diff --git a/phpBB/viewtopic.php b/phpBB/viewtopic.php
index ed1dd685c2..ef36d204f7 100644
--- a/phpBB/viewtopic.php
+++ b/phpBB/viewtopic.php
@@ -445,20 +445,22 @@ if ( count($orig_word) )
 //
 // Was a highlight request part of the URI?
 //
-$highlight_match = '';
+$highlight_match = $highlight = '';
 if (isset($HTTP_GET_VARS['highlight']))
 {
 	// Split words and phrases
 	$words = explode(' ', trim(htmlspecialchars(urldecode($HTTP_GET_VARS['highlight']))));
 
-	foreach ($words as $word)
+	for($i = 0; $i < sizeof($words); $i++)
 	{
-		if (trim($word) != '')
+		if (trim($words[$i]) != '')
 		{
-			$highlight_match .= (($highlight_match != '') ? '|' : '') . str_replace('*', '\w*', preg_quote($word, '#'));
+			$highlight_match .= (($highlight_match != '') ? '|' : '') . str_replace('*', '\w*', preg_quote($words[$i], '#'));
 		}
 	}
 	unset($words);
+
+	$highlight = urlencode($HTTP_GET_VARS['highlight']);
 }
 
 //
@@ -584,7 +586,7 @@ if ( $can_watch_topic )
 // If we've got a hightlight set pass it on to pagination,
 // I get annoyed when I lose my highlight after the first page.
 //
-$pagination = ( $highlight_active ) ? generate_pagination("viewtopic.$phpEx?" . POST_TOPIC_URL . "=$topic_id&amp;postdays=$post_days&amp;postorder=$post_order&amp;highlight=" . urlencode($HTTP_GET_VARS['highlight']), $total_replies, $board_config['posts_per_page'], $start) : generate_pagination("viewtopic.$phpEx?" . POST_TOPIC_URL . "=$topic_id&amp;postdays=$post_days&amp;postorder=$post_order", $total_replies, $board_config['posts_per_page'], $start);
+$pagination = ( $highlight_active ) ? generate_pagination("viewtopic.$phpEx?" . POST_TOPIC_URL . "=$topic_id&amp;postdays=$post_days&amp;postorder=$post_order&amp;highlight=$highlight", $total_replies, $board_config['posts_per_page'], $start) : generate_pagination("viewtopic.$phpEx?" . POST_TOPIC_URL . "=$topic_id&amp;postdays=$post_days&amp;postorder=$post_order", $total_replies, $board_config['posts_per_page'], $start);
 
 //
 // Send vars to template
@@ -625,7 +627,7 @@ $template->assign_vars(array(
 	'S_TOPIC_ADMIN' => $topic_mod,
 	'S_WATCH_TOPIC' => $s_watching_topic,
 
-	'U_VIEW_TOPIC' => append_sid("viewtopic.$phpEx?" . POST_TOPIC_URL . "=$topic_id&amp;start=$start&amp;postdays=$post_days&amp;postorder=$post_order&amp;highlight=" . urlencode($HTTP_GET_VARS['highlight'])),
+	'U_VIEW_TOPIC' => append_sid("viewtopic.$phpEx?" . POST_TOPIC_URL . "=$topic_id&amp;start=$start&amp;postdays=$post_days&amp;postorder=$post_order&amp;highlight=$highlight"),
 	'U_VIEW_FORUM' => $view_forum_url,
 	'U_VIEW_OLDER_TOPIC' => $view_prev_topic_url,
 	'U_VIEW_NEWER_TOPIC' => $view_next_topic_url,