diff --git a/phpBB/search.php b/phpBB/search.php
index 5418f34c6b..b16a92384e 100644
--- a/phpBB/search.php
+++ b/phpBB/search.php
@@ -825,7 +825,7 @@ if ($keywords || $author || $author_id || $search_id || $submit)
 				if ($hilit)
 				{
 					// post highlighting
-					$message = preg_replace('#(?!(?:<(?:s(?:cript|tyle))?)[^<]*)(?<!\w)(' . $hilit . ')(?!\w|[^<>]*(?:</s(?:cript|tyle))?>)#is', '<span class="posthilit">$1</span>', $message);
+					$message = preg_replace('#(?!<.*)(?<!\w)(' . $hilit . ')(?!\w|[^<>]*(?:</s(?:cript|tyle))?>)#is', '<span class="posthilit">$1</span>', $message);
 				}
 
 				$tpl_ary = array(
diff --git a/phpBB/viewtopic.php b/phpBB/viewtopic.php
index 4275938548..0bcaea8489 100644
--- a/phpBB/viewtopic.php
+++ b/phpBB/viewtopic.php
@@ -1299,7 +1299,7 @@ for ($i = 0, $end = sizeof($post_list); $i < $end; ++$i)
 	// Highlight active words (primarily for search)
 	if ($highlight_match)
 	{
-		$message = preg_replace('#(?!(?:<(?:s(?:cript|tyle))?)[^<]*)(?<!\w)(' . $highlight_match . ')(?!\w|[^<>]*(?:</s(?:cript|tyle))?>)#is', '<span class="posthilit">\1</span>', $message);
+		$message = preg_replace('#(?!<.*)(?<!\w)(' . $highlight_match . ')(?!\w|[^<>]*(?:</s(?:cript|tyle))?>)#is', '<span class="posthilit">\1</span>', $message);
 	}
 
 	// Replace naughty words such as farty pants