diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c b/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
index d5b011c5..e33e973c 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/fe-messages.c
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ static void sig_message_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 	const char *nickmode, *printnick;
 	int for_me, print_channel, level;
 	char *color, *freemsg = NULL;
+	HILIGHT_REC *hilight;
 
 	/* NOTE: this may return NULL if some channel is just closed with
 	   /WINDOW CLOSE and server still sends the few last messages */
@@ -162,8 +163,9 @@ static void sig_message_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 
 	for_me = !settings_get_bool("hilight_nick_matches") ? FALSE :
 		nick_match_msg(chanrec, msg, server->nick);
-	color = for_me ? NULL :
+	hilight = for_me ? NULL :
 		hilight_match_nick(server, target, nick, address, MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC, msg);
+	color = (hilight == NULL) ? NULL : hilight_get_color(hilight);
 
 	print_channel = chanrec == NULL ||
 		!window_item_is_active((WI_ITEM_REC *) chanrec);
@@ -172,7 +174,7 @@ static void sig_message_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 		print_channel = TRUE;
 
 	level = MSGLEVEL_PUBLIC;
-	if (for_me || color != NULL)
+	if (for_me)
 		level |= MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT;
 
 	if (settings_get_bool("emphasis"))
@@ -186,34 +188,31 @@ static void sig_message_public(SERVER_REC *server, const char *msg,
 	if (printnick == NULL)
 		printnick = nick;
 
-	if (!print_channel) {
-		/* message to active channel in window */
-		if (color != NULL) {
-			/* highlighted nick */
-			printformat(server, target, level,
-				    TXT_PUBMSG_HILIGHT,
-				    color, printnick, msg, nickmode);
-		} else {
+	if (color != NULL) {
+		/* highlighted nick */
+		TEXT_DEST_REC dest;
+		format_create_dest(&dest, server, target, level, NULL);
+		hilight_update_text_dest(&dest,hilight);
+		if (!print_channel) /* message to active channel in window */
+			printformat_dest(&dest, TXT_PUBMSG_HILIGHT, color,
+				         printnick, msg, nickmode);
+		else /* message to not existing/active channel */
+			printformat_dest(&dest, TXT_PUBMSG_HILIGHT_CHANNEL,
+					 color, printnick, target, msg,
+					 nickmode);
+	} else {
+		if (!print_channel)
 			printformat(server, target, level,
 				    for_me ? TXT_PUBMSG_ME : TXT_PUBMSG,
 				    printnick, msg, nickmode);
-		}
-	} else {
-		/* message to not existing/active channel */
-		if (color != NULL) {
-			/* highlighted nick */
-			printformat(server, target, level,
-				    TXT_PUBMSG_HILIGHT_CHANNEL,
-				    color, printnick, target, msg, nickmode);
-		} else {
+		else
 			printformat(server, target, level,
 				    for_me ? TXT_PUBMSG_ME_CHANNEL :
 				    TXT_PUBMSG_CHANNEL,
 				    printnick, target, msg, nickmode);
-		}
-	}
+	}						
 
-        g_free_not_null(freemsg);
+	g_free_not_null(freemsg);
 	g_free_not_null(color);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c b/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
index 796a482b..b379b814 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.c
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ static char *hilight_get_act_color(HILIGHT_REC *rec)
 			settings_get_str("hilight_act_color"));
 }
 
-static char *hilight_get_color(HILIGHT_REC *rec)
+char *hilight_get_color(HILIGHT_REC *rec)
 {
 	const char *color;
 
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ static char *hilight_get_color(HILIGHT_REC *rec)
 	return format_string_expand(color, NULL);
 }
 
-static void hilight_update_text_dest(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, HILIGHT_REC *rec)
+void hilight_update_text_dest(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, HILIGHT_REC *rec)
 {
 	dest->level |= MSGLEVEL_HILIGHT;
 
@@ -305,6 +305,8 @@ static void hilight_update_text_dest(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, HILIGHT_REC *rec)
 		dest->hilight_color = hilight_get_act_color(rec);
 }
 
+static void hilight_print(int index, HILIGHT_REC *rec);
+
 static void sig_print_text(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, const char *text,
 			   const char *stripped)
 {
@@ -398,19 +400,15 @@ static void sig_print_text(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, const char *text,
 	signal_stop();
 }
 
-char *hilight_match_nick(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
+HILIGHT_REC *hilight_match_nick(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
 			 const char *nick, const char *address,
 			 int level, const char *msg)
 {
         HILIGHT_REC *rec;
-	char *color;
 
 	rec = hilight_match(server, channel, nick, address,
 			    level, msg, NULL, NULL);
-	color = rec == NULL || !rec->nick ? NULL :
-		hilight_get_color(rec);
-
-	return color;
+	return (rec == NULL || !rec->nick) ? NULL : rec;
 }
 
 static void read_hilight_config(void)
diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.h b/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.h
index 6e510737..74c58780 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.h
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/hilight-text.h
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 #  include <regex.h>
 #endif
 
+#include "formats.h"
+
 typedef struct _HILIGHT_REC HILIGHT_REC;
 
 struct _HILIGHT_REC {
@@ -36,9 +38,12 @@ HILIGHT_REC *hilight_match(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
 			   int level, const char *str,
 			   int *match_beg, int *match_end);
 
-char *hilight_match_nick(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
+HILIGHT_REC *hilight_match_nick(SERVER_REC *server, const char *channel,
 			 const char *nick, const char *address,
 			 int level, const char *msg);
+			 
+char *hilight_get_color(HILIGHT_REC *rec);
+void hilight_update_text_dest(TEXT_DEST_REC *dest, HILIGHT_REC *rec);
 
 void hilight_create(HILIGHT_REC *rec);
 void hilight_remove(HILIGHT_REC *rec);