diff --git a/src/core/window-item-rec.h b/src/core/window-item-rec.h
index dae5d5ec..134726c2 100644
--- a/src/core/window-item-rec.h
+++ b/src/core/window-item-rec.h
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ char *name;
 
 time_t createtime;
 int data_level;
-int hilight_color;
+int hilight_color, hilight_bg_color;
 
 #undef STRUCT_SERVER_REC
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-windows.h b/src/fe-common/core/fe-windows.h
index 12c47854..62869a49 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-windows.h
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-windows.h
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	int histlines;
 
 	int data_level; /* current data level */
-	int hilight_color; /* current hilight color */
+	int hilight_color, hilight_bg_color; /* current hilight color */
 
 	time_t last_timestamp; /* When was last timestamp printed */
 	time_t last_line; /* When was last line printed */
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/formats.c b/src/fe-common/core/formats.c
index 433defbc..1799e812 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/formats.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/formats.c
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ void format_create_dest(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest,
 
 	dest->hilight_priority = 0;
         dest->hilight_color = 0;
+        dest->hilight_bg_color = 0;
 }
 
 static char *format_get_text_args(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest,
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/formats.h b/src/fe-common/core/formats.h
index 5be7a4b5..2e2d6cff 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/formats.h
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/formats.h
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	int level;
 
 	int hilight_priority;
-        int hilight_color;
+	int hilight_color, hilight_bg_color;
 } TEXT_DEST_REC;
 
 int format_find_tag(const char *module, const char *tag);
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c b/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
index 102db2bb..c85e1ced 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
@@ -291,11 +291,32 @@ HILIGHT_REC *hilight_match(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
         return NULL;
 }
 
+static int get_colors(const char *color, int *fg, int *bg)
+{
+	const char *p;
+
+	if (!is_numeric(color, ','))
+                return FALSE;
+
+	*fg = atoi(color);
+        *bg = -1;
+
+	p = strchr(color, ',');
+	if (p != NULL) {
+		p++;
+		if (!is_numeric(p, '\0'))
+                        return FALSE;
+		*bg = atoi(p);
+	}
+
+        return TRUE;
+}
+
 char *hilight_get_color(HILIGHT_REC *rec, int activity)
 {
 	const char *color;
 	char number[MAX_INT_STRLEN];
-        int colornum;
+        int colornum, fg, bg;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail(rec != NULL, NULL);
 
@@ -315,15 +336,16 @@ char *hilight_get_color(HILIGHT_REC *rec, int activity)
 		color = number;
 	}
 
-	if (is_numeric(color, 0))
-                return g_strdup_printf("\003%02d", atoi(color));
-
+	if (get_colors(color, &fg, &bg)) {
+		return bg == -1 ? g_strdup_printf("\003%02d", fg) :
+			g_strdup_printf("\003%d,%02d", fg, bg);
+	}
 	return g_strdup(color);
 }
 
 static void hilight_update_text_dest(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, HILIGHT_REC *rec)
 {
-	char *color;
+	char *color, *bgcolor;
 
 	dest->level |= MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT;
 
@@ -331,8 +353,14 @@ static void hilight_update_text_dest(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, HILIGHT_REC *rec)
 		dest->hilight_priority = rec->priority;
 
 	color = hilight_get_color(rec, TRUE);
-	if (*color == 3)
+	if (*color == 3) {
 		dest->hilight_color = atoi(color+1);
+                bgcolor = color+1;
+		while (*bgcolor != ',' && *bgcolor != '\0')
+			bgcolor++;
+		dest->hilight_bg_color = *bgcolor != ',' ? -1 :
+			atoi(bgcolor+1);
+	}
 	g_free(color);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/window-activity.c b/src/fe-common/core/window-activity.c
index f5a6d4a1..c928a498 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/window-activity.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/window-activity.c
@@ -35,8 +35,8 @@
 static char **hide_targets;
 static int hide_level, msg_level, hilight_level;
 
-static void window_activity(WINDOW_REC *window,
-			    int data_level, int hilight_color)
+static void window_activity(WINDOW_REC *window, int data_level,
+			    int hilight_color, int hilight_bg_color)
 {
 	int old_data_level;
 
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ static void window_activity(WINDOW_REC *window,
 	if (data_level == 0 || window->data_level < data_level) {
 		window->data_level = data_level;
 		window->hilight_color = hilight_color;
+		window->hilight_bg_color = hilight_bg_color;
 		signal_emit("window hilight", 1, window);
 	}
 
@@ -51,8 +52,8 @@ static void window_activity(WINDOW_REC *window,
 		    GINT_TO_POINTER(old_data_level));
 }
 
-static void window_item_activity(WI_ITEM_REC *item,
-				 int data_level, int hilight_color)
+static void window_item_activity(WI_ITEM_REC *item, int data_level,
+				 int hilight_color, int hilight_bg_color)
 {
 	int old_data_level;
 
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ static void window_item_activity(WI_ITEM_REC *item,
 	if (data_level == 0 || item->data_level < data_level) {
 		item->data_level = data_level;
 		item->hilight_color = hilight_color;
+		item->hilight_bg_color = hilight_bg_color;
 		signal_emit("window item hilight", 1, item);
 	}
 
@@ -94,10 +96,12 @@ static void sig_hilight_text(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, const char *msg)
 		item = window_item_find(dest->server, dest->target);
 		if (item != NULL) {
 			window_item_activity(item, data_level,
-					     dest->hilight_color);
+					     dest->hilight_color,
+					     dest->hilight_bg_color);
 		}
 	}
-	window_activity(dest->window, data_level, dest->hilight_color);
+	window_activity(dest->window, data_level,
+			dest->hilight_color, dest->hilight_bg_color);
 }
 
 static void sig_dehilight_window(WINDOW_REC *window)
@@ -107,9 +111,9 @@ static void sig_dehilight_window(WINDOW_REC *window)
 	g_return_if_fail(window != NULL);
 
 	if (window->data_level != 0) {
-		window_activity(window, 0, 0);
+		window_activity(window, 0, 0, 0);
 		for (tmp = window->items; tmp != NULL; tmp = tmp->next)
-			window_item_activity(tmp->data, 0, 0);
+			window_item_activity(tmp->data, 0, 0, 0);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fe-text/statusbar-items.c b/src/fe-text/statusbar-items.c
index 8243a9ac..035c77e1 100644
--- a/src/fe-text/statusbar-items.c
+++ b/src/fe-text/statusbar-items.c
@@ -353,9 +353,14 @@ static void draw_activity(gchar *title, gboolean act, gboolean det, int size)
 		set_color(stdscr, sbar_color_bold);
 		break;
 	default:
-		if (window->hilight_color > 0)
-			set_color(stdscr, sbar_color_background | mirc_colors[window->hilight_color%16]);
-		else
+		if (window->hilight_color > 0) {
+			int bg;
+
+			bg = window->hilight_bg_color == -1 ?
+				sbar_color_background :
+                                (window->hilight_bg_color << 4);
+			set_color(stdscr, bg | mirc_colors[window->hilight_color%16]);
+		} else
 			set_color(stdscr, sbar_color_act_highlight);
 		break;
 	}