diff --git a/nw/config.py b/nw/config.py
index 8e7b6a61..33cae9f1 100644
--- a/nw/config.py
+++ b/nw/config.py
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ class Config:
         self.bigDocLimit     = 800
         self.showFullPath    = True
         self.highlightQuotes = True
+        self.highlightEmph   = True
 
         self.fmtApostrophe   = nwUnicode.U_RSQUO
         self.fmtSingleQuotes = [nwUnicode.U_LSQUO, nwUnicode.U_RSQUO]
@@ -469,6 +470,9 @@ class Config:
         self.highlightQuotes = self._parseLine(
             cnfParse, cnfSec, "highlightquotes", self.CNF_BOOL, self.highlightQuotes
         )
+        self.highlightEmph = self._parseLine(
+            cnfParse, cnfSec, "highlightemph", self.CNF_BOOL, self.highlightEmph
+        )
 
         ## Backup
         cnfSec = "Backup"
@@ -590,6 +594,7 @@ class Config:
         cnfParse.set(cnfSec,"bigdoclimit",     str(self.bigDocLimit))
         cnfParse.set(cnfSec,"showfullpath",    str(self.showFullPath))
         cnfParse.set(cnfSec,"highlightquotes", str(self.highlightQuotes))
+        cnfParse.set(cnfSec,"highlightemph",   str(self.highlightEmph))
 
         ## Backup
         cnfSec = "Backup"
diff --git a/nw/gui/dochighlight.py b/nw/gui/dochighlight.py
index deb646b2..8f32bfca 100644
--- a/nw/gui/dochighlight.py
+++ b/nw/gui/dochighlight.py
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ class GuiDocHighlighter(QSyntaxHighlighter):
 
         self.colHead   = QColor(*self.theTheme.colHead)
         self.colHeadH  = QColor(*self.theTheme.colHeadH)
-        self.colEmph   = QColor(*self.theTheme.colEmph)
         self.colDialN  = QColor(*self.theTheme.colDialN)
         self.colDialD  = QColor(*self.theTheme.colDialD)
         self.colDialS  = QColor(*self.theTheme.colDialS)
@@ -96,6 +95,11 @@ class GuiDocHighlighter(QSyntaxHighlighter):
         self.colTrail  = QColor(*self.theTheme.colEmph)
         self.colTrail.setAlpha(64)
 
+        if self.mainConf.highlightEmph:
+            self.colEmph = QColor(*self.theTheme.colEmph)
+        else:
+            self.colEmph = None
+
         self.hStyles = {
             "header1"    : self._makeFormat(self.colHead,  "bold", 1.8),
             "header2"    : self._makeFormat(self.colHead,  "bold", 1.6),
diff --git a/nw/gui/preferences.py b/nw/gui/preferences.py
index 3abedfc2..7b64138a 100644
--- a/nw/gui/preferences.py
+++ b/nw/gui/preferences.py
@@ -494,26 +494,6 @@ class GuiConfigEditLayoutTab(QWidget):
             theUnit="px"
         )
 
-        # Writing Guides
-        # ==============
-        self.mainForm.addGroupLabel("Writing Guides")
-
-        ## Show Tabs and Spaces
-        self.showTabsNSpaces = QSwitch()
-        self.showTabsNSpaces.setChecked(self.mainConf.showTabsNSpaces)
-        self.mainForm.addRow(
-            "Show tabs and spaces",
-            self.showTabsNSpaces
-        )
-
-        ## Show Line Endings
-        self.showLineEndings = QSwitch()
-        self.showLineEndings.setChecked(self.mainConf.showLineEndings)
-        self.mainForm.addRow(
-            "Show line endings",
-            self.showLineEndings
-        )
-
         # Render Options
         # ==============
         self.mainForm.addGroupLabel("Render Text")
@@ -541,33 +521,29 @@ class GuiConfigEditLayoutTab(QWidget):
         validEntries = True
         needsRestart = False
 
-        textFont        = self.textStyleFont.text()
-        textSize        = self.textStyleSize.value()
-        textWidth       = self.textFlowMax.value()
-        zenWidth        = self.zenDocWidth.value()
-        textFixedW      = not self.textFlowFixed.isChecked()
-        hideZenFooter   = self.hideZenFooter.isChecked()
-        doJustify       = self.textJustify.isChecked()
-        textMargin      = self.textMargin.value()
-        tabWidth        = self.tabWidth.value()
-        showTabsNSpaces = self.showTabsNSpaces.isChecked()
-        showLineEndings = self.showLineEndings.isChecked()
-        viewComments    = self.viewComments.isChecked()
-        viewSynopsis    = self.viewSynopsis.isChecked()
+        textFont      = self.textStyleFont.text()
+        textSize      = self.textStyleSize.value()
+        textWidth     = self.textFlowMax.value()
+        zenWidth      = self.zenDocWidth.value()
+        textFixedW    = not self.textFlowFixed.isChecked()
+        hideZenFooter = self.hideZenFooter.isChecked()
+        doJustify     = self.textJustify.isChecked()
+        textMargin    = self.textMargin.value()
+        tabWidth      = self.tabWidth.value()
+        viewComments  = self.viewComments.isChecked()
+        viewSynopsis  = self.viewSynopsis.isChecked()
 
-        self.mainConf.textFont        = textFont
-        self.mainConf.textSize        = textSize
-        self.mainConf.textWidth       = textWidth
-        self.mainConf.zenWidth        = zenWidth
-        self.mainConf.textFixedW      = textFixedW
-        self.mainConf.hideZenFooter   = hideZenFooter
-        self.mainConf.doJustify       = doJustify
-        self.mainConf.textMargin      = textMargin
-        self.mainConf.tabWidth        = tabWidth
-        self.mainConf.showTabsNSpaces = showTabsNSpaces
-        self.mainConf.showLineEndings = showLineEndings
-        self.mainConf.viewComments    = viewComments
-        self.mainConf.viewSynopsis    = viewSynopsis
+        self.mainConf.textFont      = textFont
+        self.mainConf.textSize      = textSize
+        self.mainConf.textWidth     = textWidth
+        self.mainConf.zenWidth      = zenWidth
+        self.mainConf.textFixedW    = textFixedW
+        self.mainConf.hideZenFooter = hideZenFooter
+        self.mainConf.doJustify     = doJustify
+        self.mainConf.textMargin    = textMargin
+        self.mainConf.tabWidth      = tabWidth
+        self.mainConf.viewComments  = viewComments
+        self.mainConf.viewSynopsis  = viewSynopsis
 
         self.mainConf.confChanged = True
 
@@ -629,7 +605,16 @@ class GuiConfigEditEditingTab(QWidget):
         self.highlightQuotes.setChecked(self.mainConf.highlightQuotes)
         self.mainForm.addRow(
             "Highlight text wrapped in quotes",
-            self.highlightQuotes
+            self.highlightQuotes,
+            helpText="Applies to single, double and straight quotes."
+        )
+
+        self.highlightEmph = QSwitch()
+        self.highlightEmph.setChecked(self.mainConf.highlightEmph)
+        self.mainForm.addRow(
+            "Add highlight colour to emphasised text",
+            self.highlightEmph,
+            helpText="Applies to emphasis, strong and strikethrough."
         )
 
         # Spell Checking
@@ -678,6 +663,26 @@ class GuiConfigEditEditingTab(QWidget):
             theUnit="kB"
         )
 
+        # Writing Guides
+        # ==============
+        self.mainForm.addGroupLabel("Writing Guides")
+
+        ## Show Tabs and Spaces
+        self.showTabsNSpaces = QSwitch()
+        self.showTabsNSpaces.setChecked(self.mainConf.showTabsNSpaces)
+        self.mainForm.addRow(
+            "Show tabs and spaces",
+            self.showTabsNSpaces
+        )
+
+        ## Show Line Endings
+        self.showLineEndings = QSwitch()
+        self.showLineEndings.setChecked(self.mainConf.showLineEndings)
+        self.mainForm.addRow(
+            "Show line endings",
+            self.showLineEndings
+        )
+
         return
 
     def saveValues(self):
@@ -687,15 +692,21 @@ class GuiConfigEditEditingTab(QWidget):
 
         guiSyntax       = self.selectSyntax.currentData()
         highlightQuotes = self.highlightQuotes.isChecked()
+        highlightEmph   = self.highlightEmph.isChecked()
         spellTool       = self.spellToolList.currentData()
         spellLanguage   = self.spellLangList.currentData()
         bigDocLimit     = self.bigDocLimit.value()
+        showTabsNSpaces = self.showTabsNSpaces.isChecked()
+        showLineEndings = self.showLineEndings.isChecked()
 
         self.mainConf.guiSyntax       = guiSyntax
         self.mainConf.highlightQuotes = highlightQuotes
+        self.mainConf.highlightEmph   = highlightEmph
         self.mainConf.spellTool       = spellTool
         self.mainConf.spellLanguage   = spellLanguage
         self.mainConf.bigDocLimit     = bigDocLimit
+        self.mainConf.showTabsNSpaces = showTabsNSpaces
+        self.mainConf.showLineEndings = showLineEndings
 
         self.mainConf.confChanged = True
 
diff --git a/tests/reference/novelwriter.conf b/tests/reference/novelwriter.conf
index a52a91df..849843a0 100644
--- a/tests/reference/novelwriter.conf
+++ b/tests/reference/novelwriter.conf
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [Main]
-timestamp = 2020-06-27 21:21:19
+timestamp = 2020-06-29 17:34:15
 theme = default
 syntax = default_light
 icons = typicons_colour_light
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ showlineendings = False
 bigdoclimit = 800
 showfullpath = True
 highlightquotes = True
+highlightemph = True
 
 [Backup]
 backuppath =