tmp->next) {
 		HILIGHT_REC *rec = tmp->data;
 
-		if (!rec->nickmask && hilight_match_level(rec, level) &&
-			hilight_match_channel(rec, channel) &&
-			(rec->servertag == NULL ||
-			 (server != NULL && g_ascii_strcasecmp(rec->servertag, server->tag) == 0)) &&
-			hilight_match_text(rec, str, match_beg, match_end))
-			return rec;
+		if (rec->priority > priority && !rec->nickmask && hilight_match_level(rec, level) &&
+		    hilight_match_channel(rec, channel) &&
+		    (rec->servertag == NULL ||
+		     (server != NULL && g_ascii_strcasecmp(rec->servertag, server->tag) == 0)) &&
+		    hilight_match_text(rec, str, match_beg, match_end)) {
+			tmprec = rec;
+			priority = rec->priority;
+		}
 	}
 
-	return NULL;
+	return tmprec;
 }
 
 static char *hilight_get_act_color(HILIGHT_REC *rec)
@@ -670,6 +675,7 @@ static void hilight_nick_cache(GHashTable *list, CHANNEL_REC *channel,
 	HILIGHT_REC *match;
 	char *nickmask;
 	int len, best_match;
+	int priority = -1;
 
 	if (nick->host == NULL)
 		return; /* don't check until host is known */
@@ -680,11 +686,12 @@ static void hilight_nick_cache(GHashTable *list, CHANNEL_REC *channel,
 	for (tmp = hilights; tmp != NULL; tmp = tmp->next) {
 		HILIGHT_REC *rec = tmp->data;
 
-		if (rec->nickmask &&
-			hilight_match_channel(rec, channel->name) &&
-			match_wildcards(rec->text, nickmask)) {
+		if (rec->priority > priority && rec->nickmask &&
+		    hilight_match_channel(rec, channel->name) &&
+		    match_wildcards(rec->text, nickmask)) {
 			len = strlen(rec->text);
 			if (best_match < len) {
+				priority = rec->priority;
 				best_match = len;
 				match = rec;
 			}