diff --git a/lib/pages/chat/events/message_content.dart b/lib/pages/chat/events/message_content.dart
index 3375da7097..c876e0d16d 100644
--- a/lib/pages/chat/events/message_content.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/chat/events/message_content.dart
@@ -90,17 +90,33 @@ class MessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
     );
   }
 
+  bool _isSearchResult() {
+    return searchTerm != null && searchTerm!.isNotEmpty;
+  }
+
   String _getEventTextFormatted() {
     var text = event.formattedText;
-    if (searchTerm != null && searchTerm!.isNotEmpty) {
-      text = text.replaceAll(searchTerm!,
-          "<span style='background-color:$AppConfig.primaryColorLight'>$searchTerm</span>");
-      return text;
+    if (_isSearchResult()) {
+      // search result messages may not be formatted-messages originally
+      // -> take normal text in this case
+      if (text.isEmpty) {
+        text = event.text;
+      }
+
+      return _replaceSearchResults(text);
     } else {
       return text;
     }
   }
 
+  String _replaceSearchResults(String text) {
+    final searchExp = RegExp(searchTerm!, caseSensitive: false);
+    text = text.replaceAllMapped(
+        searchExp, (match) => "<b><i>${match[0]}</i></b>");
+
+    return text;
+  }
+
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     final fontSize = AppConfig.messageFontSize * AppConfig.fontSizeFactor;
@@ -144,8 +160,8 @@ class MessageContent extends StatelessWidget {
           case MessageTypes.Emote:
             if (AppConfig.renderHtml &&
                 !event.redacted &&
-                event.isRichMessage) {
-              var html = _getEventTextFormatted();
+                (event.isRichMessage || _isSearchResult())) {
+              String html = _getEventTextFormatted();
               if (event.messageType == MessageTypes.Emote) {
                 html = '* $html';
               }
diff --git a/lib/pages/chat_search/chat_search_view.dart b/lib/pages/chat_search/chat_search_view.dart
index b870bec467..4672a4cd55 100644
--- a/lib/pages/chat_search/chat_search_view.dart
+++ b/lib/pages/chat_search/chat_search_view.dart
@@ -145,13 +145,16 @@ class ChatSearchView extends StatelessWidget {
                                         crossAxisAlignment:
                                             CrossAxisAlignment.stretch,
                                         children: <Widget>[
-                                            Message(snapshot.data![i - 1],
-                                                onSwipe: (direction) => {},
-                                                onSelect:
-                                                    controller.onSelectMessage,
-                                                scrollToEventId:
-                                                    controller.scrollToEventId,
-                                                timeline: controller.timeline!),
+                                            Message(
+                                              snapshot.data![i - 1],
+                                              onSwipe: (direction) => {},
+                                              onSelect:
+                                                  controller.onSelectMessage,
+                                              scrollToEventId:
+                                                  controller.scrollToEventId,
+                                              timeline: controller.timeline!,
+                                              searchTerm: controller.searchTerm,
+                                            ),
                                             if (i == snapshot.data?.length &&
                                                 controller.searchState ==
                                                     SearchState.searching)