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..16e63dce 100644
--- a/nw/gui/preferences.py
+++ b/nw/gui/preferences.py
@@ -629,7 +629,16 @@ 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
@@ -687,12 +696,14 @@ 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()
 
         self.mainConf.guiSyntax       = guiSyntax
         self.mainConf.highlightQuotes = highlightQuotes
+        self.mainConf.highlightEmph   = highlightEmph
         self.mainConf.spellTool       = spellTool
         self.mainConf.spellLanguage   = spellLanguage
         self.mainConf.bigDocLimit     = bigDocLimit