diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 4bbaca1b..5a5d9b82 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# 1.8.0
+
+* Support parsing of run highlights.
+
 # 1.7.2
 
 * Remove the use of the path module from common code used by browser builds.
diff --git a/lib/documents.js b/lib/documents.js
index cc6a2a33..c37ec057 100644
--- a/lib/documents.js
+++ b/lib/documents.js
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ function Run(children, properties) {
         isSmallCaps: !!properties.isSmallCaps,
         verticalAlignment: properties.verticalAlignment || verticalAlignment.baseline,
         font: properties.font || null,
-        fontSize: properties.fontSize || null
+        fontSize: properties.fontSize || null,
+        highlight: properties.highlight || null
     };
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/docx/body-reader.js b/lib/docx/body-reader.js
index 7a00164b..78c732ef 100644
--- a/lib/docx/body-reader.js
+++ b/lib/docx/body-reader.js
@@ -94,7 +94,8 @@ function BodyReader(options) {
                 isItalic: readBooleanElement(element.first("w:i")),
                 isStrikethrough: readBooleanElement(element.first("w:strike")),
                 isAllCaps: readBooleanElement(element.first("w:caps")),
-                isSmallCaps: readBooleanElement(element.first("w:smallCaps"))
+                isSmallCaps: readBooleanElement(element.first("w:smallCaps")),
+                highlight: element.firstOrEmpty("w:highlight").attributes["w:val"]
             };
         });
     }
diff --git a/test/docx/body-reader.tests.js b/test/docx/body-reader.tests.js
index 5623f665..ddc060b2 100644
--- a/test/docx/body-reader.tests.js
+++ b/test/docx/body-reader.tests.js
@@ -750,6 +750,21 @@ test("run with invalid w:sz has null font size", function() {
     assert.deepEqual(run.fontSize, null);
 });
 
+test("run has no highlight by default", function() {
+    var runXml = runWithProperties([]);
+
+    var run = readXmlElementValue(runXml);
+    assert.deepEqual(run.highlight, null);
+});
+
+test("run has highlight read from properties", function() {
+    var fontXml = new XmlElement("w:highlight", {"w:val": "yellow"});
+    var runXml = runWithProperties([fontXml]);
+
+    var run = readXmlElementValue(runXml);
+    assert.deepEqual(run.highlight, "yellow");
+});
+
 test("run properties not included as child of run", function() {
     var runStyleXml = new XmlElement("w:rStyle");
     var runPropertiesXml = new XmlElement("w:rPr", {}, [runStyleXml]);